Relased hostage Segev Kalfon shared a powerful story that has stayed with his family since his return in an exclusive interview with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News. the Rabbi made a cryptic and chilling statement his father heard from Rabbi David Abuhatzeira while Kalfon was still in captivity.
Speaking about his close bond with the Rabbi, Kalfon said, “To me, he is the Holy of Holies; whatever he tells me, I do." He noted that Rabbi Abuhatzeira supported his parents for nearly two years, a period he described as the most painful and broken of their lives.
Kalfon recounted a meeting that took place about five months before his release, when his father, overwhelmed with despair and without any information about his son’s fate, turned to the Rabbi for answers. “My father was mentally shattered," Kalfon said. “He didn’t know what was happening with me, saw no sign of life, and had no information at all."
In his anguish, the father pleaded, “Please, Rabbi David, tell me what is happening with my son. Say something." According to Kalfon, the Rabbi replied, “Your son is protected like a lulav and an etrog together. Don’t worry." He added a verse from Hoshana Rabbah prayers: "A voice that proclaims, proclaims and says."
The meaning of the words was unclear at the time. Kalfon said his father struggled to understand the message and even turned to the Rabbi’s aide, asking, “What am I supposed to understand from this? What can I tell my wife so she will understand and find strength?" The aide explained that the Rabbi often speaks in allusions, calling it “the language of the Holy of Holies."
For months, Kalfon said, his father reflected on the statement, trying to grasp its meaning. Only at the moment of his release did the words become clear - it took place on Hoshanah Rabbah, the day associated with the phrase.