The Dean of the Ramat Gan Hesder Yeshiva, Rabbi Ben-Zion Algazi, delivered a Torah lecture to open the Elul Zman (yeshiva session) on Monday in the middle of the Gaza Strip, together with his students who are serving on the front lines.
Rabbi Algazi, a major in the reserves, entered the Gaza Strip and delivered a Torah lecture to the soldiers deployed along the front line.
He described the experience "something extraordinary, mamish a givald (Yiddish: truly amazing)." The lecture dealt with the Talmudic tractate Bava Kama and the prohibition of damaging others' property, and was attended by students from "across the spectrum" of the religious community. "An hour and a half lesson in lomdus (deep, complex, and intricate theoretical analysis), and everyone sat enthralled," Rabbi Algazi added.
The platoon commander, a non-religious officer, was especially moved, reacting to the sight of the Torah study with amazement. "Why don't all yeshiva deans come here? This is amazing," the commander wondered, and noted that he found it difficult to captivate the soldiers' attention for such a long time.
Rabbi Algazi replied to him: "When you have the Torah, it illuminates. It illuminates and awakens."