IDF Chief Rabbi Brigadier-General Rafi Peretz has informed the parents of Golani Brigade Sgt. Oron Shaul HY”D, 21, from Poriah Illit, that their son is now officially declared dead and no longer categorized as a missing soldier. He is categorized as a soldier who died in battle and whose place of burial is unknown.
Shaul was one of the seven soldiers killed in an armored personnel carrier hit by a terrorist bomb in Gaza. The DNA remains from the scene were inconclusive, lacking a trace of Shaul. The other six were positively identified by DNA from the scene.
Rav Peretz reached the decision during the early afternoon hours on erev Shabbos Parshas Masei, informing the parents and other family members. He explained this carries with it all the halachic ramifications of their son’s status of no longer being viewed as missing. Rav Peretz visited the family home accompanied by Chief of Personnel Major-General Orna Barvibai.
Family member Racheli Gazit told the media the family received the bitter news and is digesting the announcement and asks to please leave them to deal with this in private and not seek to statements at this time.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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21 Responses
What was his decision based of?
Was he married and is there a problem of Agunoh?
whoa..?
i’m missing something here. they don’t have positive dna that he died in that vehicle, and don’t know his whereabouts, yet he is ‘categorized as a soldier who died in battle and whose place of burial is unknown’ and his family should sit shiva?? where’s proof that he is not abducted/alive/missing?
This is the most saddest case from all the other cases. Imagine not being able to go to one’s Kever and pray to him? Imagine not having a a proper burial according to the Torah? NO proper Kaddish? Where can his family talk to him then? The Neshama cannot rest until he is buried. PERIOD.
He definitely was not buried by us, and I don’t want to even think about what Hamas may have done to him if his body was captured. While he is dead, WE ALL HAVE TO to still pray for him and fulfill Met Mitzvah and that his family will be COMFORTED.
NO One Should Ever Have To Go Through This.
HaShem, please send them the strength to deal with this horrible situation. My thoughts and prayers and wishes are with the family and their friends. Baruch Dayan HaEmes:(
I don’t understand this. If there was no trace of Shaul’s DNA, based on what is he declared dead and not missing?
Boruch Dayan HaEmes. It hurts so much.
Unfortunately, they must have come to the conclusion that no soldier could have survived that blast (as the other 6 hy”d indeed did not and their remains could only be positively identified by DNA r”l).
On what basis is this ruling made? Normatively if a man is missing in war his wife is an aguna; his death cannot be assumed.
oh great here we go…..The Rav declares him dead and every couch rabbi questions him…this will never go away…I know more than the IDF Rabbinate therefore I will keep this issue alive. It makes no dif if the Gadol Hador ruled this way (not like we can agree on who that is anyway)…the backseat rabbis reading YWN would argue.
Oh my goodness lets please, please daven for this family. They are for sure suffering in an unimaginable way. Cant sit shiva properly, cant bury their son, dont know his whereabouts. Please HaShem help them deal with this. Praying for them.
Israel has drones
To #1,2 &5 the decision is based on information that NOW IS SECRET .
Actually because he died al kiddish H’shem he does not need to be buries and every kaddish u say for him counts kike everyone else. For everyone else who made commnets think about what u write before u write. I am sure the Rav who poskined this decision is fully aware of all the circumstances.
Is this a psak that would free an agunah? Based on what?
Based a drone recording, they saw the entire tank explode. I assume this is how they know with certainty that there were no survivors
I’m sure rav Rafi did not come to this conclusion without analyzing all the facts.
The IDF has classified information that is not made public. They may have spies in Gaza that have seen the body or received pictures of the niftar from Hamas in a ransom request that they are not making public.
No Rav wants to take the responsibility of declaring someone dead when their is a possibility they are still alive
“Prayer TO him”? Choose your words carefully. We’re Jews, not Xians.
To#12:
How would you feel if your son wouldn’t have a burial and a kever for you to go to because he died “Al Kiddush Hashem”?
“Think about what u write before u write.”
to Believein1…you can’t pray or talk to the dead. Unfortunately, there are many in the Jewish community that are ignorant of that fact. In any case, Boruch Dayin Haemes.
This is the most saddest case from all the other cases. Imagine not being able to go to one’s Kever and pray to him?
Sorry but yiddin DON’T pray to DEAD people. That would be AVODA ZORA.
I would like to point out something very very important when commenting on any such article. How do you know who’s reading the article. Maybe someone who knew him. By commenting the way some of you are doing, you are causing more pain in a completely unnecessary and hurtful way. In fact, you may even be Oiver an Issur min Hatorah.
Please think before you comment
Yes, Yidden don’t pray to DEAD People, – correct.
My point is for the sake of the family –
At least they will be consoled where their son’s body is.
-But that is not the case. No one know’s where his body is.
That’s what make’s the difference