,אֵ-ל מָלֵא רַחֲמִים, שׁוכֵן בַּמְּרומִים, הַמְצֵא מְנוּחָה נְכונָה
,עַל כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה בְּמַעֲלות קְדושִׁים, טְהורִים וְגִבּורִים
כְּזֹהַר הָרָקִיעַ מַזְהִירִים, לְנִשְׁמות חַיָּלֵי צְבָא הֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל
I worked, giving
Ben Hadassah and Rahamim. He was born on the eve of Shavuot, on the eve of the holiday of Shavuot on 21.5.1988, at the Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva, a younger brother, Chachan, the eldest, And in fact, throughout his life he proved that he deserved to be chosen for him: Matan grew up in Moshav Pattish in the western Negev, a beautiful boy, shy, modest and innocent, but a little mischievous. He had a need to protect them, and the mischievousness was replaced by concern and care, and Matan bought his first nursery school and kindergarten in the moshav, where he moved to the compulsory kindergarten at the Merchavim Regional School, where he studied until the end of 12th grade. As a student he was quiet, but the quiet in him radiated a lot of strength and strength, the teachers say. Matan was not one of the outstanding students and the almonds, and often fell asleep at classes – the result of surfing the Internet until late at night. Nevertheless, Matan completed his studies successfully with a full matriculation certificate. A child of a house was giving, attentive to the needs of the family and responsible. At the age of twelve he began to help his father in the family farm: winter and summer, in the early morning hours and in the evening, he would come to the cowshed and milk the cows. He willingly did so with a smile, out of the love of giving he had. His mother also helped a lot in housework. During his free time he spent with his good friends from the moshav – Nati Davidian and Sami Elias. Generosity, fairness and honesty were among Matan’s outstanding qualities, and earned him many admirers. As a teenager he became a cute young man – tall and strong, smiling and pleasant, and radiating light and joy of life around him. There was great love for sports, especially for football. Until the age of fourteen he played for a children’s football team in the Merchavim Regional Council, and was awarded a medal for his activities in the group. As an avid fan of Maccabi Haifa, his walls were painted green, and he devoted much of his time to sports activities on the Internet. After his death, his family learned that Matan was the director of the Maccabi Lyon team’s forum on the Hattrick website, which operates an online game that simulates the management of a professional soccer team. Matan’s virtual nickname in “Hattrick” was “Matan Action”. His audience was large, and the letter of consolation sent to his family after his fall was signed by some two hundred and sixty people. In his home, he nurtured values of love for the people and the land, and therefore it was no wonder that he felt a strong desire to serve the country and fight for it. When he first received the order, at the age of seventeen, he announced that he intended to serve as a combat soldier. His anxious parents tried to dissuade him, and his father even said, “Do you want to make us a bereaved family ?!” But nothing helped; Matan was determined to be a fighter, and claimed that if he did not serve in a combat unit, it would be better if he did not serve at all. With a heavy heart, the parents were forced to accept his decision. Matan’s dream was to serve in the Givati Brigade, his favorite brigade from his youth, and to prepare himself for the combat service, he worked hard to improve his physical fitness. For many hours he practiced muscle development on the multi-trainer machine his parents had bought him, and spent long evenings in the fields. In October 2006, a month before his planned recruitment date, Matan’s father died after a long illness. Matan matured at once, showed great strength and became the head of the family. From then on he served as a father to his sister and brother, and supported his mother. Special attention was devoted to the subject of his younger brother’s studies: Matan observed that Ben would learn well, and that he would receive tutoring. Following the disaster, Matan changed his lifestyle, became religious and accepted the yoke of Torah and mitzvot. He asked to postpone the time of his induction to say “Kaddish” to his father and to help the family, and made sure that the customs of mourning are preserved. For exampleIn the new reality, Matan’s mother asked him to give up his plans to serve in a combat unit, but Matan stuck to his decision: “If I do not go to combat, who will go?” He said, and put heavy pressure on him to get what he wanted. When he finally received the news that he had been assigned to Givati, he was happy. Matan enlisted in the IDF on March 12, 2007, and joined the Givati Battalion of the Givati Brigade, and began his long combat career, and his family accompanied him all the way through the graduation ceremonies. “The moment of his service was a period of blossoming, and his eyes were filled with tears of excitement, as did the eyes of his mother, whose pride was mixed with great anxiety. “When the company commander informed me at a meeting that I had to choose one soldier who really deserves it,” said Amir, the platoon commander. He was a model soldier, quiet, professional, disciplined, modest, and above all a good friend, with his eyes I could always see his innocence and his Kindness, values he must have acquired at his mother’s house, which despite the difficult situation raised a son with such a great desire to give and contribute of himself. ” Matan’s friends testified that he was a devoted and professional warrior – “a rare person, a man who does not give up even when it is difficult for him,” Yuval, a member of the department, added: “… I have not met a more professional fighter than you, To ask questions, a soldier who does everything perfectly, a charming, smiling, funny, soul mate, who knows how to listen. ” Sergeant Matan Avtai fell in combat in the Gaza Strip on April 16, 2008. At around 6:30 in the morning, a loud explosion was heard in the vicinity of the perimeter fence, near the area of Kibbutz Be’eri. The Givati forces, who were called to the scene, found a terrorist cell and began attacking it. Another terrorist squad that was ambushed opened fire at the soldiers. IDF forces were dispatched to the area, and heavy exchanges of fire took place, and Matan, who was at the head of the force, was killed in the first fire, and his friends, Sergeant Menashe Elbinat and Sergeant David Papian, He left his mother in the military cemetery in Ofakim and left behind a mother, a sister, and a brother. At the foot of your words / dear one we will remember you for ever and ever. “Matan’s mother broke up with him in her poem:” Sad and painful, all of us bowing / And we are left to cry after you / leaving you empty space / and we have only the past to cuddle / leaving us sore to the end / and we will wait for you Every day / your laughter will always be heard in our ears / and we will never have consolation. We will miss you very much today and in the future / And your image will always be engraved in our hearts. “Eulogy for Matan Ziv Shilon, a medic in the battalion: I feel like I’ve lost a finger out of a whole fist. I learned a lot from you, about the calmness that can be produced during the most difficult and exciting times. You are a precious and special child, you have no other. … we will continue to face and endure the pain, but also the pride that we have been privileged to meet your angel. Rest in peace, dear brother, you are with me Tammy”After the mention of the thirty, Nofit Geller, Matan’s cousin, wrote:” Matan, our dear … I remember you as a naughty child, full of joy of life, who loved to run wild and rejoice. … As a teenager you became a wise and responsible boy. Take upon yourself to help in the agricultural farm, you have given your heart and soul help at home, and you have always done it with great love. I want to say thank you – for everything you’ve been to us. You were a brother to me in the full sense of the word. I want to tell you I’m proud of you. All of us here are overwhelmed and hurt by your premature departure. Keep us, give us the power to be strong and kind – as you were. I love you very much. “In memory of Matan, a website was set up with a biography and a photo gallery, many obituaries and poems written in his memory. Brother: “… dear brother and hero, I love so much and miss. People told you about the shiva that even a few seconds before you were killed they heard you shouting, ‘Go check what happened to a friend …’ Even when you were before the end, you were still worried about your friends. … Dear brother, first you went, first – first in the head, a hero who is not afraid of nothing. You told me you wanted to do something so much, you were so energetic, you did not give up. A few days before you were killed, you told me you had a mortar shell at the base … I told you, ‘Watch out,’ and as usual you laughed, you laughed, you were such a happy man … You will always be in my heart, love you a lot. ” Amir wrote: “… in every important mission, always when I wanted it to be carried out quietly, efficiently and without mishaps, whether it was a night patrol, an important parade or anything else – Matan was my first address … Matan was simply an operation, I always knew that if there was a soldier who would go after me first and without asking questions it would be him, because there is no limit to his soul and the strong desire to give and contribute to the state, and that is exactly how he separated us from us. His friends who walk behind him and know that there is someone to trust. ” “You are a hero, but not many people understand what it is like to lose a hero like you.” You became the father of the house after your father died, yet despite all the limitations and hardships, you insisted and insisted on your serving as a warrior in Givati, to be a combat soldier and to contribute your self for the sake of the state, so kind and generous, not just called Matan, you were born on Shavuot, the holiday of Matan Torah, which symbolizes more than all your giving, the giving that ultimately brought you to death. Accompanied by obstinacy, smile, shyness, and modesty … We will always remember you as a special person with qualities that few have received … I will treasure you in memories, dreams, thoughts , In every song I will hear, and in every Givati soldier that I shall see, rest in peace, and your soul will be in the bundle of life. ” “It is said that humility is the best measure of all virtues,” wrote Sheri Tishan, Matan’s classmate: “Humility is the greatest virtue of all.” You always knew how to help and contribute to others in your silence, in innocence and modesty. As Moshe Rabbeinu, who is known as the greatest leader of all time, you, too, were qualities that today, unfortunately, are hardly identified with a leader: humility and assistance to others, without asking for glory and credit. I had the privilege to meet you. ” Nathaniel Davidian, Matan’s close friend, wrote: “A few days ago, two years have passed since the death of your father Rahamim, and your walk was six months, six months of longing.The letter I write will not summarize even the few qualities that you have. It is said that it is only when a person dies that only a kind of ‘halo’ is formed around him, yes, such a halo that is reserved only for angels. But you, Matan, have always had this ‘halo’. … We were told by the commander of the force that you, Matan, were the first soldier – the ‘spearhead’ of your team. You went on ‘blind’, first, without any fear, and you were also the first to fall from all your friends. You are the one who absorbed the firestroke for your friends, and thus saved a lifetime! “We will preserve the legacy you left us, those who follow you …” Matan’s family is working on preparing a book in his memory: Ben, Matan’s brother, immortalized him in a video he created in his memory. .co.il / tapuz / showVideo.asp? m = 3012619. Another video was edited by Aviv Hazan, Matan’s friend. In memory of Matan and her address: http://www.mekusharim.co.il/Forums/ForumDetails.aspx?ForumID=10998. Another community, in memory of the memory of David Papian, was established on the social networking site “Facebook” at http: On the anniversary of his downfall, Chen, the great sister of Matan, wrote: “My beloved brother Methan … I am so much of that. You’ll touch you. … A year has passed. This is not an easy year for me and my family. Since Father died, you were the father at home, and now you are gone. … I am so proud of you that you, my brother, are fighting for our country and sacrificing your life for the sanctity of the land. You were an amazing person in every way. My little brother, know that I miss you so much, love you, and try to perpetuate you in every possible way. Know that you are here missing for all of us … Your soul will be in heaven. Amen!”