One Soldier’s Story
In these devastating times of hadras ponim, there are too many korbanos, too many stories for us to properly read them all.
Here is the story of one of these korbanos, one young soldier who was taken al Kiddush Hashem.
Roey Chaim Weiser Hy”d was born to Yami and Naomi Weiser of Efrat 21 short years ago. As a child, as a teen, as a son, he was known to one and all as the boy who always had a smile on his face and who lit up every room he entered.
On that day of utter devastation, Roey’s battalion was attacked by Hamas terrorists. Instead of fleeing, Staff Sgt. Roey engaged with the terrorists, distracting them while the rest of his battalion miraculously escaped.
“He died how he lived, by putting others first,” his mother shares. “When his base was overrun by terrorists, he went on his own to divert their attention allowing others to escape.”
Roey was a beloved son, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend and soldier, who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
“You were the heart of the battalion,” his lieutenant said at the levaya. “V’hakol im chaticha m’ozen l’ozen, (and all with a smile from ear to ear).”
His grandmother echoes these thoughts. “Roey was sunshine,” she says. “He brought light and he brought laughter into the room with him.”
She fondly remembers Roey as a young child. “The little blond boy with the sparkly blue eyes; he was always filled with energy, always ‘yachad, yachad!’ Did you use up all your energy too early?
“I was looking forward to seeing you become something great, seeing you change the world,” she says. “But now the world has forever changed, and we need you to be a meilitz yosher for all of us.”
Roey’s close friends remember his warm words of encouragement, his ambition to succeed in all areas of life – on the soccer field, in the classroom, and on the base—and above all, his ever-present smile.
“Hakol im chaticha v’hakol im lev,” a friend remembers.
“If I could tell you one more word today, it would be ‘todah’, another friend says. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me in all the years I knew you.”
“We won’t forget you for one minute,” another friend promises.
Roey’s father, Yami Weiser, said at the levaya, “Hashem gave our family three wonderful gifts, three children. One of them we only had for twenty-one short years. Roey. We will never forget you and your forever smile.”
He describes the way Roey brought his ruchniyus along with him to the army. “We all remember your tefillin timers,” he says, “and the way you always tried to put together minyanim on the base. You tried to be the best Jew wherever you were.”
And indeed, in his untimely death, Roey gave the ultimate sacrifice as he gave his own life to save the lives of 12 other soldiers.
“Go to the kisei hakavod,” a lieutenant pleaded at the levayah, “and tell Hakadosh Boruch Hu ‘dai’! Enough!”
And it is our hope that Roey acts as a meilitz yosher for all of klal Yisroel and that and this devastating war comes to a quick and speedy end.
Yehi zichro boruch.
Please say a brocha out loud and have someone answer amen l’iluy nishmas Roey Chaim ben Yisroel Meir Hy”d.
