See, it’s ערב פסח, and your people, the Jewish people have so many מצוות to do: burn chametz, prepare for the seder, review haggadah, check matzot, shower, change clothes…
See how your people of Modiin got four missile warnings, yet they still went ahead and fulfilled the mitzvot. They did not make excuses, they did not skimp, they went ahead preparing for pesach like the geula is around the corner and they will be guarded tonight.
But look and see: there was a soldier, Gilad Harel, who was killed in Lebanon. His funeral is today. It is not a good time. His family really wished that he was at home, at their seder, spending erev Chag busy with the mitzvot. But he is no more and cannot engage in mitzvot.
See how your people, the nation of Israel, honors the beings, both living and dead, by dropping their Yom Tov preparations and lining the streets en masse to accompany the family and the deceased. Count it for them as a merit. See their חסד של אמת and act towards them mercifully. And count their mitzvah of accompaniment as a mitzvah for the Aliyah of neshama of Gilad.
Dear G-d, no more death לא בזמנו.
People of Modiin lining up to escort Gilad Harel.
Ilana Gimpelevich is a life-long learner. A mother to five children, she has lived in diverse Jewish communities. Currently a student in Yeshivat Maharat, she is interested in exploring the intersection of traditional texts with the modern reality.