Chabad Couple’s Moving Tribute to a Slain IDF Hero

By Rivky Moses (Taichman)

I only met Yitzchok for one Shabbos. And that one Shabbos alone was enough to see what a unique and holy soul he was.

It still feels surreal to say “was”— as this doesn’t feel real for any of us.

That Shabbos was the first time I was meeting my husband Mendel’s family, and Yitzchok made sure I felt comfortable and welcomed. That Shabbos was the first, and unfortunately, the last Shabbos I would ever spend with him.

For Mendel—Yitzchok wasn’t just a cousin. He was like an older brother. Their bond ran deep. They were family in the truest sense.

He was supposed to fly from London for our wedding on October 18th 2023. But then came October 7th. He left the comfort of his home and went straight to Israel to serve. He never made it to our wedding.

After months of risking his life on the front lines, in Gaza, Lebanon, and Judea and Samaria. Yitzchok finally returned home. Just days later, he was murdered. He made it out of the war—but the war followed him home. It’s unthinkable.

Yitzchok was a man who found G-d through his own journey. A man of depth, humility, and courage.

He was a man who believed deeply and passionately in the coming of Moshiach.

He was a man who, on a late Friday night, slept by the front door to make sure Mendel wouldn’t get locked out.

He was a man who brought two bouquets of flowers to his aunt—my mother-in-law—every single Shabbos. And then would apologize when a rose was missing, as he gave it to a stranger who looked like they needed it.

He was a man who would walk out of a room the moment gossip began.

He was a man who, in the army, always waited for everyone else to eat before he did.

A man who lived on the bare minimum in order to give his salary to those he felt needed it more.

A man who would ask his fellow soldiers if they had wives or children—and if they did, he would volunteer to take on the dangerous assignments in their place.

A man who brought light to the darkest places.

He was the most selfless being I’ve ever met. A true tzaddik.

As I wrote in the letter to my aunt:

“Tata Esther,

Whenever I draw a tzaddik, I make sure to listen to holy and Jewish music to honor who I’m drawing. I genuinely felt that I was drawing a tzaddik, and I did the same this time.”

He was someone who always put others before himself—from not eating until everyone else had eaten, to risking his life every single day for 15 months in service of his people.

He loved everyone, was loved by everyone, and his only mission in life was to add light to the world.

Please, do something in his honor. Whether it’s withholding from gossip, smiling at a stranger, holding the door open for someone, or checking in on a friend or family member. These were the things Yitzchok lived by—small actions that create immense light.

Spread light. Spread love. Do it in his name.

שניאור יצחק בן אסתר
Shneor Yitzchok ben Esther

Drawing by: Rivky Moses – Taichman
Ani Maamin Sung by: Mendel Moses
Instagram: @artysart_
@mendelmoses

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