The soldiers I serve with carry stories that need to be heard.

Left behind a thriving contracting business with 25 employees and a special needs son in a wheelchair who communicates only through specialized technology. When I asked why he enlisted, he said learning Torah was his service while he was in yeshiva. Once his circumstances changed and he was no longer learning full-time, he believed he owed a different kind of debt.

His wife gave birth three weeks before he shipped out. He spent three straight weeks on base without seeing his newborn. He never complained. He just served.

Left basic training for 18 hours to attend his son's wedding. Danced at the chuppah in his dress uniform. Returned to base that night to finish what he started.

The army kept saying no. They kept calling. Eventually, someone listened. Now they serve alongside soldiers half their age, proving that the desire to protect has no expiration date.

At Har Herzl, I watched three men with long payis stand over a fallen soldier's grave. After listening to his story, one turned to the others and said: "We had it wrong all along. These are the real tzadikim of Israel."

His wife manages their entire household while he serves. When I asked how she handles it, he said she knew what she signed up for when he enlisted. That is Israeli family commitment.