The Heart-Wrenching Heroism of Fallen Soldier Moshe Nissim Frech

Memorial Day at the "Kikar HaShabbat" studio this year is filled with tears, but also great inspiration. Yossi Sargovsky hosts Yaakov and Levana Frech, the parents of Staff Sergeant Moshe Nissim Frech, Hy"d, who fell this past 12th of Tammuz in a difficult battle in Beit Hanoun. Moshe, a warrior in the Haredi "Netzach Yehuda" battalion, fell alongside three of his unit comrades: Meir Shimon Amar, Noam Ahron Masgidiyan, and Moshe Nell, Hy"d.

"I Feel Meaningful Again"

"What we know is what everyone knows," Levana begins, describing the difficult event. "They entered Beit Hanoun on foot. Our Moshe Nissim was at the end of the squad, serving as the Negevist (machine gunner). When the first explosive went off and soldiers were hit, Moshe didn't hesitate. He told his partner, 'Come, run with me' to provide cover, because there was a great fear of a kidnapping."

In his final moments, as his parents heard from commanders in the field, Moshe felt the weight of the hour. He looked at his Deputy Company Commander and said: "Beni, I feel meaningful again." A short time later, a second explosive device claimed his life.

"The World Collapses at 2:00 AM"

The news reached the Peresh home in the middle of the night. "The knocks in the middle of the night," Yaakov says, describing the moment every parent of a soldier fears. "They didn't have to say a word. I saw their faces and I understood everything. Several soldiers had already fallen on our street; I recognized those sights. The world simply collapses."

Yaakov adds that heavy premonitions had haunted him for two weeks prior. A memorial candle they had lit at home for Moshe's safety kept going out: "That candle was like it was waiting for him. It just couldn't stay lit."

From the Talmud Torah to the Heavy Machine Gun

Moshe Nissim was not the "classic profile" of a combat soldier. "He was a shy child, kind-hearted, the type who preferred a book over anything else," his parents share. "His dream as a little boy was actually to be the 'Rishon LeZion' (the Sephardic Chief Rabbi). He studied in Haredi Talmud Torahs, but a sense of national mission always burned within him."

After studying in a Yeshiva High School and Yeshivat Hesder, Moshe decided to fast-track his enlistment into a combat unit. "We were very afraid," Yaakov admits. "He wasn't athletic, he was thin, he was a Ben Torah busy with his studies. But he threw himself into the role of the machine gunner with all his might, and his physical transformation was amazing. He wanted to be significant for the people of Israel."

"How Can I Eat When My Friends are on Guard?"

Stories of Moshe's kindness continue to reach his parents from his comrades. One moving story describes a lavish BBQ held for the soldiers. While everyone rushed for the food, Moshe stood aside. When asked why, he replied: "How can I eat when I know we have friends standing guard right now?" He filled plates, brought them to his friends at the guard posts, and only then sat down to eat himself.

In another instance, after undergoing an appendectomy and receiving two weeks of sick leave, Moshe decided to return to Gaza after just one week. "His friends told him he was crazy, but he told them: 'If I'm not here, you'll have to pull many more guard shifts.' He went straight back into danger just to ease the burden on his friends."

A Final Message of Unity

Today, less than a year after his fall, the family copes with the massive void through action. They established the "Hasdei Moshe Nissim" foundation, which provides equipment and treats to soldiers in the field.

To conclude, the parents ask to convey a message of unity: "There is nothing like the love of Israel. Our goal is to build the Temple, and for that, we need unconditional love. One of the Rebbes said we dance in a circle because inside it, everyone is the same distance from the center. We are all in the center."