Renowned Ashkelon Rabbi Yuval Ohayon stood last night next to the body of his nine-year-old son David, who was killed in a fatal truck accident, and offered words of strength and faith while saying farewell to his child with great emotion and pain.
"I got out of the car," the bereaved father opened his eulogy, "after I received the blood-curdling phone call that I never wished on anyone, and the ambulance driver asked me 'Are you the father?', I told him yes, and he took me aside and said two words to me: 'He's deceased'."
Rabbi Yuval continued to echo the cries of family and friends: "I turned away from him - G-d is my witness - and said two sentences: The first was Blessed is the True Judge, the second was The L-rd gave, the L-rd has taken away, blessed be the name of the L-rd."
"Master of the Universe," David's father cried: "I have no experience in faith in what happened here; mourning, loss, and the void in the heart I know I'll have. The sorrow is hard, but we don't question you. I beg you Master of the Universe on this occasion: May it be Thy Will that this sacrifice that we made, together with the sacrifice of my father, end all the hardships for our family.
"People who saw the accident told me - and it'll probably be investigated further - that David was driving on the sidewalk and at some point he lost control, fell to the road, and the truck just then passed. There are all sorts of versions, but we aren't really concerned with how G-d implements His meticulous leadership of his world."
The bereaved father added confidently: "I wholeheartedly believe that from the start David was born to live for only nine years. In five days he has a birthday, and he asked that we celebrate with him early, on Shabbat, and we celebrated for him. I have no doubt that he was supposed to be great in Torah and in general.
"Children of his kind, they are the ones who later grow up with their many energies to be great in Israel. He was the joy in our home. Special, with a good heart, a righteous and holy child."
And turning to the bier, Rabbi Yuval added: "David Israel, know that we love you. We were left in pain, the tear is big, like a bayonet in the heart. I don't wish upon anyone the struggle we'll now have with the longing to see pictures, his toys, and clothes. But we'd never question G-d.
"Davidi, everyone in the house accused me of favoring you in relation to the other children, and that I loved you most of all ... I had a special love and connection to you. There's always something that's the special light of the soul."
The bereaved father continued with a plea: "Please, David, ask the Creator of the world, from now on may there be only joy in our family, that we never know sorrow again.
"And to my dear wife Rachel: I want you to know that you are guilty of nothing, and it has nothing to do with 'whether you watched him or not'. I need you strong by my side. And also to all my children: withG-d's help our hearts will be opened to become stronger in faith and reverence. And may the whole nation of Israel be redeemed forever, because they're suffering."
Rabbi Yuval Ohayon ended his farewell speech by saying: "Sorry David. I was never angry with you, everything was out of father's love. Your soul will be bundled in the Bundle of Life, my dear son."
The Ashkelon Magistrate's Court today released the truck driver suspected of killing David Ohayon.
The suspect, a resident of Ashkelon in his 60s, will be under full house arrest for five days. The suspect in the crash said during his interrogation yesterday that he did not see the child and did not notice that he had hit him. He was apprehended some time after the accident.
According to Kan News, the boy's mother, Racheli, contacted the offending driver's wife and told her: "I'm not angry, he shouldn't blame himself; he's not guilty." The suspect's wife expressed sorrow and replied: "I'm sorry you lost your son, and may my husband return home."
Binyamin Ohayon, David's brother, said he was a child full of joy: "He was supposed to have a birthday next Shabbat, and he asked that we celebrate it early and we did. A child full of joy. A child who loved life. He was a very happy child, lively, loved life. They bought him a new bike, he liked to ride it."