Captain Daniel Toaff, who was killed in the building explosion in Rafah on Tuesday along with two other soldiers and a paramedic, left behind an emotional letter that is now being published posthumously.
Toaff, a resident of Moreshet in northern Israel, wrote the letter to his soldiers moments before their first entry into Gaza.
"I will start by saying that I remember when I was a child, my grandparents always told me that when I grew up, there would be no more wars and we wouldn’t need an army. Very quickly I realized this is not true, because I learned to understand what the People of Israel, the Land of Israel, and the State of Israel are, that in every generation there are those who seek to destroy us, and God saves us," he wrote, quoting the Passover Haggadah.
"We are in a historic moment, a moment that will be remembered for generations, and we are privileged to take part in this history. Another chapter in the story of the Jewish people. Each chapter in the Jewish people's story always begins with one thing, and that is our internal disputes within the nation. When we dare to think that someone who thinks differently from us is invalid, defective, not part of the people, not part of us, and just out of touch.
"Whenever our internal crises arrive, national disasters follow, just as happened to us now—babies were slaughtered, whole families were cut down, and we were left here in IDF uniforms needing to protect our people and we failed. We need to speak the truth."
The letter continues, "Now it's our turn, our turn to carry the burden and take responsibility for the people. Like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, each with their trials; Moses, who brought the people to the land; Joshua, who conquered the land; David, Solomon, and the kings of Israel; Esther and Mordechai; the Maccabees; the paramilitary groups before the establishment of the State; the partisans; the Jews in the Holocaust; IDF soldiers through the generations, all took responsibility for their people. Now it's our turn."
"A month and a half ago was Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, and Yom Kippur," he wrote, shortly before the ground offensive into Gaza began. "We all prayed for the collective, and personally, what I always strive to focus on most is praying for a good life. The intention here is not merely that we will live another year and not die; the intention is that we will have lives of meaning and doing good for the people of Israel and the land of Israel. I always direct my prayers toward this goal and ask for lives dedicated to the collective, giving for the people and the land, lives where I make the world a better place, making my people better. This is the purpose of life, and I have reached the moment where I have had the privilege to do this and live this life, a life of universality and doing good for the people of Israel with my very body."
At the end of the letter, he directed a few words to his family: "Thank you for the amazing upbringing with uncompromising values belonging to an eternal people who will always prevail. To my dear siblings, I love you all. I have learned from all of you, and I am always proud to share what you do. You are my pride; even if sometimes I act like an idiot, know that I always love you and am proud of you."
"Thank you, Mom and Dad, for giving me everything I needed in life, but never allowing me to think I'm the whole world. Throughout my life, I see how you always strive to do good wherever you are, whether it’s Mom working tirelessly and always concerned with the nation’s issues in the places she’s in, never standing idly by and demanding justice and truth, or Dad always working for the people’s security and enjoying it in an inspiring way. You are the source of my life."
"A person is the product of their homeland; the landscape I grew up on is one of endless giving and doing for the collective, not just looking out for oneself. I love you and demand from you, as long as I'm there fighting the evil and returning the good to the people of Israel, for you to be there at home, continuing to do good for our nation. Never stop. Always hold your heads high and chests out because you succeeded in raising a devoted and loyal generation for the people of Israel, the land of Israel, and the Torah of Israel. Look at the empire you’ve raised; every child with their unique contribution to the people of Israel is proof of the success of good parents. Everyone should envy you for your success."
At the end, he quoted a popular Hebrew song of prayer: "May I merit to raise sons and grandsons wise and understanding, loving God, fearing God, true holy seed clinging to God, illuminating the world with good deeds and every task for the Creator. This is what you have done and succeeded in, and I pray I will succeed like you. See you soon and always ask to keep a smile no matter what happens, and continue to act for the People and the Land. I love you endlessly."