Among the structures destroyed in the fire that ravaged Havat Gilad on Saturday was the warehouse of the Tzameret carpentry shop, which burned to the ground, reducing the business, worth tens of millions of shekels, to ashes.
Despite the horrific blow, upon the conclusion of Shabbat, the owners of the business, Yehuda and Yoyo Cohen, recited the Havdalah blessings while standing at the site where their business once stood.
After praying for the success of their business and the rebuilding of the Temple, the pair recited the traditional blessing of "the one who creates the lights of the fire" on the flames that destroyed their livelihood.
The business posted the video of the blessings on its social media pages with a caption quoting the line in the Talmud: "A person is obligated to bless [God] for the bad in the same way that they bless for the good."
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In a separate story on Instagram, Yoyo Cohen tried to put the disaster in a positive perspective: "It'll be okay, I don't know how... Wanna hear something beautiful? I recited Havdalah earlier. I obtained Besamim (a pleasant-smelling herb or spice for the blessing) and beer (for the blessing on a libation), and I recited the blessing on the fire, like this, I didn't have to light a fire."
A total of 45 firefighting and rescue crews, assisted by a reconnaissance helicopter and eight firefighting aircraft, worked through the day to battle the blaze. Two firefighters sustained moderate and light injuries during the operation and were evacuated for medical treatment.
The fire crossed the first row of homes, destroying about 13 houses, a garage, and the aforementioned wood storage facility. Several vehicles were also damaged, including an armored fire engine that was hit by intense heat after strong winds drove the flames rapidly through the first line of homes in the community.
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