David Bedein, Israel Resource News Agency, “He Was A Boy Whom We Knew In Our Community”

DAVID BEDEIN

MARCH 20TH, 2008

JERUSALEM, ISRAEL

AVRAHAM DAVID MOSES: ONE OF THE BOYS MURDERED 14 DAYS AGO

It’s been 14 days since an Arab

terrorist from  Jerusalem  sprayed more than 500 bullets into the

library of Jerusalem’s finest yeshiva and mowed down 8 young men while

they were learning Talumd at the Rabbi Kook Taldmudic Academy, which 

is considered to be the Harvard of Israel’s Yeshiva seminary system.

We knew Avraham David  Moses, 16, who lived in our community of Efrat, since he was a little boy. 

His family described how Avraham David never  wanted to miss a moment of studying Torah.

Avraham David and his chevruta

(learning partner), Segev Avichayil went to study together quietly

until the   celebrations of the new month of Adar, the month of Purim,.

were scheduled to begin. 

When the terrorist entered the

library, Avraham David and Segev were  so immersed in learning that 

their friends had to yell  to both of them to run for their lives.

Avraham David loved coming home to learn Torah with his father,

Naftali. who cherished those precious moments of learning with his

son.  At the funeral, Naftali recalled that  the last matter that they

learned together was the Talmudic tractate dealing with the

deceased before the burial and how the “Onen”, the person who is 

bereaved  before the burial of his relative - is exempt from  observing

the commandments.

Naftali said at his son’s grave

that Avraham David  found it hard to grasp how there could be a

situation for  whatever reason that one would be exempt from observing

God’s commandments.

At Avraham David’s funeral, another family  member  recalled how when

the yeshiva let the students out on a Friday before the big snowstorm 

and told them they need not return until Wednesday  because of the

snow, how Avraham David took his  backpack and  prepared to return to

the yeshivah on Sunday.

When asked  what he was doing, he simply said that he wanted to study.

But where will you sleep, he

was asked. Avraham David said that he packed a sleeping bag and that

perhaps he’d find a place to sleep in the yeshivah where the

post-collegiate students were studying. .

In terms of his custom of prayer, Avraham David was  careful

to get up every morning for morning prayers at the crack of dawn. One

of  his friends told the family that once he  found a note  written by

one of his  roommates asking for consideration towards those who do not

get up at such an early hour. From that time on, for a nearly a  month,

Avraham David took his  mattress and blankets out on the  grass on the

yeshivah’s premises and would sleep until  the sprinklers woke him  up.

He soon  learned where  to put down his  mattress where the sprinklers

 wouldn’t drench him..

At home, Avraham David was always eager to help in the

Sabbath preparations at home. When he was asked  to peel  the

vegetables, he would do so with an open Torah book in front of him  so

that you could study Torah and peel at the same time. His mother got

you a book stand to make it easier for you to do peel vegetables and

learn Torah at one and the same time.

During the seven days of mourning, family members of  Avraham David

told his young  friends how much they  enjoyed studying the Talmud with

him you and how easily the learning flowed from him.

Avraham David’s step father

remarked that “Since his  understanding was of such a high level, so as

not to be embarrassed that  you caught on so much quicker than me, I

would always  prepare the chapter before learning with you”.

His stepfather also remarked

that “after seeing you in prayer could not help but be  impressed. You

uttered each word unhurriedly and with  devotion…. Avraham David was

also careful of “lason hara” (speaking evil of others)and ran away from

it as if it were fire. A  friend told us: At times when we spoke idle 

conversation in our dorm room, talk that Avraham Dovid  considered to

be “lashon hara”, you would just get up  and leave the room. You would

not return until you  were convinced that the conversation had ended”.

Avraham David and his study partner, Segev Avichayil, were mortally wounded while they studied Talmud together.

To make sure that they were dead, the terrorist added a “coups  de grace” bullet in the back of the neck of each one of his victims.

Since Jewish law mandates that a defiled holy book must also be buried, their blood-soaked Talmud was buried with them