Shloshim / 7th Iyar / "Love Eternal" / David Mandel

VOICES OF GUSH ETZION / Cheryl Mandel

Daniel my friend / Barak

Daniel / Lieutenant Michael Rosman

Memorial Tribute to Daniel Mandel / Ofir Sasson

Eulogy by Gabi

Daniel Mandel z"tl

Eulogy by Gabi

Daniel my brother,
This is something I never thought I would have to do. I never imagined I would find myself in this situation. We are in the month of Nisan, in which eulogies are not delivered, other than for those who fell in the service of the state, like you.

You were killed as you lived, in greatness, leading your soldiers, whom you loved so much. You combined so many traits, which is why everyone admired you: a combination of infinite quiet and strength, infinite love of humanity and true grit when it was needed, a gentle and pure worship of God and uncompromising military professionalism. You had a unique spiritual power.

You would come home from the army early on Friday and straightaway sit down to play the bagpipes.

I remember your telling me about your soldiers and about how you love them, how you love the Torah and how you were zealous for the truth with no compromises. You had infinite honor of parents, you led a distinctive, great way of life. If there was one thing you hated, it was mediocrity. And that’s what we have to take from you: that greatness, that refusal to compromise that was you.

You were far more than a brother to me, you were a true friend. I would ask your advice about everything, whether it was the Mechina or the army or any other subject. And I was always "the brother of" – people always saw me as Daniel’s brother, and I hated that, and now I understand why.

There is so much we have to learn from you, so much we have to grow into, so much we have to take from your character. Before you were a great commanding officer you were an educator – a gifted teacher – and now it is our mission to educate ourselves in that way, to learn from you, from your character. We all still have a lot of work to do, a long way to go; we are only midway on the road.

Now we will mourn, but afterward we will rise up and go on with the work. From this point on we only need to grow.

As you always used to tell your soldiers – whoever is down in the dumps is giving in to himself and will pay for it.

You had the privilege of being a commander in the Israel Defense Forces. You were proud of that, you understood what a great privilege it was – and how typical that you were killed in the defense of the people of Israel and of the land you loved so much.

I, who now serve in the Israel Defense Forces, commit myself to do everything in my power to continue on your path and to do everything as well as I can, with the same greatness you showed, as you always taught me, as you always had it within you to teach me.

Today I feel a vast gaping void, and it is the duty of each and every one of us to fill that void.

True remembrance of you lies in seizing life. With awareness of the vastness of the void, we must take on ourselves the overall responsibility to fill the vacuum that was created.

We must not sink into nostalgia for the lovely past; our task is only to enhance life, to grow. That is what Daniel would want.

Daniel, my brother, they called you a hero. We will always remember you, always follow in your path.

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