The Blogs: 11 Kislev: The day Col. Dror Weinberg fell in battle

He took out the piece of bread he had in his bag and started to eat. Without washing hands. Without a blessing. An officer with a kippa on his head. Dror could not maintain his silence. He approached the officer and said, “I would not be happy to serve as a soldier under you.” The officer was shocked. “Why?” he asked. “Because whoever makes light of the little things when it comes to his faith, is at risk of making light of the small details when it comes to battle, and it will end in defeat. The true test of a man is not in big statements or heroic acts, but in the small details.”

Dror endeavored to fulfill his words. He often said that greatness lies in smallness. A painting comes out beautiful and complete when the artist is diligent about every brush stroke. Ensuring that every detail is in its place.

Dror is considered to be one of the best IDF field officers of his generation. He developed in Sayeret Matkal (the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit – the top Special Forces Commando Unit), acted as a paratrooper commander, a commander of the Maglan unit, and a commander of the Yehuda division in Hevron. He fell in battle in “Hero’s Alley” (Simtat HaGevura) in Hevron and was the most senior office killed during the second intifada.

During his lifetime Dror stayed out of the spotlight, but his passing exposed him to the public not just as a courageous fighter, as an esteemed officer and an exemplary family man, but also as a unique example of bringing together heaven and earth, holy and mundane, devotion to the Torah of Israel and tireless efforts to ensure the security of the State of Israel.

On the evening of 11 Kislev 5763 (15 November 2002) of the holy Shabbat parshat “Vayeitzeh”, terrorists opened with massive fire against IDF soldiers moving across the “Prayer’s Passage” (Tzir Hamitpalelim) which leads from the Tomb of the Patriarchs to the town of Kiryat Arba. Two out of three of the terrorists took up well fortified positions in the alley (that in time came to be called Alley of Bravery – Simtat Hagevurah). Dror heard the shots and quickly arrived at the scene. Like many times in his life, he bravely approached live enemy fire in an attempt to eliminate the hiding terrorists and evacuate the wounded. Unfortunately, unlike the previous times, Dror was hit by enemy fire and managed only to say “I’m hit” before he was killed.

In that attack another 11 fighters and citizens were killed: Yitzhak Buanish, Yeshayahu Davidov, Alexander Dohan, Igor Drobitsky, Dan Cohen, Netanel Makhlouf, David Marcus, Tomer Nov, Samih Sweidan, Alexander Zwitman, and Gad Rahamim – May Hashem avenge their blood.

Dror was 38 when he fell leaving his wife Hadassah, 5 children, his parents, 2 brothers and a sister. Five months after he fell his 6^th son was born and is named for him, Dror Nehemia Weinberg.

May their memories be a blessing! You are invited to say Tehilim and light a candle to uplift their holy souls.

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Note: The above story was translated from Hebrew by me. Source: Unknown / WhatsApp