One family waged a holy war, engaging in intense prayer and engaging in devotional acts, focused on the return of their daughter who had been taken prisoner by Hamas on October 7. On Monday, 23 days after her ordeal began, Pvt. Ori Megidish (19-years-old) was freed in a meticulously planned IDF operation.
Ori was serving as one of several field observers, referred to in Hebrew as tatzpitaniyot. The unit, part of the Combat Intelligence Corps, was observing the border from the IDF base adjacent to Kibbutz Nahal Oz located less than a kilometer from the Gaza border when the kibbutz was overrun by Hamas terrorists. 13 female IDF observers were murdered in the Hamas attack. It is believed that approximately six other IDF female observers including Ori were taken hostage.
Faced with unspeakable tragedy, her family turned to God. Last week, a local synagogue dedicated a Torah scroll. Considered a festive occasion of great spiritual significance, the Megidish family requested that the new Torah scroll be brought to their home before being installed in the synagogue. In a powerfully bittersweet act, the Torah scroll was brought into Ori’s room and the crowd sang praises of God.
Torah scroll in the home of Ori Megidish (Screenshot)
The story was dramatically told by Rabbi Jeremy Gimpel of the Arugot Farm.
“What I wanted to share with you was a true story,” Rabbi Gimpel said. “A behind-the-scenes story that the mainstream media won’t tell.”
He went on to tell about how Ori’s mother, Margalit, performed the mitzvah of hafrashat challah, a ritual separation of a small amount of dough before baking bread, most notably of challot loaves baked for Shabbat. This symbolizes the present given to the priests to eat in the Temple (Numbers 15:21). Specific to women, religious Jews ascribe great significance to this symbolic mitzvah, taking the opportunity to ask for mercy and kindness.
After the traditional blessing, the mother added, “In His great love and great mercy, just as I have separated this challah with all my heart, may the mercy of the holy one be awakened, Amen. He will save us from all enemies and pain all of the days. Amen. May it be so, Amen He will bring back my daughter Ori, the daughter of Margolit.”
“I am with you, mercy on you, I love you, Ori. Everyone, please shake the heavens. Bring back all of the captives. All of the sick should arise from their beds, Creator of the world. Please, I love you. I’m in love with you. Don’t disappoint me. Please. I love you.”
“Soon soon soon, amen.
Rabbi Gimpel described what happened next.
“Then, all of their family gathered together, and they were joined by all the people of their town, calling out to God, the most sincere, heartfelt cry, just yelling out to God to answer their prayers,” Rabbi Gimpel related. “And that is when they received the news that Ori had been freed and was on her way home.”
Ori’s Aunt Smadar was interviewed at the hospital.
“Great thanks to the Creator of the World, and thanks to all of Israel, thanks to our soldiers,” Smadar said. “It is only prayers that returned her to us.
Margalit spoke to the media for the first time on Tuesday.
“Dear people of Israel,” she said. “We thank everyone for the prayers and support. Our Ori has returned home, now our prayers are with the rest of the kidnapped and missing, and our hearts are with all the families. Thank you, Creator of the world, there is no other power but You.”
She added, “Thank you to the Israel Security Agency, thank you to the IDF and the security forces. Thank you to everyone. The people of Israel are eternal. Sorry I only spoke about it now, but even this much is enough.”
Hamas currently holds at least 238 Israelis hostage including some 33 children, among them a nine-month-old baby, elderly men and women, some of them ill, and dozens of foreign migrant workers. Ori is the fifth captive who has been released from Hamas.
