The Final Blow: Rabbi Dies One Month After Son Is Killed in Gaza

Rabbi Yaakov Masbacher was buried on Wednesday in Hispin, just one month after his son, Bezalel Yehoshua, was killed in Gaza. Family members say the grief from his son's death was a battle he could not win after receiving a devastating cancer diagnosis months earlier.

The father of 10, aged 69, was diagnosed with advanced cancer just three months before his son's death. His son, Shmuel, said the family went through a "whirlwind of pain, fear, and faint hope." Shmuel added that his father never shared his own pain or symptoms during his final months, expressing his greatest concern for Bezalel, a reservist in the Combat Engineering Corps. "Throughout the period that Bezalel was in Gaza, my father constantly worried that this would happen to him," Shmuel said. "He was very worried and talked about the concern for his life."

His worst fears came true when Bezalel, a 32-year-old combat engineer, was critically injured when the Humvee he was in hit an explosive device in Khan Yunis. He died from his injuries a week later. Bezalel's death was a crushing blow to his father. "After the fall, my father kept reminding us how life is a huge gift, and how we as a family must now take care of Maayan and Yael," Shmuel added, referring to Bezalel's widow and young daughter. "You could feel that Bezalel's death really weakened my father in his own war."

At his son's funeral, Rabbi Masbacher was still on his feet, supported by a wheelchair. A month later, at the 30-day mark since his son's death, the rabbi was in the hospital and unable to attend the ceremony. "He participated by video call from his bed," Shmuel recalled. A week later, he and his family had a final farewell with their father, surrounded by friends and family.

Rabbi Masbacher was an extraordinary figure who came to Israel from the U.S. three decades ago. His home was always open to everyone, especially at-risk youth. He considered it his life's mission to help those in need, and many of the youths he mentored became part of his family. His son, Bezalel, was said to have shared his father's spirit of service and love for the land, volunteering for military service on October 7 and fighting for hundreds of days. In his final words at his son's funeral, Rabbi Masbacher shared a "will to live." He wrote: "Enjoy every second of your lives, it's an amazing gift. In the human body, there are 37 trillion cells. We are given it as a gift, for free, 37 trillion living, functioning, and healthy cells every second of our lives. This symbolizes the wonderful gift we received. It is fitting for us to live with an understanding of this insight. Enjoy and appreciate every second of your lives."