Elhai was struck from behind by the driver, dying instantly from the impact of the car. He was carrying coffee and pastries for other soldiers at the bus stop when he was struck.
At his funeral, his father Rabbi Ohad Teharlev, head of the Israel program at Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, remembered Elhai as a lively child who loved to explore the world around him.
“You were everything Elhai. You looked for a life in everything,” Rabbi Teharlev said. “You had so much strength and desire. You were a boy with a generous heart. You had such a big heart. When you were young you grabbed candies (during a Bar-Mitzvah) in the synagogue and divided them between the children who didn’t catch them.
“You were happy with your lot. You burst out light and life. You had a smile that filled hearts. Your magic grace never left anyone without a smile.”
His mother, a school psychologist, added: “Our love, just a month short of 21 years ago, we received a gift — the magic of a boy who had a real soul — and now we are forced to return this gift.
“Your pure heart touched everyone who knew you. I want to thank you for all the gifts you gave us during your time here, and I pray that we will succeed in continuing to preserve your unique spirit, even when your body is no longer with us. My boy, you have left us with a big challenge,” she concluded.
Elhai lived in Talmon. He studied at the Makor Hayim high school in Kfar Etzion, and at the hesder yeshiva in Tekoa. He is survived by his parents, three brothers, and three sisters.