Amitai Yaari, brother of Sgt. Ohad Yaari, who was killed in Lebanon over the weekend, spoke with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News from the house of mourning.
"Last Friday, we lost our brother in battle in Lebanon. He was an amazing brother. Loved by his nephews and brothers, he would spoil them and would go wherever needed, to all the family events. He would never miss an opportunity to come, to make people happy, laugh, and do silly things. He just knew how to hit the spot right where it needed to be. It wasn't only at home, but also outward, in the community, his surroundings, in yeshiva.
"He was a man of the book and the sword. He would study Torah in depth, and from it he drew strength to go to the army. There too, everything he did was powerful, joyful, despite the difficulty," Amitai shares.
He adds, "Ohad was born on a Friday and was killed on a Friday. We are in a special period, and on the way to something great and huge that will happen, because this blood wasn't spilled in vain. We thank G-d and believe that something very significant will come out of this era."
Asked for a life lesson from Ohad, his brother answers: "You could learn joy from him, to help others, and to be the best anywhere. That you can, together with everybody, even if there are disagreements, you can always make do."