Growing from Pain

One year after losing both legs in Khan Younis, Golani officer Elkana Levi shared how a teaching from Tanya helps him live with pain and joy at the same time. Below are a few ex- cerpts from his speech at his Seudat Hodaya (thanksgiving celebration):

"Exactly one year ago today, I was blown up. Exactly one year ago today, I had no idea how much goodness there is in this world."

"I will never have the words to ex- press my gratitude for the wonderful care at Soroka... At Soroka, I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a drawing that had been sent to me by a kindergarten class. From that mo- ment on, I have been embraced. I have no legs, but it is hard for me to explain how much my heart has ex- panded. My happiness does not de- pend on the number of steps I take."

He also shared a teaching from the Alter Rebbe's text, Tanya: "In the Tanya there is a sentence that contains everything: 'Pain cries out from one- side of the heart, and joy cries out from the other side of the heart."

"That is exactly what it feels like. At every moment, I feel I have no legs. I feel it in every part of my body. And at the same time, I am in such a good place. This is one of the best periods of my life. So that is my formula. That is my advice to others as well. To know how to go through the pain and grow from it. To truly feel sad- ness, and to truly feel joy, and to be able to live with those two opposites."