Six-Day War Commander Shaike Gavish on Faith, Unity, and Miraculous Victory

Major General (res.) Yeshayahu (Shaike) Gavish, who served as Commander of the Southern Command during the Six-Day War, shared his reflections on the faith in divine assistance that accompanied both soldiers and commanders throughout the intense battles that ended in a remarkable victory.

On the eve of the war, Gavish wrote a battle directive to his troops, closing it with the words: “May God be with you.” In an interview with Rabbi Aviad Gadot, director of the Torat Lechima (Torah of Warfare) organization, Gavish was asked about this phrase and whether he personally felt there was siyata dishmaya — Heavenly assistance — during the fighting.

“Yes, both a feeling and an assessment, the two go hand in hand,” Gavish replied. “I felt it was an inseparable part of a soldier’s readiness to carry out his mission. He was filled with faith — faith in his commanders, faith in his orders, and also faith in his own beliefs. It was all part of the same whole.”

He continued: “Am Yisrael — the people of Israel, is made up of many different individuals, with different thoughts and approaches. Religious, secular, traditional, and everything in between. But when war comes, everyone goes. Everyone goes through fire and water. I wouldn’t say they march out intending to sacrifice themselves, but they go determined to do everything possible so that the State of Israel will endure with dignity, and at the lowest possible cost of war.”

Reflecting on his words, Gavish explained: “I feel, and I also felt back then, that this phrase expressed what many people were thinking. Some said it openly, others did not, but it was what guided them — the faith and the sense that you are not alone. That’s exactly what led me to write ‘May God be with you.’ Absolutely.”