Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
Shira, the social director of Har Bracha, the home of the two recent terrorist attack victims, asked me to write a few words to the young members of that community. I sent her the following message:
"It’s enough to look at the picture of Hallel Menachem and Yagel Ya’akov Yaniv in order to appreciate the immensity of this loss. You see the sweetness and goodness that radiates from their faces. But unlike myself, you were privileged to know them personally and not only through a picture. To live side by side two young men who suddenly became holy, their souls stormily ascending to heaven.
They were not murdered for being Hallel Menachem and Yagel Ya’akov but only because they were Jews. In this sense, they were emissaries of all of us.
Every Jew who is taken from us leaves a void that needs to be filled. Regarding the friends of the one who is killed we say: “When one member of the group dies - the rest of the group worries”. What does worrying have to do with it? Should the friends of the departed live in fear and trepidation? Absolutely not. The idea is that the friends will make sure to fill the void left by their absence. Their friends will not stop worrying until they have built more, brought greater stability, and strengthened not only their community but the entire nation of Israel.
Their mother Esti - after the family decided to donate the young men's organs - said that they were on their way to a Torah study session and she asked that all of us should make learning Torah our mission too.
Last Shabbat they were with us when we read from the Torah, but this coming Shabbat they will not be with us when we will read: 'Remember what Amalek did to you'. Amalek takes advantage of doubt, disunity, confusion, or weakness. Yet every act that promotes unity, mutual responsibility, strength of purpose, and greater faith - leads to the ultimate victory over him.
Sending condolences to everyone, may we hear only good news".
