Before we get to the video above
and the story of Major Dvir Fima below, we are sharing this video from Rachel Goldberg Polin, in which she asks all of us to take a step in marking, reminding and remembering the plight of the hostages, the plight of her son, Hersh.
To put it mildly — she’s asking. Who are we not to oblige? And frankly, bag that idea of putting it under your shirt. If you live in a place where you can’t wear a piece of tape with a number on it over your shirt — you definitely live in the wrong place.
And now to the focus of today’s post:
The words in the background of the video above are from a song called La-Chazor Ha-Baytah, “Coming Home,” by a group called Hatikva 6.
In Hebrew, they read
אבל הכי אני אוהב לחזור הביתה אחרי שלא הייתי כל הלילה למצוא את השלווה שאני חי בה לפשוט מעליי את החיים איך אני אוהב לחזור הביתה ללב של האישה שאני חי איתה להחזיר את השפיות שלי אליי כבר את כל הרגעים הרגילים איך אני אוהב לחזור הביתה
A rough English translation is:
But most of all I love coming home After I was gone all night To find the tranquility I live in shed my life off of me How I love to come home To the heart of the woman I live with to restore my sanity back to me already All the usual moments How I love to come home
That video is a quick shot of Major Dvir David Fima, 32, coming home to his wife, Ofek, and his son, Harel, for a visit a bit over a month ago. Here are more shots of the visit:
Dvir Fima became a bit of a household name in Israel after he gave the following interview to Israeli television, an interview to which we have added English subtitles. People saw in the interview a thumbnail of this young generation of fighters, leaving wives and children at home, putting everything on the line to defend a country they care about far more than anyone imagined.
Here’s his interview:
After 50 days of combat, Fima also had a chance to reunite with his father, a moment that someone posted on Instagram:
That, tragically, would be their last embrace.
On December 27, not long after he gave the above interview, Major Dvir Fima, z’’l, was killed in battle. He noticed an explosive device near his troops and jumped onto it, using his body as a shield between the detonated weapon and the other soldiers in his unit.
It’s worth revisiting that comment in his interview, when he said, “When it comes to the lives of those who are fighting with you ... you know what you need to do,” as well as his last words from that interview, words that he asked to add, even when the interviewer had thought that they were done:
You asked if we miss our families. We all miss our families, but it is also important for me say that we will stay here for as long as we need to, and however long they say so that in another 40 years, 50 years, the residents of the south and the State of Israel will actualize its sovereignty. So that every farmer who is close to the border can pick his orange, his lemon, and his tangerine safely.
And that is our mission here, to ensure this, I hope for generations to come.
None of us knows how this war is going to end, how long it will drag on, on how many fronts it will be fought. We do not know if we’re witnessing the beginning of the end of the war, or the very beginning of a long conflict still ahead of us.
We have absolutely no idea what the State of Israel will be like when this is all over.
What we do know, though, is that somehow, this country has managed to produce a generation of young people, people whom many called “leftists” or “anarchists” or whatever over the past year, suggesting that they just wanted to code and have IPOs, and didn’t care about the country their grandparents founded.
Turns out that all those people were simply wrong. Israel’s younger generation is made of something that is hard to describe, impossible to define. But that something is extraordinary.
When this is all over, those of us still here are going to have one fundamental obligation: creating a country worthy of their devotion and sacrifice.
May the memory of Dvir Fima and all the other fallen be a blessing.
I will definitely wear the number of days. I live in a very antisemitic neighborhood with “Free Palestine” spray painted everywhere and “progressives” who believe in violence as a means to achieving their ends. I wear my Star of David necklace and I’ll wear the number of days. We need to be public here in the US about our support for Israel. I’ve written two articles that are published and working on another. With you forever from Philadelphia.
Miracles used to be obvious -- like the Red Sea... Today they are hidden and you have to look for them 'behind the scenes.' Today's miracle is found in the dedication of today's soldiers, along with the people on the homefront. If you doubt that, just ask if Americans would react the same way here -- I don't think so...
Daniel - perhaps try to be a bit more objective, fair, balanced and accurate?
Yes these are some of our wonderful Am who misguided politicos and media pundits and activists on the Right and promoting judicial reform called "Leftists" and "anarchists" as you note. But for goodness sake, you should have added, in the same breath "and who other misguided politicos and media pundits and activists on the Left and opposed to judicial reform called "fascists" and "tyrants" and "dictators" and looking to "destroy democracy".
The demonization went both ways, and acknowledging that is the first step to ensure more civil debate when we return to politics... and the hundreds of soldiers dying (and thousands injured) come from ALL sides of the judicial reform debate.
Imho
I wrote a piece (before the war) about this - how love means being willing to say sorry - in the beginning of the summer, if you're interested:
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-752794
🙃
With respect and fond regards -
Aryeh
I read your article. I am American and not as familiar with Israeli politics so I am always interested in reading more.
Rabbi/Dr. Gordis:
Whether or not you are still a "card-carrying-Rabbi" or not, you are upholding the penultimate tradition of a Rabbi's role, that of teaching. Your insight of "Inside Israel" has taught me that the Israel I thought I knew from the "safety" of western galut was not the reality on the ground. When I attended several of the peaceful huge Kaplan Street demonstrations and the juxta-position of Yom HaZikaron followed by Yom Ha'atzmaut, I felt different.
Your columns and podcasts took my neshamah, whatever that means, to a different level and truly gave meaning to Yehuda HaLevi's poem that I had to memorize in high school, "MY HEART IS IN THE EAST." (see below)
Much thanks...a well-earned Hakaras Tov
Ian Schorr
My Heart Is In The East
By Yehuda HaLevi
My heart is in the east, and the rest of me at the edge of the west.
How can I taste the food I eat? How can it give me pleasure?
How can I keep my promise now, or fulfill the vows I've made
While Zion remains in the Cross's reign1, and I in Arab chains?
With pleasure I would leave behind all the good things of Spain,
If only I could gaze on the dust of our ruined Holy Place.
THE ORIGINAL:
לבי במזרח
יהודה הלוי
לִבִּי בְמִזְרָח וְאָנֹכִי בְּסוֹף מַעֲרָב
אֵיךְ אֶטְעֲמָה אֵת אֲשֶׁר אֹכַל וְאֵיךְ יֶעֱרָב
אֵיכָה אֲשַׁלֵּם נְדָרַי וָאֱסָרַי, בְּעוֹד
צִיּוֹן בְּחֶבֶל אֱדוֹם וַאֲנִי בְּכֶבֶל עֲרָב
יֵקַל בְּעֵינַי עֲזֹב כָּל טוּב סְפָרַד, כְּמוֹ
יֵקַר בְּעֵינַי רְאוֹת עַפְרוֹת דְּבִיר נֶחֱרָב.
I will wear the number beginning today. 95 ✡️✝️
I am touched and shaken to the core. And, I want to post Rachel’s request on my social media feed but can’t figure out how to copy and share it.
This might work Sherry: https://www.facebook.com/daniel.gordis.1/videos/1864095637366803
Brings tears at the loss of a wonderful human being and yet hope that Israel has such extraordinary human potential. An example to all nations of the moral power inherent in the young people of the IDF
So many losses of people who should have been able to live out their lives in peace surrounded by their loved ones. Every day I ask myself why do they hate us so. What have Jews ever done to deserve this fate? I had no answers after the Shoah and I have no answers now. I am simply filled to bursting with sadness and anger.
Oh my, Maj Dvir Firma, z"l--I am humbled by your amazing "ruach lechima"! I cannot, will not forget however, that he and his brothers and sisters would still be alive but for the utter negligence of the Netanyahu government. They were warned multiple times by intelligence and military brass that their divisive ultra-nationalistic policies were creating a security vulnerability--and chose to ignore it! Israel needs to have its internal reckoning, clean house, and ready itself for the very challenging choices soon to come.
World politics told we fight , for people of Israel and Gaza we must help to heal their wound all class of age.and political leader must play their role.
Obliged to wear number of days
This is so so sad!!!