More and more incredible stories of the spiritual gevurah of the recently released hostages are emerging.

The story of Matan Angrest, an IDF soldier who was on active duty on October 7 and was abducted from his tank position at Nachal Oz, seriously wounded and unconscious, and suffering from burns and wounds, is especially inspiring.

Matan suffered from open wounds after his abduction that went untreated for months. Due to his status, he also suffered especially severe torture during his captivity.

Despite his secular background, Matan began davening three times a day during captivity. For most of his captivity, Angrest was held with fellow hostage Gali Berman, who had a Chamisha Chumshei Torah, and they recited the entire sefer together at least 20 times. “I know every parsha by heart,” he said.

Angrest, who did not grow up in a religious home, explained to Ba’al Chessed Shai Graucher that after five months, he needed something to sustain him. “Emunah provides a lot of chizzuk,” he said. He asked for a siddur, which a senior Hamas official eventually provided.

Matan’s father, Chagai (seen in the video below alongside his son), told Kan about the suffering his son endured.

“He suffered more than others because he was a soldier, and that led to especially violent interrogations,” his father said.

Matan’s gaunt condition upon his release shocked his family members. “We looked at him and said: ‘You’re a neis. It’s hard to believe you can even walk.”

“He still can’t believe he can just drink water whenever he wants,” his father added. “They had almost nothing there. He needs to rebuild himself, physically and emotionally.”

Matan’s mother told Kan that her son’s severe injuries caused the terrorists who abducted him on October 7 to debate whether it was “worth keeping him alive or to give up on him.”

She said Matan told her, “I did what was expected of me as a soldier,” and that he is proud of his decision to fight the terrorists that morning, fully aware of the possibility that he might be taken captive.

She added, “Before Matan came back, I didn’t change the sheets. I hadn’t touched his room since October 7. We kept his bedding, his scent, so that I could lie in his bed from time to time.”

The video below shows Matan reciting Mizmor L’Todah, publicly thanking Hashem for his release:

More stories of the recently released hostages connecting to ruchniyus in captivity can be read here and here and here, and here.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)