For Heaven’s Sake

Episode: "843 Days, 12 Hours, 6 Minutes"

Hosts: Donniel Hartman & Yossi Klein Halevi
Release Date: January 29, 2026
Production: Shalom Hartman Institute & Ark Media

Overview

This emotionally charged episode centers on the return of the body of Ron Gvili, the last hostage held in Gaza from October 7th, after 843 days, 12 hours, and 6 minutes of captivity. Hosts Donniel Hartman and Yossi Klein Halevi reflect on the layers of individual and national grief, closure, and the complex moral, religious, and political dynamics this event exposes in Israeli society. Against a background of impending war and political uncertainty, they probe the deep yearning for healing, goodness, and unity in the midst of national trauma.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Weight of 843 Days (00:09–04:41)

• The episode opens with both hosts grappling with the enormity of the elapsed time—843 days, 12 hours, 6 minutes—the period Gvili was held.
• The hosts note the unusually intense response across Israeli society to the news, including live national broadcasts of the funeral and spontaneous community outpourings.
• Donniel recalls witnessing Elliot Goldstein, whose cousin was also a hostage, symbolically removing masking tape he had worn in solidarity:
  "After 843 days, this is the first day that I'm going to take this off. And then he says, shekhianu. And it was very powerful." (01:34)
  This act becomes a profound emblem of communal release and thanksgiving intertwined with enduring grief.

2. Distinguishing Between Living and Deceased Hostages (07:01–08:40)

• Yossi voices discomfort with what he sees as an "unhealthy emphasis on bodies," differentiating between living and deceased hostages:

  "Once the soul departs, what it means to us symbolically is one thing, what it means objectively is another. And to treat the body as if it is actually the person, let's just say I'm not there. I understand the families need closure." (07:05)

  • He proposes a national conversation about whether Israel should continue to equate the return of bodies with the same urgency and value as living hostages, especially regarding the risk of being blackmailed or ransomed.

3. The Power and Problem of Closure (08:40–13:08)

• Donniel empathizes but notes the near-universal need for closure and the emotional force of "the last body" returning:

  "I think being the last one symbolized something that people in this country are yearning for. They're yearning for some form of closure to this tear that has ripped us..." (09:29)

• Both hosts discuss Israel's state of collective trauma and whether this event transitions the nation out of trauma into post-trauma, or only offers brief respite.

4. Longing for Goodness Amidst a “Bad War” (10:45–13:08)

• Donniel articulates a desire to find "goodness" and "clarity" amid a war marked by pain, moral compromise, and political dysfunction:

  "We want some goodness in our life and some way to transcend all the crap...it was just for one moment, I think we got to say, okay, there's no...I'm not talking whether I'm just Bibi, not Bibi...Did you get Ron Gvili back? Ron Gvili." (13:08)

• The story of Ron as the first to fight back on October 7th becomes a focal point for national pride and healing.

5. Personal Stories and National Fracture (14:21–18:24)

• Yossi describes the dignity of Ron’s family during the funeral, highlighting his mother's strength and the political overtones injected by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s attendance:

  "This is the first time in Israel's history that grief has been politicized...Not only did he tear this country apart, he tore the families of the hostages apart." (16:53)

• The hosts lament that even the naming of the war itself ("the war of renewal, rebirth") has become contested, reflecting deep unresolved fractures.

6. The Limits of Closure and the Demand for Accountability (18:58–24:06)

• The hosts fiercely debate Netanyahu’s claims to success, pointing out the ongoing lack of responsibility and structural reforms, both for past failures and for preventing future tragedy.

  "A country that does not hold its leadership responsible for failures is going to commit the next wave of failure." – Yossi (22:36)

• Donniel stresses his focus on the future rather than retributive justice, worried about systemic vulnerabilities that remain unaddressed.

7. The Path Forward: Healing, Leadership, and Menschlachkeit (24:06–26:38)

• Both hosts agree that Israel’s problem is not just tribalistic partisanship, but a deeper ideological and ethical divide, summarized in Yossi’s invocation of the word "Menschlachkeit":

  "The divide with this government is not over policy. It's over that wonderful Yiddish word, Menschlachkeit, decency. That's the divide." (24:06)

• They describe the painful likelihood that true national unity and healing remain distant under the current political constellation.

8. Yearning for a Moment of Good (26:38–28:56)

• Donniel closes with a plea for fleeting moments of goodness and unity, even if only temporary:

  "I'm happy you're home. I'm happy that for the first time in...I don't know how many years, we don't have somebody who should be home, who's not home. Everybody came back." (26:47)

• Both hosts admit that such moments do not "solve" Israel’s problems but offer needed light amid overwhelming negativity.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Elliot Goldstein's Shekhianu (Blessing):
  "After 843 days, this is the first day that I'm going to take this off. And then he says, shekhianu." (01:34)
• Yossi on National Obsession:
  "For me, there's this unhealthy emphasis on bodies. Now I understand the sanctity of the body in Judaism, but there still is a difference between a living hostage and a dead hostage." (07:05)
• Donniel on the Need for Closure:
  "October 7th is a hole that we don't know what to do with. The country's in a post traumatic syndrome story." (09:30)
• Yossi on Politicized Grief:
  "This is the first time in Israel's history that grief has been politicized. He did that. Not only did he tear this country apart, he tore the families of the hostages apart." (16:53)
• Donniel on 'Goodness' Amid Suffering:
  "It's not just closure. I think we're also looking for some clarity, some purity, some good in the midst of all of this." (10:45)
• Yossi on Menschlachkeit and Decency:
  "The opposition is composed of left, right, and center...The divide with this government is not over policy. It's over that wonderful Yiddish word, Menschlachkeit, decency. That's the divide." (24:06)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Opening Reflections on Return of Gvili: 00:09–04:41
• Public & Personal Acts of Mourning and Closure: 01:34–04:41
• Spiritual/Ethical Value of Living vs. Deceased Hostages: 07:01–08:40
• Desire for Closure and National Healing: 08:40–13:08
• Funeral, National Fractures, Politicization: 14:21–18:24
• Debate on Responsibility and Systemic Change: 18:58–24:06
• The Challenge of Moving Forward, Menschlachkeit: 24:06–26:38
• Final Pleas for Moments of Goodness and Unity: 26:38–28:56

Tone and Style

The conversation is earnest, emotionally raw, and deeply introspective, blending personal confession with sharp social critique. Both Donniel and Yossi speak in a tone of exhausted patriotism, yearning, and moral urgency, alternating between hope for unity and anguish over enduring social and political chasms.

Summary

This episode offers a window into the soul of Israel at an inflection point—a society desperate for closure and healing after years of pain and division, as symbolized by the return of Ron Gvili. Through a probing, sometimes painful dialogue, Donniel and Yossi wrestle with what it means to be moved to tears—by loss, by national solidarity, by yearning for goodness—and whether such moments can truly heal, or merely distract from, the underlying wounds. Their conversation is an invitation for honesty, Menschlachkeit, and the difficult work of imagining a future worthy of such sacrifice.