Inspiring Recovery: Soldier Wakes Up and Requests Tefillin

This touching post was written by Rafi, the father of a soldier named Nerya Kaplan, who was injured in Gaza and is currently in the ICU at Ichilov Hospital. The post was first shared by Yinon Magal. "A little background - Nerya is a Golani Brigade officer, married to Shira, with two young children. They live in the town of Ofra, and he was about to take up the role of deputy company commander."

Nerya wakes up occasionally in the ICU after surgery, and even though he struggles to speak and soon falls back asleep, when he first awoke and saw that sunset was approaching, he asked his father to quickly bring him his head tefillin.

"I put them on him, and he murmured the afternoon prayer. The next morning, when he opened his eyes again, he asked for the same thing. He recited the Shema and fell back asleep. The third time he woke, he called me over and asked: 'What did they say? When can I return to the unit?'"

According to Rafi, his son had been engaged in combat in northern Gaza Strip about a week ago. His unit spotted two terrorists and tracked them with a drone to a school near their building in the Rimal neighborhood. "The command post and Team 1 from the reconnaissance unit launched a quick chase along with two tanks. The tanks led the way. When one reached an intersection and turned towards the school, there was a loud explosion. Four soldiers were in urgent need of evacuation, including my son Nerya and a fighter from the reconnaissance team. Nerya shouted that he couldn't feel his arm, but they showed him it was intact, although he saw two holes in his shoulder."

"They Feared These Might Be His Last Moments"

The wounded received quick treatment on the field and were carried on stretchers to Hummers while the tanks fired at the terrorists. They were airlifted, with two taken to Tel HaShomer and two to Ichilov. "Within 50 minutes, my son was in the operating room. Due to the gunshot wounds, it was believed there was sniper fire in addition to an RPG rocket that hit the tank. The army later suspected a type of explosive device launched bullets at us."

Rafi continues, sharing the miracle they experienced. "My son arrived unconscious. His shoulder was shattered and his lungs were damaged. They inserted a chest tube while he was being lifted into the helicopter, but it wasn't working, and his lungs weren't functioning. They thought he was on his last breath. They weren't sure of his identity, and the policy is not to notify parents of such severe injuries, or worse, without positive identification.

"They had already contacted the military chaplaincy (specifically Rabbi Hillel Horowitz) to quickly arrive with a device that identifies using fingerprints. They truly feared these were his final moments."

"The Lung Team Saved Him Again"

But Hashem had other plans, and miracle after miracle began to occur. "According to the surgeon (Bibas), a centimeter here or there in position or angle, and there would have been no one to treat. Prof. Amal Khoury, who received my son upon arrival, identified the issue and the reason for his unconsciousness - he saw the chest tube wasn't functioning and immediately replaced it with a new one.

"Half a minute later, his lungs started working again and my son regained consciousness. At this point, they asked Nerya to call me and his wife. He refused, stating he didn't want to alarm us. When they threatened to send uniformed soldiers to knock on the door and inform us, he agreed. He told me he was injured in the arm and everything would be fine. The officer in charge of casualties then took the phone and explained he was seriously injured and required an urgent and complex operation, urging us to come immediately.

"The surgery team working on the shoulder required the lung surgeons to remain in case of another lung collapse, and indeed, this is what happened. During the shoulder surgery (where they reconstructed his shoulder and secured it with plates), the lungs collapsed, the lung team stepped in and saved him once more - and then they completed the work on the shoulder."

While acknowledging the ongoing military support, which Rafi describes as round-the-clock, and thanking the professional doctors at Ichilov, he also acknowledges the evacuation team from the Air Force, who didn't forget his son and came to visit him. "During conversation, I had to express my excitement that we are all united. This is a wonderful generation that was already saying their goodbyes, and now, look at these heroes. One of them told me: 'You should know, I once signed petitions against reserve duty. Personally, I declared that even if a war breaks out and they call me - I won't come.' I asked him 'Then why did you come?' and he replied 'Because the head says one thing, and the heart says another. How could I not come?! I couldn't forgive myself.'"

Rafi continues: "My son is constantly on painkillers. It also causes nausea and loss of appetite. But yesterday on Shabbat, he opened his eyes and asked us 'I'm hungry. Can I have a little chicken and rice?' My wife broke down in tears of joy. Thank God, his condition has stabilized, and we are grateful to Hashem, our supportive family, friends, the medical team, and the IDF. They are all incredible. Blessed are Hashem's mercies."