The stories that came pouring in Ruti’s direction as she sat shiva for her husband rendered her speechless. But honestly, that was her Yisroel. Always caring for others, always thinking of others. As a husband, Yisroel was always putting Ruti first. He would listen to her intently, and dedicated his life to make his wife and kids happy. The stories gave her tremendous comfort and soothed the pain of her aching loss. But when a stranger named Binyamin came in and said this, she couldn’t hold back heaving sobs anymore:

“We were crammed there, and we couldn’t breathe. I was next to Yisroel. He was a powerful man and he could have thrown himself over the fence. But then he saw me. And with superhuman powers, he pulled me out of the pile of death and threw me over the fence.”

Binyamin emotionally explained that Yisroel saved his life and that the two had been complete strangers. Moments later, Yisroel was crushed to death.

 He lived for others, and he died for others.

“He was a good soul, a generous heart, and was always the first to help everyone with kindness and joy,” says Yisroel’s brother-in-law.  “He distanced himself from machlokes and saw the good in everyone.Yisroel loved nature very much, and especially caring for animals and flowers, with his gentle and good soul. We should be zoche to learn from his ways and see each one only the good in the other, l’ilui nishmaso.”

Though she received tremendous nechama from the hundreds of people that told her stories of her husband’s greatness, Ruti is not naive to the fact that a great and terrifying challenge awaits her: The challenge of raising her two sons on her own. It is difficult in Eretz Yisroel as it is to get by on two average incomes, let alone one. Now that Ruti has lost her precious husband, she urgently needs the support of Am Yisroel to get by. Tax-Deductible donations are being collected  by the Vaad HaRabbanim here.