Left is Tznika Moor and Eitan Moor is on the right
Tzvika Moor is one of the parents of Gaza captives who did not join the left-wing demonstrations against the government. He was part of a group of relatives who supported the government throughout.
His first declaration at the hospital after his son, hostage Eitan Moor, was received upon his release from captivity by Hamas in Gaza, was a very emotional, hoarse cry through tears of joy, expressing the words in Tehillim which Moshe Rabbenu authored: "Mizmor leSodah."
Then, at the celebrations which took place last Sunday after Eitan's release from the hospital, organized by Gush Etzion settlers and neighbors from Kiryat Arba, his parents, Tzvika and Efrat, did not cease praising the One Who orchestrated his salvation — not Trump — and the miracle of their son's emergence from the darkness of captivity to freedom.
Tzvika Moor: how did you feel during those moments?
A very profound thanks and praise to Hakodosh Boruch Hu for having made it possible to embrace our son again, all the more on Hashanah Rabba, exactly two years from the time we last saw him. The Creator verily raised his soul from the depths of Sheol, revived him from those who descend to the bottomless pit.
Eitan so deserved it, indeed, so much, after having been snatched away on that fateful Simchas Torah of 5784 by Gaza citizens armed with hatchets and knives. He fought valiantly to protect Jews whom he didn't know at all, from certain slaughter, even though he could have successfully saved his skin by fleeing to the nearby settlement of Re'eim.
Aside from your specific approach in the struggle for his release, your high level of optimism all along was apparent. On what did you base it?
It is clear. One cannot ignore the fact that even through the atrocities of Oct. 7th, and the suffering of the ensuing war which erupted, nonetheless, great benefit for Israel become apparent. It succeeded in thwarting heavy security threats aimed at it from different fronts.
If this was so clear on the national arena, we were convinced that it would be reflected on the individual scene. We felt sure that great miracles would occur and that we would embrace our Eitan again, sound and healthy, seeing him regain his strength day by day. We are now equally certain that he will continue a wholesome recovery in the best sense.
With nominal handicaps, to be sure. What can you tell about what he is experiencing these days?
We are occupied with one thing alone right now, and that is how Eitan can return to normal life in general. Released captives await many challenges in several areas:
The first one is the physical one; the second one is the mental-emotional one. The captives experienced several bouts of near starvation, resulting in acute malnutrition. Whatever they did eat was far from a healthy diet. Their digestive systems during captivity became used to a bit of rice and beans. Other damages to their health were due to lack of exposure to sunlight and the fact that they sat shackled all the time. They also show scars from brutality.
Mentally and emotionally, they have to become used to making their own decisions regarding human treatment or actions after two years in which everything was decided for them. Another challenge is to reactivate their emotions, after these were submerged and voluntarily stifled out of a desire to simply survive the unbelievable atrocities.
Aside from this interesting mechanism of dissociation, what else helped him to successfully survive captivity at the hands of inhuman fiends?
Emunah, emunah and again emunah. In addition, he and another hostage with him meticulously recited the Shema, and every evening, before that, they thanked Hashem very heartily for their very lives. It moved us deeply to hear this from him.
The same goes for us, his parents. It was the faith that kept us sane throughout this excruciating period. Today, after everything, we know how often Eitan's life was in danger; he surely could have died many times. There is no logical explanation why it did not happen except for the belief that it was a heavenly angel who watched over him all the time.
