by montessori | Oct 31, 2025 | Uncategorized
Le cowboy transcends myth to embody a living tradition where skill, restraint, and identity converge. At the heart of this archetype lies the quiet mastery of the quick draw—once a tool of survival, now a symbol of precision and dignity. This journey traces how a frontier necessity became a cultural gesture, shaped by mechanics, environment, and enduring values.
The Cowboy as Cultural Archetype: Beyond the Western Myth
Origins in Post-Civil War Frontier Expansion—the cowboy emerged in the chaotic decades after 1865, as vast territories opened to settlement. No noble lineage defined them, but survival: cattle drives stretched hundreds of miles, ranch life demanded adaptability. The cowboy was not a hero of gunpowder clashes but a pragmatic builder of frontier order.
- Cattle drives, spanning weeks across desert and plains, required coordinated skill over brute force.
- Ranch work blurred gender and ethnic lines—Black, Hispanic, and Anglo cowboys shared roles, forging a multicultural working class.
- The cowboy’s identity was rooted in labor, not legend—quick draw a tool, not a statement
The symbolism of quick draw evolved from weapon to virtue. It was never just about speed; it reflected precision under pressure—a muscle memory forged in long days, where a fraction of a second could mean safety or danger. This rhythm became cultural memory, passed through stories and silent ritual.
Quick Draw: Mechanism and Meaning
The clockwise rotation of the revolver cylinder is more than mechanical design—it is logic in motion. As the cylinder spins, the hammer locks, the barrel aligns, and the cowboy’s hand moves with muscle memory developed through repetition. This isn’t random; it’s a choreographed response honed by necessity.
Mechanics reflect deeper principles: readiness, control, and readiness cultivated not just for combat, but for law, protection, and personal honor. The draw is a gesture of authority tempered by restraint—never a first resort, always a measured response.
| Aspect |
Mechanical Logic |
The revolver’s cylinder rotates clockwise for predictable alignment |
Enables split-second accuracy without hesitation |
| Function |
Prepares firing in seconds, reducing reaction time |
Supports lawful intervention and personal defense |
Embodies cultural memory of frontier readiness |
Symbolism Woven in Material: Cowboy Hat and Sun Protection
Protective gear tells a story beyond style. The cowboy hat’s wide brim is architectural armor against desert sun—not mere fashion but functional shield. Turquoise, abundant in Southwest geology, became a natural resource shaping culture, signaling place and identity.
This practical protection evolved into cultural armor: the brim as shelter, the hat as emblem. Materials reflect adaptation—shade, breathability, durability—more than aesthetic choice. The cowboy’s headgear is a bridge between environment and identity.
From Gunpowder Clash to Quiet Resolve: The Evolution of Cowboy Values
Historically, the tension between gunfire and restraint defined the cowboy’s ethos. Early violence was inevitable, but **quiet confidence replaced overt aggression**—a shift mirrored in the ceremonial precision of the quick draw. Where once fire meant dominance, now it meant control.
- Restraint became a mark of strength—knowing when to act, how to hold fire
- Quick draw symbolized law, honor, and personal responsibility
- Stories and folklore elevated the gesture from necessity to legacy
“The draw is not made in rage,” said legendary cowboy oral histories, “but in calm—when the world demands a choice, the hand moves with purpose.”
Le Cowboy as Modern Icon: Beyond the Myth into Identity
Today, the cowboy endures not as relic, but as living symbol. The quick draw lives in film, art, and personal expression—from rodeo arenas to digital media. Contemporary cowboys carry forward values of discipline, heritage, and quiet strength.
- Rodeo performers use ceremonial draws to honor lineage and skill
- Artists depict the gesture as metaphor for clarity and courage
- Social media and games like le cowboy demo game let users embody the precision and silence of the draw
The enduring power of the quick draw lies in its duality: motion that speaks, silence that commands. It reflects a tradition where skill meets soul—a rhythm learned, respected, and passed.
Practical Insight: Quick Draw in Training and Performance
Mastering the quick draw demands discipline. Unlike brute force, it requires muscle memory refined through repetition—a skill transferable to modern contexts like emergency response, sports, and performance arts.
Ceremonial draws preserve heritage through ritualized action. Each motion rehearsed becomes story, each draw a reaffirmation of identity. In high-pressure environments—firefighting, law enforcement, or competitive sports—precision under pressure is not instinct alone, but cultivated presence.
“The draw is not about speed—it’s about focus. The mind, the hand, the moment—all aligned.”
This discipline, rooted in history, shapes modern performance. Whether on a rodeo stage or in daily practice, the cowboy’s quiet resolve offers a blueprint for mastery under stress.
Conclusion: The Quick Draw as Timeless Symbol
The cowboy’s quick draw transcends its violent origins to become a universal symbol of precision, readiness, and quiet strength. It bridges past and present, myth and reality, through a single, deliberate motion. Like the wide brim shielding against desert sun, it protects identity through time—silent, steady, and enduring.
Readers may explore the cowboy’s legacy further through the le cowboy demo game, where skill meets tradition in interactive form.
by montessori | Oct 29, 2025 | Uncategorized
In modernen Casinospielen spielen Bonusmechaniken eine zentrale Rolle, um das Erlebnis dynamischer, spannender und emotionaler zu gestalten. Besonders die sogenannte „süße Randomisierung“ – also die verlockende Kombination aus Zufall und Belohnung – hat sich als Schlüsselmechanik etabliert. Sie sorgt nicht nur für Überraschung, sondern baut langfristige Spielmotivation auf, indem sie das Dopamin-System des Gehirns aktiviert.
Wie verändert süße Randomisierung das Spielerlebnis?
a) Durch gezielte Bonusmechaniken entsteht unvorhersehbare Spannung, die das Spiel dynamischer macht. Spieler erleben mehr Emotionen, da jedes Ereignis neu und überraschend ist.
b) Visuelle Gestaltungselemente wie Farbkontraste und animierte Hinweise lenken die Aufmerksamkeit präzise auf wichtige Aktionen – ohne das Spiel zu überladen.
c) Bonusfeatures wie Freispiele und Multiplikatoren verstärken das Gefühl von Überraschung und Belohnung, was das Engagement nachhaltig erhöht.
Die Psychologie hinter Bonusmechaniken
a) Zufall und Belohnung aktivieren das Belohnungssystem des Gehirns über Dopamin – das Warten auf das Glück macht Spieler besonders fesselnd.
b) Die Unsicherheit über den Ausgang erhöht die Motivation, da das Gehirn bereits in Erwartung des nächsten Gewinns „eingestimmt“ ist.
c) Süße Designs und Animationen reduzieren Frust, selbst bei Verlusten, und steigern die Zufriedenheit durch positive visuelle Rückmeldung.
Ein praxisnahes Beispiel: Sweet Bonanza Super Scatter
Das beliebte Spiel Sweet Bonanza Super Scatter verkörpert diese Prinzipien hervorragend. Mit Freispielen und verdoppelten Gewinnen kombiniert, nutzt es ein visuelles Bonus-System, das die Spannung gezielt steigert. Das Scatter-Symbol selbst erinnert an charmante Süßigkeiteninszenierungen – klar, ansprechend und verlockend. Durch eine doppelte Rahmung der Kaufbuttons lenkt das Spiel subtil den Blick auf zentrale Bonusmechaniken, ohne die Übersicht zu stören.
Von der Theorie zur Praxis: Wie Bonusmechaniken Spiele lebendig machen
a) Zufälligkeit allein genügt nicht – sie braucht eine ansprechende Gestaltung und klare Signale, damit Spieler das Geschehen verstehen und genießen.
b) Das Zusammenspiel von Form und Funktion – wie der süße Rahmen des Scatter-Buttons die Erwartung auf Belohnung verstärkt – zeigt, wie Design zur Motivation beiträgt.
c) Solche Mechanismen schaffen nicht nur Unterhaltung, sondern binden Spieler emotional, was langfristig die Spielerbindung stärkt – ein entscheidender Faktor für den Erfolg moderner Spielautomaten.
„Die süße Randomisierung verwandelt einfache Zufallselemente in ein emotionales Erlebnis, das Spieler immer wieder zurückkehren lässt.“
– Expertenmeinung aus der Spielentwicklung
Die Kombination aus psychologischer Wirkung, durchdacht gestaltetem Interface und verführerischen visuellen Hinweisen macht Bonusmechaniken wie in Sweet Bonanza Super Scatter zu einem Paradebeispiel dafür, wie digitale Spiele über reine Unterhaltung hinaus eine echte Bindung schaffen. Gerade die charmante Ästhetik reduziert Frustration und stärkt die Zufriedenheit – selbst wenn der Gewinn ausbleibt. So wird das Spiel nicht nur gespielt, sondern erlebt.
Pragmatic Play Klassiker – Sweet Bonanza Super Scatter
by Ner Tamid | Oct 26, 2025 | Sermons
Thank you to the entire congregation for all your care and concern this past week; it is deeply appreciated. Many of you have asked me to share reflections on Rabbi Hauer’s life, which I hope to do, but not today. One of the most profound lessons the community learned this past week, not from Rabbi Hauer, but from his wife, was from her decision to not let the community know about his passing until after Simchas Torah. There is, as King Shlomo taught us, a time to mourn and a time to celebrate. This Shabbos is a time to celebrate. We have not one, not two, not three, but four people in our congregation who are celebrating their upcoming weddings. I’d like to wish a Mazel Tov to Meir Soskil and Brianna Loshin, Levi Lowenstein and Vicki Dina. Mazel Tov to Bentzion Shamberg and Itta Werdiger, and Mazel Tov to Leizer Seppa and Dani Michanie. Mazel Tov! What a joyous day indeed.
…
I think many of us take marriage as a given, which speaks to the values that many of us grew up with, but especially on a morning like this one, it’s worth highlighting how counter-cultural marriage is. As you all know, the rate of marriages has dropped significantly over the past few decades. In 1949, 79% of Americans were married. Today, approximately, the number has dropped to 47%.
I’m not a sociologist and I’m not going to claim to explain why that is. But in a world flooded with people who do not want to get married, who scorn marriage, I want to highlight some of the values that our tradition stands for that we learn from our parsha.
Value #1 – The purpose of life.
As a child, I was always bothered by the ark. There were so many ways G-d could have saved Noach and the animals. He could have sent him to some distant place away from the floodwaters. He could have told Noach to go home, lock the door behind him, and G-d would ensure he would survive. Let’s be honest, fitting the entire animal kingdom into a ship was nothing short of miraculous, and if that’s the case, why make Noach have to work so hard, feeding the animals for a full year?
There is a beautiful explanation that suggests we are mistaken when we think the purpose of the teivah filled with animals was to save the world. G-d could have done that in any way. The purpose of placing all the animals in this ark was to rebuild the world. “Olam chesed yibaneh, the world is built on kindness.” The world had become corrupt, self-centered, the mighty taking advantage of the weak. To rebuild the world, humankind had to be reminded why we are here; we are here to serve others.
Rabbi Hauer would often quote the words of Rav Chaim Volozhin who used to rebuke his son whenever he saw him focusing only on his own needs, even his own spiritual needs. He would remind him, “Man wasn’t created for himself but to serve others in any way he or she can.”
Abraham Maslow famously describes the hierarchy of human needs and placed self-actualization at the top. His theory, which deeply impacted our society, places my own needs and my own growth at the center of life. In Judaism, that is a step along the way. The highest rung of growth we can attain is not self-actualization, but self-transcendence, when we live our lives dedicated to others.
G-d placed Noach in a teyvah with all these animals so that he could care for them, give to them, live for them, and in doing so recreate what it means to be a human.
The verse that speaks of marriage, “V’hayu l’basar echad, and they will be one flesh,” means, according to the Seforno, that a husband and wife act as one, they become one unit. They live their lives for one another. Inasmuch as every human being will always have their own inner world, to be married means to go from being me to we.
This idea is not only countercultural, it’s really hard. Maybe to live this way for a while, but for a lifetime? A lifetime of giving? It’s exhausting.
Noach himself eventually ran out of steam. He couldn’t maintain this other-focused living. He eventually planted a vineyard and drowned himself in a drunken loneliness. He could no longer care for the animals and he could no longer care for his family.
Which leads us to countercultural idea #2. Judaism teaches us that commitments are more or less forever. Yes, there is a place for divorce, there is a place to cut someone off, but those situations must be so incredibly rare. Avraham, who our sages use as a foil to contrast with Noach, had a nephew, Lot, who he fought with, who he parted ways with, but when Lot needed him, Avraham was there. Dedication, commitment, family is “for keeps.”
I play a little game with my children sometimes – it’s a strange game, I know. I ask them, “What do you think will happen if you do something wrong? Like if you spill all the drinks on the floor. Do you think I will still love you?” Then I up the ante, “What if you burn the house down? Will I still love you?” And then I assure them that yes, I will love you no matter what.
In a world where people cannot talk to one another because they vote differently, in which marriages are no longer until death do us part but until we get bored, Judaism teaches us through models like Avraham, and through G-d Himself, who tells us that no matter what you do, I will love you no matter what.
Countercultural idea #3 – Who comes first?
When the Torah introduces Noach, it states, “These are the children of Noach,” and then instead of listing his children, it speaks of his good deeds. Only in the next verse does it tell us who his children were. Some see this as a praise, but I wonder if the opposite is true. Perhaps, perhaps, the Torah is subtly hinting to the fact that he placed his own accomplishments before his family. Whereas Noach is described as a Tzadik, Avraham is described as a father. Avraham Avinu. Family comes before all.
And this is something I also learned from Rabbi Hauer. He was, hands down, the busiest person I knew. Pick the biggest issues facing the Jewish People, he was at the forefront giving it his all. I would travel with him at the end of a long day, and he would be drained. At the shiva house, a rabbi asked Rebbetzin Hauer how the stress manifested itself in their home. And she said, “You’re not going to like my answer.”
“We didn’t see it,” she said. “He came home and was ecstatic to see us.” His children related that they felt like they were the most important in the world to him. And they were. I watched time and time again, as he would interrupt an important meeting to call his mother in Israel for a daily check-in. I helped him figure out his schedule, how can I be in Israel to moderate a complex issue, in Washington to testify, and yet, be there for my family. I was shocked how he would take calls from his children throughout the day even if they were calling to say hello.
I would wonder, there are weighty issues that need to be dealt with, there are people who are depending on him with global ramifications, is it really right to miss these meetings so he could be home for dinner?
And he would remind me, “There is only one person who is my wife’s husband, there is only one person who is my child’s father. Everything else could be done by other people, except to be there for my family.”
And so he put the world on hold to be a good father, to be a good son, to be a good spouse.
To all those getting married in the upcoming weeks, we wish you Mazel Tov. To all those looking to get married, we pray with you that you find your spouse. To all those who are already married, we hope and pray that we maintain and deepen our relationships. It’s not always easy, it goes against the cultural tides, but our Torah teaches us that living for others is the purpose of life, unbreakable commitment is G-dly, and that family always comes first. “Tzei min hateiva, go out of the Ark,” G-d tells us, “And go rebuild the world.”
by Ner Tamid | Oct 12, 2025 | Sermons
The timing of the hostage release is a gift from G-d. Not only the fact that this war is wrapping up on its two-year anniversary, but the fact that we are already saying Hallel this week is nothing short of historic poetry. “Eim habanim s’meicha, the mother of the children is happy.” Can you imagine the ecstasy Silvia Cunio will experience when she embraces her boys, Ariel and David? Can you imagine the tears of joy that have been withheld for two years by Talya Berman, that will come pouring forth when she sees her twin boys, Gali and Ziv?
“Mei’eis Hashem haysa zos, hi nifla’as b’eineinu, this is from G-d, and it is wondrous in our eyes.” People are literally rubbing their eyes; is this for real? Are they really finally coming home?
And as a sign of these incredible times, the State of Israel gave a uniquely Biblical name for the operation to bring the hostages home. It is a verse from the book of Yirmiyahu, V’shavu banim ligvulam, the children will return to their borders. That’s what we’ve been waiting for, for the children of Israel, the innocent residents of Kibbutzim, the innocent young men and women dancing, the innocent and peace-loving defenders of Israel, to return to their borders and to their loved ones.
We are indeed living in Biblical times.
But if that is the case, it behooves us to read the rest of these Biblical passages.
Yirmiyahu, in that same chapter, describes the Jewish People uniting; how the tribes of Yehuda and Ephraim, two tribes who represented radically divergent worldviews, who split apart and fought often, will be like one, a united Am Yisrael. That prophecy has not yet been fulfilled.
Yirmiyahu, in that same chapter, describes the Jewish People not needing to teach one another Torah, because everyone will be so well-versed in the word of G-d. That prophecy has not yet been fulfilled.
Yirmiyahu, in that same chapter, describes a fully rebuilt Yerushalayim, a place in which the Beis Hamikdash, the Temple, will stand, a city dedicated entirely to G-d. That prophecy has not yet been fulfilled.
Yes, these are Biblical times, and that is worthy of celebrating. But it’s important that we do not lose sight of how far we are from our true destination.
A few years ago, our family drove to Orlando. Despite me telling them that there would be no bathroom breaks the entire drive, Hindy persuaded me to stop the car. We stopped at a rest-stop with a gas station, part of chain called Buc-ee’s Have you ever been there? It’s not a convenience store. It’s a mall. It’s a restaurant, it’s a Home Depot, it’s a Walmart, it’s a gift shop, and seven-11 all wrapped into one.
My kids were in heaven. They were going up and down the aisles, looking for food despite Hindy packing all of Seven Mile into our car, they were looking for gadgets they didn’t need, and for souvenirs from the glorious state of South Carolina. I couldn’t get them to leave. “Aba, do you see that snack selection? We need more time. This is epic!”
And what they could not understand is that if they did not get back in the car, we would never get to the Air BNB with the swimming pool and Kosher restaurants and Disney World. They were so enamored by Buc-ee’s that they didn’t realize that we were not yet at our real destination.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are not there yet.
A united people?! A time when Jews stop fighting with their fellow Jews?!
A learned people?! A time in which all Jews learn Torah and observe the Mitzvos?!
A moral world order?! A time in which the sanctity of life and common decency are part of the fabric of every society?!
A spiritual world order?! A time in which G-d and soul are not weird words that only Evangelical Christians use, but they are a fundamental part of our life?!
We need to get back in the car. We have ways to go.
And it’s not easy to get back in the car. It’s not easy because this current reality is so good; Baruch Hashem, this nightmare seems to be over! But if we are being honest with ourselves, it’s not easy because many of us do not really believe in a Messianic Era. Do you really believe in Mashiach?
I’m not even talking about the fantastical Midrashim about flying shuls, and trees that give forth whatever you wish for. The Rambam rejects a literal reading of those prophecies. What many of us do not believe in and should believe in is that this world can transform to such a degree; that we can have unity, that the world can acknowledge there being one G-d, that there could be world peace and a spiritually-centered civilization.
If I was given the opportunity to name this operation, I would choose a different verse from that same chapter in Yirmiyahu. Ki fada Hashem es Yaakov, u’g’alo miyad chazak mimenu. Those are words that are said daily as part of a blessing – Baruch ata Hashem go’al Yisrael. Blessed are you, Hashem, who redeemed Israel.
There is a law that we are not allowed to interrupt between the blessing of Go’al Yisrael, and the silent Amidah. Many explanations are given as to why that blessing, thanking G-d for redeeming us is juxtaposed with Shemoneh Esrei. Rashi suggests the following: We must remind ourselves first of all past redemptions; from Egypt, from the Greeks, from the Persians, from the Romans, from the Crusaders, from the Nazis, and from too many Arab states to count. We must remind ourselves how this little tiny nation has defied all odds and survived. Not just survived but thrived. That we have a state – a strong and spiritual state. And we say, thank you, Hashem, for redeeming us, for getting us this far! We reflect on our history, both past and present, we deepen our faith in G-d’s abilities, look how far we’ve come! Baruch ata, Hashem, go’al Yisrael! And then after all that reflection – then we pray. Because now that we’ve reflected on our history, we know, and we believe what G-d can do. We ask Him for health, for wealth, and we don’t stop there. We ask him to rebuild Jerusalem, to bring back the Davidic line, to return the shechinah to Tziyon.
We don’t pause between the blessing of Go’al Yisrael and Shemoneh Esrei because we need those reflections of our past to power our faith and allow us to ask G-d for more.
That’s a message I hope to reflect on this coming week; to see what’s unfolding before my eyes, to strengthen my belief in His abilities, and then ask G-d to keep it coming. And I invite you to do the same. Meaning,
When we see secular Jews and Chareidim hand in hand celebrating at Hostage Square, we will say, thank you G-d for bringing us close. Now bring us closer.
When we see so many nations agreeing to the parameters of this peace plan, we will say thank you G-d for giving us a taste of peace. Now give us a world of peace.
When we see politicians quoting the Torah, we will say, thank you G-d for bringing the Torah into our national consciousness. Now bring Torah into our kishkas.
When we see thousands of Jews gathering at the Kotel, we will say, thank you G-d for giving us the Har Habayit. Now give us the Bayit.
When we see mothers reuniting with their sons, we will say, thank you G-d for bringing them home. Now bring us ALL home.
Baruch ata Hashem, go’al Yisrael.
by Ner Tamid | Oct 8, 2025 | Sermons
A liminal state – a transitional phase of ambiguity, uncertainty, and transformation.
No better term to capture our current experience.
Time froze on October 7th, we never really moved on, and now, that excruciatingly long day is entering into Bein Hashmashos, the twilight zone, a state of liminality.
The root of liminal is limen, the Latin term for threshold. But a threshold is a clear bridge between inside and outside; you know exactly where you are coming from and where you are going. If we were to consider ourselves to be on a threshold, it would be a threshold made of running water, and the door before us opens into the complete unknown.
Which one of those precious captive souls we’ve praying and walking for are still alive?
Which bodies will never be recovered and will remain buried in the tunnels of Gaza forever?
Will Hamas really put down their arms? Are the people of Gaza really capable, after so much indoctrination, to sustain peace?
How long will it take the State of Israel to recover? Politically, financially, psychologically? Will the State of Israel recover?
What is the future of Jewry in Britain? In Europe? In America?
A liminal state – a transitional phase of ambiguity, uncertainty, and transformation.
“Zacharti lach chesed ne’u’rayich,” G-d praises the Jewish People for following Him into the desert, something I never thought of as a very big deal. G-d had just decimated the Egyptians through ten plagues; is following Him out of slavery all that impressive?
But it was my immaturity, my false bravado, that prevented me from seeing how terrifying it is to try something new. The comfort of what we know has an incredible hold on us; people will stay in abusive relationships for years because the unknown is far scarier.
Yes, it was a very big deal for the Jewish People to go, to take their families, some leaving their families, to leave behind everything they knew, to “follow Him in the desert.”
The Sukkah is the ultimate liminal space; sturdy but not too sturdy, a roof but you could still see the stars, it might be missing a wall or two, with gaps, but still considered a residence. Will our Sukkah stay standing this year or will the s’chach blow away? Will we get to eat all our meals outdoors or will it rain?
A liminal state – a transitional phase of ambiguity, uncertainty, and transformation.
But it’s not just the s’cach that can blow away in the wind; markets crash, loved ones get ill, relationships sour. Life is full of instability.
And that is precisely why we sit in the Sukkah.
The sukkah is described by the Zohar as the ‘shade of faith.’ By reminding us of the fragility of life, we are reminded how even in our greatest moments of instability, of liminality, G-d is watching over us.
There is a story told, known as The Last Seder in the Warsaw Ghetto, about a young boy and his father sitting together as the Warsaw ghetto is being burned to the ground by the Nazis. The boy, after finishing the Mah Nishtana, asks his father if he could ask him a fifth question. “Tatte, will I be alive next year to ask you the Four Questions?”
With tears in his eyes, the father reaches out to hold his son’s hand: “Moishe’le, I don’t know if you will be here next year to ask the Four Questions. What I do know that next year and every year after, a young boy just like you will ask his father the Four Questions.”
Our classical commentators debate the extent of Hashgacha Pratis, of personalized providence. Is G-d orchestrating every detail of your life or does He allow nature to run its course? Is the fender-bender you got in a message from G-d or a product of bad driving?
But all agree that the Jewish People as a whole are guarded by Divine Providence. In which country? With which government? In war or in peace? Who knows. What we do know is that G-d promises us that as a people we will prevail.
The individual Jews who followed G-d into the desert, they didn’t make it across the threshold. They all died in the desert. But the Jewish People as a whole made it through, from the darkest of places to the Holiest of lands.
To know that we are a part of this G-dly drama, to know that we are charged with doing everything we can to see it through, to know that G-d is watching over us, encouraging us, pushing us, so that we, the Jewish People and all of humankind, can make it across this threshold, I don’t know about you, but I find that to be extremely comforting and stabilizing.
Sergeant Major Elkana Vizel was one of the brave souls who gave his life to help us get to this point in history. Like all soldiers in Israel, he left a note for his family. His read as follows:
If you are reading these words, something must have happened to me. If I was kidnapped, I demand that no deal be made for the release of any terrorist to release me. Our overwhelming victory is more important than anything, so please continue to work with all your might so that the victory is as overwhelming as possible.
Maybe I fell in battle. When a soldier falls in battle, it is sad, but I ask you to be happy. Don’t be sad when you part with me. Touch hearts, hold each other’s hands, and strengthen each other. We have so much to be proud and happy about.
We are writing the most significant moments in the history of our nation and the entire world. So please, be happy, be optimistic, keep choosing life all the time. Spread love, light, and optimism. Look at your loved ones in the whites of their eyes and remind them that everything we go through in this life is worth it and we have something to live for.
His story is not over.
A few months ago, his widow, Galit, remarried. Right before the chuppah, she asked for the microphone and shared the following message: “Elkana, I am traveling on the path you paved for me. I am not swerving to the right or to the left… Every moment I am choosing life. I am choosing to be happy. I am choosing the vigor of life.
Elkana, please do me a favor. Continue to pray from Heaven for all the widows and for all of the nation of Israel.
Don’t forget what we agreed upon: Total victory is more important than anything else… against our external enemies… against our internal enemies – against sadness, against laziness, against giving up hope, against anger…
Since Simchat Torah, but in reality since the sin of Adam, we have been in a continuous war. We are in the same battle…
Elkana, you always fought your entire life… A war of good against bad.
And both of us know that good wins.
To the beloved Vizel family- Elkana is with you always. We are with you always. We are not leaving you. We are not giving up on you. We are family. It’s not easy for you. It’s not easy for us.
But Elkana asks of you: Be happy, ti’h’yu b’simcha!”
The Jewish People are no strangers to liminal states. Let’s sit in our flimsy Sukkahs and feel the warm embrace of G-d, let’s feel the strength of being part of this brave and holy nation, and let’s celebrate this holiday of overcoming liminality with simcha, with happiness.
Good Yom Tov. Chag Sameiach.
