Thousands Accompany Aryeh Shechopek, Hy”d, on Final Journey

A large crowd, said to be in the thousands, took part in the heartrending levayah of habachur Aryeh Shechopek, Hy”d, on Wednesday afternoon in Har Nof, and later at the kevurah on Har HaMenuchos.

Aryeh was killed in the blast at the bus station at the entrance to Yerushalayim, as he awaited his daily ride to yeshivah, in Moshav Beit Meir.

The bereaved father, Reb Moshe Shechopek, eulogized his son: “I just want to say goodbye to my dear son, Aryeh. I beg mechilah from you. Hashem gave and Hashem took away.”

Rabbi Naftali Schreiber, the menahel of the Talmud Torah where Aryeh learned, tearfully eulogized him: “When I opened the cheder I thought I was going to educate Jewish children to Torah. A year ago I already eulogized a student from Aryeh’s class and I didn’t dream that in my capacity as menahel I was going to need to eulogize another student from the very same class.

“Aryeh was not feeling well today and was debating whether to stay home or not,” added Rabbi Schreiber. “The Mashgiach told him not to come, to stay at home and rest. But he felt better and got up – and decided to go learn in yeshivah. He was a boy who fought hard, set himself on a good path…He would help anyone on the street and simply loved people.”

He was followed by the Rav of the neighborhood and a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah, Harav David Yosef: “How terrible it is to take part in the levayah of a young boy who just recently celebrated his bar mitzvah.

“It is terrible to accompany a young boy, the son of a dear family, the son of dear parents, a good boy who was loved by all his friends. We must wake up and realize that if Hashem takes such a boy from us, we must examine our ways and do teshuvah.”

Harav Yosef also said: “When we have nonbelievers, who fight in our holy Land against our Torah, then Hashem punishes. There has never been such a thing as a Palestinian people. They are a people who sanctify murder. We are destined to be their neighbors, and our war against them will be in our way, the way of the holy Torah. May Hashem comfort the family and all of us so that we will know no more sorrow.”