Rabbi Tamir Granot Shares Painful Struggle of Faith After Son's Death
Translated & summarized from Kipa by baba
Rabbi Tamir Granot is publicly sharing his struggle to reconcile his faith with the death of his son, Captain Amati Granot, who was killed in combat on October 15, 2023. During prayers, Rabbi Granot grapples with expressing gratitude to God after losing his son. He finds a way to cope by focusing on the remaining blessings and miracles in his life, while acknowledging that this does not diminish his pain. This practice of focusing on the good, he states, allows him to bear his grief and maintain hope for the future.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Rabbi Tamir Granot is struggling to express gratitude to God after his son Amati was killed in battle on October 15, 2023.
- His son, Captain Amati Granot, died at age 24 when a missile hit his tank near the Nurit outpost.
- Rabbi Granot focuses on remaining blessings and miracles to cope with his grief.
- He finds strength in acknowledging the good in his life, including his other children and students.
- This focus on the positive does not erase his pain but helps him endure it.
- He draws hope from prayers for God's continued mercy and kindness.
Rabbi Tamir Granot, head of the Orot Shaul yeshiva, is grappling with the profound challenge of expressing gratitude to God after the loss of his son, Amati Granot, who was killed in battle on October 15, 2023, during the early days of the Swords of Iron War. Amati, 24, served as a team commander in the 75th Battalion of the 7th Brigade. He died when a missile struck the tank he was fighting in near the Nurit outpost in the Western Galilee. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of captain.
Rabbi Granot described his personal struggle, particularly during the "Modim" prayer, where he recites words of thanks to God. He explained that he cannot utter these words insincerely, questioning how he can thank God for taking his beloved son. His approach to coping involves focusing on the blessings that remain in his life, such as his other children, grandchildren, students, and the kindness of people around him.
He finds strength in acknowledging the "miracles that are with us every day," seeing them in the people and successes that surround him. This practice, he says, allows him to create a mental "split," focusing on what he has rather than what he has lost, which fills him with a sense of purpose. However, he emphasizes that this focus on the positive does not erase the pain of his loss.
Rabbi Granot also draws hope from the prayer's lines, "You are good, for Your mercies never cease" and "You are merciful, for Your kindnesses never end." He interprets these as prayers for the future, expressing an "infinite hope" that God will not disappoint them again. Ultimately, he believes that this ability to focus on the good, while acknowledging the pain, is what enables him to endure his grief.
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