Together with the pain of the families of the missing and abducted, at the beginning of the week it was permitted to publicize that at the end of a daring operation deep in the Gaza Strip, Private Ori Magidish was released. She was engaged in surveillance at the Nahal Oz outpost when she was taken captive by Hamas in the brutal surprise attack on Simchat Torah.
The joy at her return was overwhelming. The entire country was ecstatic with Ori's return to her family in Kiryat Gat. Her parents wanted to thank God for the miracle and spoke about the faith that had kept them going through the difficult times.
Earlier, during her stay in captivity, Ori's family had gone to Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto and asked for his blessing and advice.
Rabbi Pinto encouraged the family and strengthened them. He asked them to begin reading the Book of Deuteronomy every Shabbat, which is a spiritual catalyst to achieve salvation in times of trouble. In addition, Rabbi Pinto arranged Torah classes and prayers for Ori's sake and for all the abducted and missing persons.
After Ori returned from captivity, her aunt called Rabbi Pinto and thanked him for his prayers. She said that "the spiritual catalyst of reading the Book of Deuteronomy brought about the salvation in heaven."
"Immediately at the end of Simchat Torah - we joined the Shuva Yisrael group where hundreds took it upon themselves to read the Book of Deuteronomy on Shabbat. It is known as a spiritual catalyst to effect a great salvation, to release the kidnapped and to heal the wounded. We all read the Book and received a personal blessing from Rabbi Pinto," she said.
"Now," she added, "after Ori came back to us in an amazing miracle, we have no doubt that it is thanks to reading the Book of Deuteronomy, and Rabbi Pinto's blessing."
In the last few days, the Magidish family home was packed with celebrants from all denominations and circles, who came from all over the country to give thanks and praise for the great miracle.
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel