Freed hostage Matan Angrest, 22, a soldier abducted by Hamas from his tank on Oct. 7, 2023, and released in the recent ceasefire deal, traveled to pray at the tomb of Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes in Tiberias to fulfill the promise his mother Anat made while he was held captive.

Angrest reached the rabbi’s tomb “to give thanks and praise for the miracles and wonders and to say the Nishmat Kol Chai prayer.” His mother had vowed that on his release, she would come with him to pray at the rabbi’s tomb.

During his captivity, his parents consulted with Rabbi David Abuhatzeira and decided to give him an additional name. “Rabbis recommended we add a name to our Matan. We received the blessing of the Admor Rabbi David Abuhatzeira, and we added the name Shahar,” his father Hagai explained on Kol Barama radio.

According to Matan’s testimony, he prayed throughout the entire period of captivity. At some point, he dared to ask a senior Hamas terrorist to bring him a prayer book, and the request was granted. “It gave me hope,” Matan said when he returned. “I used it to pray three times a day.”

Angrest was severely wounded when he was abducted from his tank at Kibbutz Nahal Oz. Fighting beside him were Staff Sgt. Itay Chen and Cap. Daniel Peretz, who were killed in battle, abducted to Gaza and whose remains were returned in the hostage deal. Another crew member, Tomer Leibovitz, fell in the heroic battle during which the tank crew saved many residents of the kibbutz.

Originally published by Israel Hayom.

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