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1By Rabbi Levi Yitzchok Ginsberg I would like to share some stories concerning some amazing
answers I received from the Rebbe Melech Hamoshiach through the Igros Kodesh. It’s important to first
point out that the Rebbe has many ways of answering questions, besides for the Igros Kodesh. The
Rebbe said he would find a way to answer us. Sometimes the Rebbe answers us through a Sicha we hear
or a video we see, etc. I believe these stories have a lesson for others, in addition to the main point,
which is to see how the Rebbe is with us even in our mundane affairs. This strengthens our emuna and
our personal connection to the Rebbe. Furthermore, it underscores the necessity of connecting other
Jews to the Rebbe, fulfilling his directives, seeking guidance from him, and obviously – to believe in his
prophecies. Let us remember that on Shabbos VaYeishev 5752, the Rebbe encouraged us to recount the
miracles occurring in our times, for this is connected with and brings the Geula. I know a bochur who
was considering learning in one of the Breslov yeshivos. He was attracted to their faith, tmimus,
simplicity, and the custom of secluded meditation. This was so, even though he felt connected to the
Rebbe. He recently heard of a special yeshiva that was opened in Pekiin. In this yeshiva, you go to sleep
in the early evening and then rise at midnight, say tikun chatzos and meditate, and rise higher and
higher in your avodas Hashem in holiness and purity. He decided that the time had come to try out this
yeshiva. He told me about his decision and that he was leaving for the yeshiva that evening. The next
day I met him again and he had an amazing story to tell me. He was about to leave the night before but
he thought he should daven Maariv and eat supper first. He had packed his bags and after Maariv and
supper he was sitting in the Beis Midrash waiting for the bus. A quarter of an hour before the bus would
arrive, a friend came over to him. This was someone who had also considered switching yeshivos. The
friend showed him an answer he had received from the Rebbe in the Igros Kodesh, in connection with
this plan. In the letter, the Rebbe explained that this is how the Evil Inclination operates: It wants to get
a person to stop learning Torah, and so it confuses him and constantly presents him with doubts and
confusion to think that the place he currently learns in, is not good for him. What happens as a result is
that he doesn’t learn in the place he is in because he is waiting to switch to another yeshiva. When the
Evil Inclination succeeds in preventing him from learning for a while, then even when he gets to the
other yeshiva, he finds a new excuse as to why he isn’t learning there. Therefore, writes the Rebbe, he
must avoid thinking about all these distractions and not listen to the counsel of the Evil Inclination, but
remain where he is and learn diligently, and that is how he will succeed. At the end of the letter, the
Rebbe wrote that since some of the bochur’s friends are also struggling with this, he should be so kind
as to inform his friends of the Rebbe’s view about this. “I didn’t know which friends the Rebbe was
referring to,” said the friend, “and I thought that maybe the Rebbe meant you. That’s why I came to
show you this letter.” The bochur was shocked, and immediately canceled his plans of traveling to
Pekiin. However, the next morning he got up and had another idea. True, that was the Rebbe’s opinion,
but perhaps R’ Nachman of Breslov thought otherwise. So once again, he was plagued with doubts and
confusion. Then the bochur remembered that R’ Nachman also says that when a person has doubts and
doesn’t know what Hashem wants him to do, he should daven with kavana and say Tehillim and ask
Hashem to guide him on the path of truth and goodness. He should then open up a holy book and
decide what to do based on what it says there. The bochur decided to do this. He davened with kavana,
said Tehillim, and then opened a volume of Igros Kodesh. In the letter he opened to, the Rebbe wrote
that it was a long time already that he didn’t stop constantly confusing himself. And the time had come
for him to distract his mind from all the doubts and confusion, at least until his wedding, and he should
learn diligently and with peace of mind in the place he was presently in. “Boruch Hashem, I have no
more doubts,” exclaimed the bochur excitedly. “The Rebbe showed me clearly the true and good path
for me.”

Mazel Tov Times Five!

By Shai Gefen

Dovid and Esther Segal are the proud parents of quintuplets. Dovid has been excitedly telling people the
miraculous chain of events he recently experienced.

Dovid and Esther Segal’s story is so amazing that even the secular media couldn’t help but get excited.
The miracle took place Monday night, 2 Elul, when the quintuplets were born. There are three boys and
two girls, all healthy. Their birth was the climax of a long series of miracles, with the nervous parents
accompanied at every moment by the Rebbe’s brachos and guidance through the Igros Kodesh.

The doctors had predicted the worst, but with the support and encouragement the Segals received from
the Rebbe, they stood strong and managed to overcome all difficulties.

***
These days Dovid Segal spends most of his time at Shaarei Tzedek Hospital with his wife, and with his
five babies who are still in incubators. Although some time has passed since the birth, Dovid is still
excited. What he wants to do now is publicize his great miracle to everyone, in order to thank Hashem
for His great kindness.

“I was born in Petersburg 26 years ago. My parents were completely nonreligious and I knew nothing
about Judaism except that my father once told me that we were Jews. One other thing we knew was
that our grandfather’s grandfather was a great and important rav among the Chabad Chassidim. 

“When my father told me I am Jewish, I was very happy even though I didn’t understand what it meant. I
only knew that Israel was bad and made problems for the Arabs. That is what I understood from the
Russian media, which loved the Arabs. I didn’t have a bar mitzva or a bris.”

Dovid met his wife in Israel at a Jewish Agency camp. They had a civil marriage in Petersburg. Two and a
half years later he and his wife discovered, for the first time, their connection to Judaism. From that
point on they moved quickly towards a Jewish and Chassidic life.

Dovid is a physicist and quite a genius. His wife is a linguist. They used to spend their summer vacations
in Eretz Yisroel every year as part of a group under the Agency. It was there for the first time that they
began to discover Judaism. 

The group leader, Alexander Maimon, a Lubavitcher Chassid, began acquainting the couple from
Petersburg with the world of Judaism. “We looked into it,” says Dovid, “but we had many questions and
we didn’t let up. At some point we realized that Judaism contains far more than we knew, and that’s
why we didn’t just accept everything. We had questions about everything.”

The long conversations had an effect. When the Segals went back to Petersburg four years ago, they
decided to have a Jewish marriage. “We began to understand that there is faith, that some things are
beyond the rational,” says Dovid. “We spoke to the rav of the city, shliach Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Pevsner, who was our mesader kiddushin. He said we should start by learning Torah, which we did. He
also told me to study the chasuna maamer. I felt that the maamer contained the whole world. I had a
bris, and then we were married k’das Moshe V’Yisroel.

“I kept up my connection with Chabad. My wife began working in Chabad mosdos in the city, and each
Shabbos we had guests for the Friday night meal. We began to take part in all Chabad activities in
Petersburg.

“Two years passed since our chuppa and we still didn’t have children. We felt we had to deepen our
connection with Judaism in order to have children. We began learning with Shaul Slominsky, a Chabad
Chassid in Petersburg. We had lots of questions at each class about many aspects of Judaism.

“Two years ago, when we visited Eretz Yisroel as we did each year, we met the Friedland family of
Nachalat Har Chabad. Among other things, we told them about our desire for children, and they
suggested we ask the Rebbe for a bracha. We agreed, and Avrohom Friedland asked the Rebbe for a
bracha for us. The answer in the Igros Kodesh was amazing. The Rebbe promised children and even
asked that we call the child by a certain name. With a bracha like that we knew we would have children,
despite the fact that the doctors said we wouldn’t. Nothing had worked up until that point.

“We went back to Russia and continued our involvement with Chabad. A year ago in the summer we
were back in Eretz Yisroel, where I studied in the Tzemach Tzedek Kollel in Yerushalayim.

“I wrote to the Rebbe about an offer I had about running an important organization, but the Rebbe
negated it. I understood from the answer that I should return to Russia. To tell you the truth, I didn’t
know why the Rebbe told me in the Igros answer to go back to Russia, but two months later I
understood.

“In Petersburg we met a gentile doctor. Right after the first treatment we were told the good news,
though we didn’t know it would be a multiple birth. A few weeks later when my wife went for a check-
up, while I stayed home, she phoned me and said we were expecting twins. A few minutes later she
called back to say it was triplets. I was thrilled. When the phone rang a third time, I didn’t know what to
think - she told me it was quads!

“She began to cry, because she told me that the doctor said quadruplets are risky. I calmed her and said
that if Hashem sent us four, everything would be fine. The doctor wanted to reduce the number of
fetuses. We didn’t know what to do. I consulted with Rabbi Pevsner, who consulted with experts in Eretz
Yisroel. There were differing opinions.

“At some point we decided to open the Igros Kodesh and ask the Rebbe about this complicated matter.
At first the Rebbe said to state the problem precisely. We explained the two sides - reducing the number
of babies or not. We put the question in the Igros Kodesh and got an answer that spoke about
preserving even the physicality of a person and not to give in.

“We understood from this that the Rebbe was opposed to reducing the number of babies, that we had
to protect all of them, and that with Hashem’s help everything would be fine.

“We were still afraid to take the responsibility for this decision, but we decided to go l’chatchile aribber.
We wrote to the Rebbe again and said we had decided to listen to him. We would not agree to reduce
the number of babies despite the demands of the doctor and the other experts. We asked for a bracha
that everything would be fine, with no problems.

“The answer we opened to was in Volume 10, p. 120: ‘Regarding your writing about your wife’s
condition, I double my brachos that Hashem should fulfill the days of her pregnancy properly and easily,
and she should give birth to zara chaya v’kayama in the right time, properly and easily.’

“After such a clear answer, I knew we were all right, and that the double bracha would stand by us. We
told the doctor of our decision and he advised us to go to Eretz Yisroel, where they could take care of us
better. He explained that only in the United States and Eretz Yisroel would we be taken care of properly,
under the circumstances.

“We decided to go Eretz Yisroel immediately and left within a week. I learned in the kollel, and my wife
was homebound until the twentieth week. That’s when the problems began. We have stories that could
fill a book - like the fact that until that time we thought we were having quadruplets, and in Eretz Yisroel
they saw it was quintuplets!

“We went to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital, where after a few days we experienced serious problems. The
doctors were pessimistic and said there was no way Esther would make it through this pregnancy. They
begged us to reduce the number of babies, but we refused. They threatened us with the worst and gave
us no chance at all, but we remained stubborn. There is a Rebbe and he gave us a bracha! The doctors
thought we were crazy.
“There were some very difficult moments. One day something happened and one of the doctors began
yelling that he warned me this would happen... Another doctor consoled me and said, ‘It’s not so bad,
the next pregnancy will be okay.’ It was only with great miracles that they managed to stabilize the
situation.

“On Rosh Chodesh Tammuz I asked for the Rebbe’s bracha again. The answer I opened to was in Volume
11, page 162: ‘As to his announcement about his wife’s condition...you should check the mezuzos in the
house and your t’fillin, and his wife certainly has the custom of fine Jewish daughters to set aside tz’daka
before lighting candles every Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov. Hashem will fulfill the days of her
pregnancy properly and easily, so that she’ll give birth to zara chaya v’kayama in the right time, properly
and easily.’

“I quickly had my t’fillin checked, and to my surprise I discovered that the ink had faded. The sofer
explained that probably the cold weather in Petersburg had ruined the ink. Naturally I bought new
parshiyos immediately.

“After I finished with my t’fillin, my wife went into early labor. The doctors were very concerned. They
told us they were highly doubtful as to whether they could stop it. At this point we consulted with the
Russian doctor who had treated my wife in the beginning. We also consulted the Rebbe. The Rebbe’s
answer was that it would pass and there was nothing to worry about. Indeed, with great miracles and no
natural explanation, labor stopped.

“The doctors set a date for a Cesarean operation in the 27th week, but again there were miracles and
my wife held on until the 31st week, which amazed the doctors.

“The Rebbe’s brachos accompanied us throughout the entire pregnancy. Even the operation went
relatively well, with no unusual problems. At 2:00 a.m., 2 Elul 5761, the quintuplets were born. The
doctors were unanimous that this was a medical miracle. One of the doctors even said, “The likelihood
of the babies’ survival was nil.”

***
More than once in the course of relating his story, Dovid stopped in order to compose himself and allow
his emotions to calm down. The tears choked him up. The miracles that accompanied them throughout
the ordeal flood his face with joy, for as a result of these miracles he became the father of five healthy
children!

Dovid sees it as a privilege and obligation to publicize the great miracle to the world. The parents’ faith
in the Rebbe is incredible. In fact, their faith is contagious, even affecting the journalists and doctors.
This unusual story about the birth of quintuplets has moved many a heart.

Dovid still finds it difficult to answer what it’s like to be a father. For now, he acknowledges the miracles
and sees it as his obligation to publicize them. “The Rebbe’s brachos accompanied me the whole time,”
he says again. “We saw miracles. Even somebody who doesn’t believe in miracles had to agree there
were miracles here.”

Dovid thanks the devoted doctors who spent days and nights with them. “Now everybody admits we
were right in not reducing the number of babies, but we did it because of the Rebbe’s bracha. Dovid also
thanks those who are presently helping them out. He and his wife will be living in Yerushalayim, awaiting
the imminent hisgalus of the Rebbe MH”M.

They threatened us with the worst and gave us no chance at all, but we remained stubborn. There is a
Rebbe and he gave us a bracha! The doctors thought we were crazy.

The doctors were unanimous that this was a medical miracle. One of the doctors even said, “The
likelihood of the babies’ survival was nil.”

“The Rebbe’s brachos accompanied me the whole time,” he says again. “We saw miracles. Even
somebody who doesn’t believe in miracles had to agree there were miracles here.”

2b

Rabbi Tuvia Bolton of Yeshivas Ohr Tmimim in Kfar Chabad, has this to say about the quints story: 

About nine years ago a young Russian fellow called Zachar participated in 
our summer program with a few other English-speaking Russian university 
students from St. Petersberg. 

A year and a half later he sent me an email saying that; 

1) He had just had a Brit Mila and was now called Zachariah 
2) He was engaged to be married and was inviting me to his wedding 
3) He just received his doctorate in both chemistry and physics 

He even sent me a few pictures of his engagement party and when I took a 

look I almost fell off my seat. I couldn't believe it was him! He had 
become a complete Chabad Chassid; beard, hat, long black coat, surrounded by Rabbis, and a huge smile
on his face. 

I flew to Russia for the wedding (it was fantastic!) and it was there that I 
met Dovid Segal and his wife Esther. 

I stayed in their apartment for the week. They were both "Baalei Tshuva" to 
Chabad. He had a doctorate in Physics and she was an accomplished writer. We became good friends
but when I asked why they had no children I received a sad explanation. 

They had been married for almost four years, had been through all the 
fertility tests and treatments and just a few weeks earlier received the sad 
news that it was medically impossible for them to have children. 

I told them to keep praying, gave them my best wishes, thanked them for the 
hospitality and returned to Israel. 

Three years later Dovid called me, said he was here in Israel and told me 
the most miraculous story. 

[the story posted in the first post which I won't repeat. Then ...] 

On the second of Ellul 5761 (Aug. 21, 2001) three healthy boys and two 
healthy girls were born to Dovid and Ester Segal. But that was only the 
beginning! 

All the doctors were totally impressed but they also agreed that it was 
medically impossible for the Segals to have children in a normal way. 

But when they inquired into Igros Kodesh the Rebbe seemed to disagree. 

Two and a half years later I got a phone call from Dovid telling me that his 
wife just gave birth to another baby boy and that I should try come to the 
Brit in Jerusalem, in a half an hour. "I live a good hour from Jerusalem", 
I told him, and my wife has the car. I can't make it!" 

"A Chassid is above nature" he answered. 

I couldn't argue with that. I grabbed my hat and jacket, ran from the house and as got to the street and
stuck out my thumb a car slammed on the brakes and screeched to a halt before me in a cloud of dust. 

"Where are you going!" he yelled. I answered "Jerusalem" and he replied "Get in, I'm in a hurry!!" 

The whole way he drove Over 80 mph non-stop, jaws clenched and eyes 
concentrating intensely on the road. He finally let me off, one block from 
my destination! I made it! 

Dovid was happy to see me but when I explained how I miraculously made it to the bris he wasn't
impressed. 
He said, "That's nothing compared to how the baby made it here! He was 
conceived without any treatments at all, against ALL the prognosis of all 
the doctors. 

"See," he said, "I told you that Chassidim are above nature!"

Rabbi Ben-Tzion Grossman of Migdal Ha'Emek relates:

The boy came to my house, pale and upset. He asked to speak to me in person. It had been a long time
since we had been in touch. There had been a period when I had learned with him, and I always told him
about the Rebbe. I had never seen him in such a state, and apparently something serious had happened.

We sat down together and he had a hard time beginning. His eyes were red from crying. A few minutes
went by before he had calmed down enough to speak.

"My mother is very sick and needs complicated treatment over a long period of time. It involves running
from doctor to doctor, from one examination to another, buying medicine etc. My father died before we
made aliya, and since then, I - her only child - have tried to help her as much as possible. I want to help
her with her visit to the doctors and the hospital, but I know this will take away a lot of time from my
learning. I keep thinking about this, day and night. My mother lives alone, she's sick, and she doesn't
have the strength to do this by herself, nor does she know Hebrew. It's hard for her to manage in a new,
unfamiliar place."

This was the story he told, occasionally choking up with tears. 

" I knew him well," says Rabbi Grossman. "He was a new oleh from the C.I.S. who was in the country for
less than a year. He learned about Judaism from the shliach in his city in the north of the country. With
time, he began observing mitzvos, and he entered Medrashiyat Ha'Galil which is under the Migdal Ohr
institute in Migdal Ha'Emek. At the Medrashiya, new immigrants learn Gemara and halacha along with
secular studies, and this boy put a lot into his studies and was very successful.

"He loved learning Likkutei Sichos. He learned many sichos each week, yet although I tried to convince
him to begin observing Chabad customs like learning Chitas etc. he refused. It was amazing to see a
young bachur who learned the Rebbe's sichos so deeply, reviewing them many times until he knew
them by heart.

"While I was still thinking, he hesitantly said that he had heard that Chabad Chassidim write to the
Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh, and they get answers.
"I confirmed that and even told him some answers that people had gotten. I emphasized that in order to
ask the Rebbe a question and to get an answer, proper preparation was necessary. You have to think
about the question, make a cheshbon ha'nefesh, and take on good resolutions in avodas Hashem, and
only then write the Rebbe.

"He accepted what I said and began preparing himself. He was very emotional. When he finished his
preparations, he randomly opened volume 5 to page 145, and the answer was in Yiddish. I read the
letter and was surprised to see how the Rebbe answered him precisely, and also included that which he
hadn't asked ...

Translation from the Yiddish:

"I received the p'n for your mother ... tichye

You must be strong in your bitachon in Hashem yisborach that He will help it be better, and you have to
see to it that she be under doctors' supervision, and since she'll be in the hospital, this will certainly be
the case. From time to time, ask what they're doing for her, since the questions themselves to the
people at the hospital, demonstrate an interest in her, and that will make them treat her better.

And you, as the son, must be careful about the three shiurim which the Rebbe, my father-in-law
established - Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya. Aside from this, say five chapters of Tehillim a day in order,
especially for your mother's health, and Hashem yisborach will help so that you will soon be able to say
that your mother's health is better and is continuing to improve. 

With blessings for Torah study with fear of heaven."

"I translated the letter and the boy was in shock. 'The Rebbe answered me as clearly as though he wrote
it directly to me. I have to put my mother in the hospital and speak to the doctors every so often, and I
have to start learning Chitas as you asked me to do so many times.'"

In the Igros Kodesh, the names of the recipients are often deleted, but the letter was written to Rabbi
Shlomo Galperin a'h, after he had written to the Rebbe shortly after he left the Soviet Union with his
mother (his father had died already). Shlomo Galperin was a talented bachur and a tremendous masmid.
His mother became sick and he asked the Rebbe what to do. This was the answer he got.

Over forty years later, another talmid with the identical circumstances, received the same answer. 
***

The boy devotedly looked after his mother as the Rebbe told him in the answer, and she recovered her
health. Learning Chitas was the first step towards his connection with Chabad. He eventually switched to
a Chabad yeshiva and then went to 770. Today he works in being mekarev Russian speaking Jews, and
he sees success in his shlichus.
 4

Baruch Hashem, things were proceeding smoothly as the entire family was getting ready for the
wedding of my eldest sister, C.R. As this was the first frum wedding in my family since my parents were
married 26 years ago, we had many plans, some of them decidedly very "shticky". My younger brother,
Sholom Ber, was interested in buying fireworks (!) to make things a bit more interesting for the not-yet-
religious people in the crowd. In Pennsylvania it is illegal to sell fireworks, so we had to travel an hour to
Youngstown, Ohio to buy them. The small quirks of Hashgacha Pratis on the trip were apparent
immediately when I couldn't find the keys to our car. I noticed the cell-phone, and decided to take it.
As we left home, I noticed that my car had a strong pull to the right. Since I hadn't been home in six
months I figured something was wrong that I did not know about, so I asked Sholom Ber if he knew what
was wrong. "Oh, it's nothing," he replied. "Ma brought it in to the mechanics and they didn't see
anything wrong." Steadily, though, as we travelled the pull became worse, and when we reached
Youngstown we decided to pull over. (Interestingly enough, I was going to pull into the first driveway
that I saw, but I felt a sudden urge to continue. Afterwards I realized that first driveway was made of
gravel, and it is very dangerous to jack up a car on gravel!) By this time we had realized that the problem
was a flat tire, and we quickly called home to report in. "The spare tire in the car is a donut [a small sized
wheel] should we use it, or should we buy another?" I asked. My father told us to continue. "Just be
careful driving with it," he cautioned.
Shortly after changing the tire, we arrived at the store. The owner happened to be Jewish, so we spoke
to him a little about Yiddishkeit. For some strange reason, we did not buy any explosive fireworks, just
sparklers and poppers and the like.
After leaving the store we got back on to the highway, keeping in mind the rule not to drive faster than
50 mph with this tire. We kept our hazard lights on as a warning to other cars, and drove steadily on
cruise at 47 mph for about an hour and a quarter. We had just passed the "Pittsburgh, 2 miles" sign,
when I noticed something big and white in my rear view mirror. Alarmed, I swung into the break-down
lane to let the eighteen-wheeler who was bearing down on to me get by, but just as I swung to the right,
he smashed into the left rear of my car. Despite full pressure on my brakes the car went off the side of
the road. From the force of the truck and the downhill incline, the car sped down uncontrollably, flipped
over sideways, bounced off a ditch and landed on its roof.

As we flew, Sholom Ber yelled Shma, and I just gripped the wheel tightly. It is here that I must thank my
teachers in Lubavitch yeshivos who filled me with a strong Emunah, to such an extent that I remained
calm during the entire experience, understanding that all is for the best. (Obviously, my adrenaline was
racing and I was in shock, but I was not hysterical as one might be in such a situation.) As we landed, I
quickly proclaimed a heartfelt "Yesh Elokim!" (There IS a G-d!), and "Yechi". Sholom Ber and I quickly
unbuckled our seatbelts and dropped to the roof. At this point, we realized miracle number one; neither
of us was harmed in the slightest way! A witness came down and opened the door for us, and we
crawled out of the wreck.
At this point, we saw a small hint to who was responsible for our lives: The trunk was smashed from the
impact of the truck in such a way that it was slightly open. Crushed inside that hole was a Teshura from
the Jacobson wedding, with the picture of the Rebbe on the front cover shining through!
We sat down on the grass to wait for the police and the medics. The medics came first. After a quick
look over, they pronounced us perfectly fine ("Boy! You were lucky!"). Then one of the medics pointed
out miracle number two; not more than ten feet away from the crash site lay a gas line. "If this ditch
hadn't stopped you!" Everyone there agreed that this was an outright miracle. While we waited, and
after passing out Good Cards to the various bystanders, a few more miracles dawned upon our weary
minds. Beyond the gas line were a few houses, with eight or nine children playing in the yard just a few
feet away from us. One more bounce could have ended more than just OUR lives...
The police officer drove us over to the nearest tollbooth to wait for us. When we arrived, my mother
soberly told us the second part of the story; when we called in to report the flat tire, she became
inexplicably nervous, and decided to write in to the Rebbe for a Bracha that we should get home safely!
When we arrived at home, I opened the letter to see what the Rebbe had answered. The letter, in vol.
21 (I don't remember what page), was a letter to a person who had spent time with children who do not
have a connection to a Jewish educational institute. The Rebbe requests of him to continue this
connection in the future, and ends off, Bibracha lebrius hanechona; "With blessing for proper health." I
should point out that I had just returned from Yalta, Ukraine where I had spent the summer in an
overnight camp with 75 children. For the overwhelming majority of them, that had been their first
Jewish experience, and only a handful had a connection to Jewish education.
A few weeks later, we passed the site again. Sholom Ber noticed another interesting fact: the crash site
was the "safest" crash site possible in the area, with emergency parking just feet away from the site!
It is worthwhile pointing out that I had placed a Chitas in the car the day before the accident. We had,
unfortunately, forgotten to say Tefilas Haderech on the trip. Oops.

And here's another personal account:

I was a dorm counselor in Ukraine. My charges were 13-16 years of age. During a conversation, I
mentioned the fact that we can still keep a connection with the Rebbe nowadays through writing to him.
Immediately, the boy said he wanted to write in. (I should mention that these children came from
completely irreligious families; in fact not one of them has a Jewish father!) After writing his letter, he
placed it in a volume of Likkutei Sichos (I think it was Hoisafois of vol. 2). Without knowing what he had
written in his letter, I read the answer.

The Rebbe writes of how the whole mourning period of Sfira came about because of jealousy between
the students of Rabbi Akiva. After that, there is another letter or Sicha about something else. The boy
stopped me in middle of reading; "I got the answer."

I didn't ask him what he had written, but months later, after his family had moved to Israel, one of the
children found the letter he had written. Not knowing that it was private, he read it, and told me of its
contents, admittedly a bit jokingly.
The boy had asked the Rebbe, "I feel that I am just as smart as one of the other children here, but he
always gets better grades in school than me..." To his credit, he had the maturity to listen to what the
Rebbe told him.

MIRACLE AT MEGGIDDO - Diary of a Shlucha

Preface: Wednesday morning – the twenty-fifth day in Sivan. A new day has broken, a day like all others.
Modeh Ani, negel vasser, and the regular morning preparations for a new day of Avodas Hashem have
begun. Routine – until the shrieking sirens pierce the air!! Very sadly, we have become experts in
identifying trouble, and we know by heart the sounds of attack. These sirens – at 7:10 a.m. meant
tragedy, and lots of it. We drop all morning routine and turn on the internet. There it is in red letters: a
terrorist attack on an Egged bus number 830 – at the Megiddo junction – again!! A quick look at the
news and we learn that the bus was on its way to Afula from Tel Aviv. That meant, most probably that
the people on the bus were natives of other cities (mainly soldiers – at that time of the morning) making
their way up north.

With all the sorrow – we were a bit relieved. No chance that anyone we know would be on the bus. The
telephones start to ring off the wall. Are you all ok? Any mekurovim on the bus? We calm everyone
down and explain that there was really no chance that we knew anyone on the bus. It may sound cruel
to one living outside this country – but that is the general reaction every time tragedy hits – each
worries for his own close family and relatives.

The news is devastating and the numbers of casualties are sky- high. Every minute the update adds a
few numbers. Ribono Shel Olam – ad mosai?? A Kapittel T'hillim or two, some tzedoko, and a plea to the
Rebbe MH"M – enough is enough!! Then of course – we must, despite everything continue with our
routine. Life must go on, as normally (??) as possible.

At twelve thirty came the phone call that caused us a private earthquake!!! It was Zehava Malkah on the
other end of the line. She is my right hand in all our Shlichus matters and first and foremost in
disseminating the "Bsuras HaGeulah! We were planning a farbrengen for Gimmel Tammuz and I was
sure that she was calling about the plans. Not that I was in the mood to plan a farbrengen – but
Shluchim don't have the luxury to indulge themselves. 

However, Zehava's voice was edgy, and she was not her regular cheery and upbeat self. Something was
definitely amiss….

Zehava Malka relates:

The morning of the twenty-fifth of Sivan. The news of the terrible brutal terrorist attack comes over the
radio waves. The terrorist exploded the number 830 bus at the Megiddo junction – towards Afula. The
dead and wounded are rushed to the Emek Medical Center. The medical teams are working very hard to
save the lives of the wounded. The situation is grave.

For Eli and Sara Malka of Givaat Hamoreh ( a neighborhood outside Afula proper) it was a regular
morning ; Sara sent her children off to school (most of them study in various Chabad schools) and she
and Eli left for their places of work.

Sara works in a supermarket. When she arrived,the topic of conversation was – the deadly terrorist
attack. At ten thirty – Sara left the check –out and went to take a break. Little did she know that in a few
minutes her life would change forever!

While she was enjoying a brief respite from work, two social workers and the head of Social Service of
Afula entered the supermarket and inquired about Sara Malka. They had come to speak to her. When
Sara was introduced to them she was extremely puzzled, to say the least. 

They didn't leave her in the dark for more than a split second: "are you the mother of Avi Malka?" "Yes",
she replied. Then they dropped the bombshell!! "Avi was injured in the bus attack! Please contact your
husband and come immediately with us to the hospital."

Sara was sure that he was wounded slightly, and why should she worry her husband? So she explained
to the social worker that she will go alone, but they insisted that she call her husband and that he be
with her. She was absolutely convinced that he was really ok and that she was going there to take him
home!!

What was Avi doing on a bus to Afula at 5:30 a.m.?? Avi, a Tomim in his own right – (being a former
student in the Talmud Torah Chabad Migdal HaEmek – which has permission from the Rebbe MH"M to
use the holy name Tomchei Tmimim) attended a wedding of a friend the night before in Bnei Brak. He
had arranged sleeping quarters at the home of a friend, who obviously forgot and when Avi got to his
house no one answered the door. He then decided to sleep in the bus station and go home on the first
bus out to Afula….. His parents had no inkling of his whereabouts – they only knew that he went to a
wedding and would return sometime the next day. That is why, when they heard of the attack they went
calmly about their daily activities!!

As soon as they arrived in the emergency room, they found out the bitter truth. Avi was in worse than
critical condition and was fighting for his life. He had been sitting in the middle section of the bus – and
was fast asleep from Tel Aviv already. He was thrown out of the bus by the explosion, and injured in the
stomach region, the hips etc. The blood vessels were ripped in his stomach and he was bleeding to
death r"l.

By the time Avi's parents had arrived, he had been operated on in order to save his life. His intestines
had to be put back into his body, but there was no time to arrange them in place. First things first – to
stop the bleeding and save his life. If this succeeds, the doctors will re-operate to arrange his intestines
in their proper place at another time.

Eli and Sara were devastated, to use an understatement. Both their families are large, supportive and
loving, and as soon as word spread, all the aunts, uncles and cousins gathered in the hospital to pray and
to give support to the shocked parents. Among the family members is a hospital staff person, and as
such she was privy to inside information and was able to be of much help. At this point she asked the
doctors what the prognosis is and was told in no uncertain term: all that is left for us to do is to inform
the parents that "it's all over". (r"l)

The Malka clan is very closely connected to the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, and they got into action
immediately. First things first – they got the Rebbe MH"M's holy Mikveh water, a picture of the Rebbe, a
Chitas and anything else that they could get a hold of. They brought all this "medical" equipment to the
Bais Refuah and waited for the great miracle to happen.

One of the relatives, unable to come to the hospital, wrote an emergency Pa"n to the Rebbe MH"M and
inserted it into the "Igros Kodesh" (the collection of the Rebbe's printed letters). The answer was in
volume 12, page 170: the Rebbe refers to a tragic incident that was brought to his attention during the
Yud- Tes Kislev farbrengen. Being that the Rebbe was notified at an auspicious time, and especially since
the Alter Rebbe told us what he heard from his Rabbis: that if one angel would stand in the presence of
ten Jews together", and all the more so when tens of Jews are gathered to celebrate the joyous occasion
of a Nosi of the Jews…I am assured that their situation will speedily change for the better ….as it says "ad
mehaira yorutz devoro"( – his word will run speedily…)……..Surely his faith will not suffer because of this,
as faith is the vessel to receive abundant success from above. I hope to receive good news from him in
this matter…."(translation without achrayus)

The above was on page 170. On page 171- the left side- was an amazing answer that was even more
exact: about the place for the farbrengen Bar Mitzvah of your first-born son…." Avi, his parents' firstborn
son – was born on Vov Tishrei. For personal reasons, his parents celebrated his Bar Mitzvah quite
privately. It was understood from this, that the grand farbrengen in honor of Avi's miraculous recovery
would take place on his birth day – Vov Tishrei, and would be a compensation for his private Bar Mitzvah
7 years before!!

And so, the farbrengen was planned for three months ahead. Avi, oblivious to these plans at this point
was fatally wounded, and the family waiting for the tiniest drop of hope from the medical team.

The Rebbe MH"M's answer was more than amazing!! He was notified of what happened – and the tens
of Jews gathered in a spiritual arousal and praying for Avi with Chassidic joy (despite it all..) are on a
higher level than angels….The Rebbe promises quick improvement, asks not to lose faith, and is waiting
to hear good news!!

Zehava M., who was the one to receive this special answer, remarked that all that is left is that the
doctors should agree with the Rebbe MH"M.

In no time at all thanks to technology of the era of Moshiach, Chassidim all over the world were notified.
At Mincha in 770 T'hillim was said, all the Lubavitch websites had urgent requests posted to increase in
good deeds, say l'chaim during farbrengens and say T'hillim all in the merit of Avrohom ben Sora.

Meanwhile, the scene in the hospital was not a cheery one. Some family members were having a hard
time with their stormy emotions, and T'hillim was being said with full concentration. It was into this
gloom that the Rebbe's answer and blessing burst like a ray of sunshine on a stormy day!!

Here we must interject a word or two about Sora, Avi's mother. Sora is a staunch "chassidiste" of the
Rebbe MH"M, and in her place of work she does actual Shlichus work by connecting Jews to the Rebbe.
During slow hours, one finds Sora using the break to say the daily portions of Chitas. Many Jews merited
miracles from the Rebbe via Sora, and she is a shining example to many.

Sora was crying badly when the call with the Rebbe's blessing came in. As the answer was being read to
her, her tears flowed- from joy!! She later recalled at a farbrengen – that she knew at that moment
without a tiny doubt that Avi would live and recover! She announced her belief loud and clear to all that
were gathered in the hospital.

From the moment the Rebbe's blessing was given over to the family, things started to move at a
breathless pace!! Any and every medical procedure that Avi went through from then on succeeded
beyond reality. The bleeding stopped; the intestines are replaced with precision, and they function!! The
next morning, Avi responds to stimuli!! 

Zehava keeps the Rebbe posted on progress, to thank for what has improved and ask for the miracles to
continue! The Rebbe answers in volume 12, page 338 to make " a joyous farbrengen and good tidings".
If that is what is to be done, we rush to organize a farbrengen in the ICU of the Emek Medical Center.
We are pretty sure that this is the very first farbrengen to take place there...

Zehava and I meet at the appointed time. We have all the makings of the farbrengen with us; mashke,
"farbeisen" (l'chaim and something to eat with it), paper goods and what is most important (and
difficult…) a good mood!! We were a little wary, to tell the truth. All the local family members were
familiar with us and our modus operandi (to make farbrengens to overcome obstacles) - with them
there would be no problem and they will surely participate eagerly. However some relatives came from
out of town. What would they think of two (strange?!) women who came to make a "party" when Avi is
fighting for his life????

Despite everything, Shlichus is Shlichus, and so we entered the ICU with big smiles and an upbeat mood.
We saw rows of relatives with T'hillim and somber faces. We quickly explained what we came for and
how it will help etc. We passed around the l'chai,' gave Tzedaka etc. But how in the world can two
women make this farbrengen into a joyous one? We are limited by Halacha!! 
If the Rebbe MH"M gives instructions, he provides the means to follow them to a T. One of Avi's aunts
had another relative who was on the same bus with Avi, and also injured, Boruch Hashem- only slightly.
She was visiting the other boy when we arrived. All of a sudden she comes into the ICU, all breathless
and excited!! Guess what?? There are two Chabadnikim visiting the wounded – they have a guitar and
are singing and dancing in the other wards!!

Thank you a million – Rebbe!! She ran back to them and asked them to come to the ICU, where they
played (softly) on the guitar. So we had a farbrengen and a joyous one at that!!

Back from the farbrengen, and reporting back to the Rebbe MH"M – and again an answer that hits the
spot – about the festival of redemption in all general and personal matters – and a blessing for good
tidings!

From then on, the speed of Avi's progress was miraculous and super – natural. Very soon Avi was
transferred to Hadassah Ain Kerem Medical Center for orthopedic surgery, since his hips and legs were
shattered in the blast. Before leaving Afula, Eli and Sora were briefed by the doctors to what lay ahead
of Avi – a series of orthopedic operations, most very complicated because of his injuries. After that,
rehabilitation. They don't want to make any promises for the future. Time will tell ……

Eli and Sora had a different prognosis – that of the Rebbe MH"M, and he used the specific term :
speedily!! And so amazingly, one operation was sufficient to get all the bones in place!!!!

Avi enjoyed a good recovery from surgery, and was about to be transferred to the Rehabilitation Center
– Bait Levinshtain in Raanana. Here a complication arose, and everyone panicked!! The family had
become so complacent by the amazing chain of miracles, that the tiniest setback shook them up!!

What was the new problem? Deep inside the surgical cut were some blood clots. The doctors had to
make two cuts to drain the clots. Obviously, they turned to the Rebbe for advice and a brocho. And the
Rebbe answers, as always: (volume 16 page 202) "about the abscess ….a small repair at two points will
bring an immediate change for the better. You should consult the doctor on this and ask his opinion...

That is exactly what the doctors did – an incision at two points to drain the blood – and from that point
and on Avi's health improved rapidly, he was transferred to Raanana and in two months from the outset
of this ordeal, Avi was able to stand with his two feet on the ground!!! After the doctors were ready to"
x" him (chas vesholom) only the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach was able to do this great miracle!!

When Zehava Malka received the Rebbe's answer about the Bar Mitzvah,on the day of the deadly
terrorist attack, and started planning the great farbrengen, she remarked that (and she is a nurse) even
taking in consideration every possible miracle – it doesn't look possible that on Vov Tishrei we would be
able to celebrate a complete recovery. She started the preparations, in any case, as a vessel for the
brocho.
On Vov Tishrei this year, the day that Avi celebrated his modest Bar Mitzvah eight years before, Eli and
Sora Malka accompanied their first born son Avi into the Sonestal Hall that was filled with friends and
relatives. Avi was lifted up and the most popular niggun that night was : YECHI ADONEINU MOREINU
VERABEINU, MELECH HAMOSHIACH LEOLAM VOED!!!!!

Shimon, who has lived in Ako for over forty years, poured out his heart to Rabbi Shlomo Frank, rav in
Ako. Shimon was beside himself and said, "My brother disappeared from his home under strange
circumstances. It's been days already and nobody knows where he is! The police are searching, but they
haven't come up with anything."

R' Frank asked whether they had any leads at all, and the man said, "My brother is one of the biggest in
the silver business in this city, and some other merchants are jealous of him. There have been serious
arguments among them regarding the selling of silver items to tourists. I'm worried. I'm afraid for his
life. Maybe they've carried out their plans ..." he said without specifying what he meant, but the rav
understood.

There isn't much one can do in such a situation, and Rabbi Frank advised Shimon to write to the Rebbe
through the Igros Kodesh. The man put his letter into a volume, and the letter he opened to was about
the safe return of a Chassid who had travelled with his family to the Soviet Union.

The answer was clear. "Your brother disappeared but he'll return safe and sound. You have nothing to
be afraid about," said R' Frank soothingly. "I take responsibility for this."

Weren't you afraid?

Not at all. I knew that if the Rebbe answered like that, there wasn't a shadow of a doubt that the
brother would return home safely. Shimon couldn't believe his ears. He found it hard to believe that his
brother was still alive and would come home. He finally left my house somewhat encouraged.

Two days passed and Shimon called me in great agitation. "On the radio they said that an unidentified
body of a man was found around Ako. The police estimate that he is fifty years old. It's hard for me to
think this, but my brother is fifty..."

R' Frank realized that this was no simple nisayon (test). He fortified himself with the Rebbe's answer and
said, "I told you that the Lubavitcher Rebbe said your brother would return home in peace. You have
nothing to worry about."

A few hours went by and Shimon called again. This time he could barely utter a word. Some time passed
before R' Frank understood that the police wanted a family member to go to the hospital in Nahariya in
order to identify the body. "The police say they are nearly certain it's my brother. I don't see how this
fits with the Rebbe's bracha ..."

R' Frank knew that the Rebbe's word is gold, and that his brachos are fulfilled, even though it is not
always apparent to us. "I told you your brother would return home in good health. I have no doubt
about it."

A few more hours passed and the brother called once again, more agitated than before. "It wasn't my
brother," he stammered.

Some days passed and then the door opened and the missing brother returned home. What had
happened? He had discovered that other merchants were plotting to bump him off. This became known
when the person hired to do the dirty work told the police what was in the offing. The problem was that
he didn't have incriminating evidence against those who had hired him.

After some discussion, the police decided to try an original method of entrapping those who desired to
perpetrate this terrible crime. One morning they waited for the merchant on a streetcorner, and they
told him to accompany them. Without understanding what they wanted of him, he was flown to Turkey
where he stayed in a hotel, and was forbidden from making contact with anybody.

The next step was the detectives announced that a body had been found on the beach of Ako. They
spread the news that the family of the missing merchant had come to identify the body. In the
meantime, the murderer for hire had been sent to the merchants who had planned the murder. He was
equipped with a tiny tape recorder and he recorded a conversation in which he said he had done the job
and wanted his pay. The merchants, who didn't realize their conversation was being taped, spoke freely
about the murder. The police took the tape, the merchants were arrested, and they were quickly found
guilty. When it was all over, the missing merchant was sent home.

"There's no question that this was also a great nisayon for me," says R' Frank, "but boruch Hashem I
withstood it. The Rebbe's words were more powerful for me than logic, even though the brother had
been asked to come down to identify the body."

7
 Hope Amongst The Ashes

by Sholom Kramer

Three girls were involved in a discussion. It was two against one.

"What for?" asked Orna, "How will it help us?"

"What do you care," insisted Molly. "It will take just five minutes, and if it doesn’t help it certainly can’t
hurt."

"But it just doesn’t feel right to me," said Yafit uncomfortably. "All this mystic mumbo-jumbo doesn’t
suit me."

"First of all, it isn’t mysticism. And second of all, how do you know it doesn’t suit you? Have you ever
tried it?" Molly asked, doing her best to sound convincing.

"Okay, let’s go," Yafit conceded. "But I don’t want them to confuse me. First I want to watch and listen,
and only then make a decision."

Molly, a resident of Rechovot, had been involved with the Chabad House for a few years. She wrote
letters to the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh, and now she wanted her friends to write, too. The three
girls, who had just graduated teachers’ college, went to the Borochov’s to write a letter to the Rebbe
and to ask for a bracha for a shidduch.

Mrs. Borochov warmly greeted the threesome, and after inviting them in, she sat down and began
patiently explaining to the two new girls about the Igros Kodesh and how one can ask the Rebbe for a
bracha.

"I have a problem," Yafit spoke up hesitantly. "My parents were in a bad car accident. My father injured
his spine and he’s in a wheelchair. He took it very hard. He can’t understand how G-d could do this to
someone. His emuna is weak and he has stopped observing even basic mitzvos."

"Tell him what you heard here," suggested Mrs. Borochov. "Tell him about the Rebbe and about the
Igros Kodesh and convince him to write to the Rebbe."

"It won’t help," said Yafit shaking her head. "Lots of people tried talking to him, but nothing has worked.
He doesn’t even want to listen anymore."

Mrs. Borochov thought for a moment and then said, "I have the first article that was written in the
secular newspapers about Igros Kodesh. Give it to him – maybe that will convince him."
"I know my parents," sighed Yafit. "They really aren’t open to listening."

"If you see that they are unwilling to read the article," said Mrs. Borochov, "just leave it out on the table.
Who knows? Maybe they’ll pick it up and read it, and be convinced."

Yafit agreed and took the article.

***
Mrs. Borochov looked for the happy bride, Molly, in order to bless her. A feeling of satisfaction and
happiness engulfed her. This was the third wedding in half a year. The three girls who had come to her
six months ago asking for a bracha for a shidduch had found their matches and two of them had married
already. Now it was the turn of the third girl, the one who had convinced the others to ask the Rebbe for
his bracha.

She caught sight of the kalla sitting in her special chair. One of her friends was whispering in her ear. The
kalla laughed and the friend picked up her head. Her eyes met Mrs. Borochov’s, who tried to remember
how she knew the girl.

"Hello, Mrs. Borochov, how are you?" The girl didn’t notice Mrs. Borochov’s hesitation and went over to
her with a big smile.

"Baruch Hashem, I’m terrific," said Mrs. Borochov, "but maybe you can remind me..."

"Of course. I’m Yafit Cohen."

Mrs. Borochov instantly remembered her and said, "Oh, yes! Is there any good news about your
parents?"

"No, nothing happened," answered Yafit.

***
But who would have known what was about to occur.

It started like an ordinary fire. A field of thorns began to burn, moving on to some trees and then the
news was out that the Karmel forests were burning. The firemen said there was nothing to worry about.
"Within a day it will be under control," they said. But they were wrong. They underestimated the power
of the blaze.

The wind quickly fanned the flames, pushing them further and further. The fire spread to forests, fields,
vineyards, and even to yishuvim in the area. Tons of water was poured and hundreds of people were
called into action. The firemen used helicopters, trucks, hoses, and anything that could help them, but
the raging fire seemed to mock their efforts, advancing acre by acre, field by field.
The residents of Yishuv A, where Yafit’s parents lived, were not worried. The firemen explained to them
that the fire was not heading in their direction and that there was no reason for fear. So when they saw
the curtain of flames a few meters away from their yishuv, it was with utter shock. People began dashing
from their houses to their cars, trying to load their vehicles with whatever they could salvage.

The fire raged on at a murderous pace to engulf the first house, then the next. The people were stunned
by the destruction. Only a miracle from Heaven could save them.

Then the helicopters came. It wasn’t a supernatural miracle, but they did come from heaven and
managed to rescue all 700 people of the yishuv. The fire persisted the whole day, and only on the
following day could the residents return to their burned homes and try to save what remained.

When Yafit Cohen’s parents returned to their home, they were in shock. All the other houses affected by
the fire had been partially burned. Even badly burned homes still had something left. But their home
was completely gone! All that remained was a pile of ashes at their feet.

With tears of pain and despair blurring her vision, Yafit’s mother tried to sift through the ashes, hoping
that perhaps something remained. Suddenly she noticed something... her eyes widened in amazement,
in utter disbelief. It was a piece of paper, the article her daughter had given her about the Igros Kodesh,
which she had refused to look at. The article was the sole possession remaining after the fire. Even the
table it had rested on was no more.

She bent down and with trembling hands she removed the paper from the ashes, shook it off, and there
in the midst of the destruction, she began to read. At first the tears continued to flow. They dripped on
the paper and dampened it. When she finished reading it her eyes were dry. The pain and anguish had
dissipated and a feeling of excitement overtook her. A ray of hope had broken through.

***
Mrs. Cohen told Mrs. Borochov about everything that had happened to her and her husband. When she
finished her tale of woe, she said, "The truth is, I wasn’t so sure whether to call you... I didn’t know what
to do and then I remembered that my daughter had mentioned you, so I decided to give you a call."

"You did the right thing!" said Mrs. Borochov. "Now go get your husband and bring him over. We have a
lot to talk about."

"What did you say?"

"Just get into a car and come over," repeated Mrs. Borochov. When she realized that Mrs. Cohen was
still wavering, she began telling one miracle story after another that happened through the Igros
Kodesh. Mrs. Cohen decided to pay a visit during Chanuka.
At the appointed time, the Cohens went to the Borochov’s house, where they met a woman who had a
story of her own. She told them that she recently had been diagnosed with a malignant tumor in her
brain, but after she asked the Rebbe for a bracha through the Igros Kodesh, the tumor disappeared.

Fortified by this story, the couple sat down with Rabbi and Mrs. Borochov. When Mr. Cohen had a better
understanding of the Igros Kodesh, he approached the bookcase, removed volume ten at random, and
opened it to two letters on pages 306-307. The second letter was a letter of consolation to the residents
of Kfar Chabad after the terrible tragedy in which five Tmimim had been murdered.

The Rebbe consoles the settlers by quoting the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, and the Tzemach
Tzedek about the order in the midas ha’rachamim. First there is the midas ha’din (judgment, severity)
and only thereafter is there rachamim (mercy). All three of the Rebbeim refer to a fire. The quote from
the Alter Rebbe mentions that wealth comes after a fire. The quote from the Mitteler Rebbe states that
although certain people were planning to move because of a fire, he didn’t think it was a good idea,
because in the place where the fire was Hashem would surely send His blessings. The quote from the
Tzemach Tzedek refers to acquiring wealth after a fire and discusses rebuilding a house.

Then Rabbi Borochov read the first letter, which ends on the adjoining page just before the second
letter. Quoting from the page before, which ends, "it is not right," the next page continues, "to move
because of the incident, because it is specifically there that G-d will command His blessing and mercy, an
inheritance without limitations."

Mr. Cohen’s jaw dropped. "How can that be?" he mumbled in amazement. "I didn’t tell a soul! How did
he know?"

"What happened?" asked Rabbi Borochov.

"After the fire we brought a claim to the administration of the yishuv and asked them to pay us for the
damage we suffered from the fire. But they refused. They weren’t even willing to listen. After so many
years of living and working together, their outright refusal hurt and angered us. We were planning to
leave the yishuv, but we didn’t discuss our plans with anyone, not even with our daughter. And here the
Rebbe seems to have read our thoughts, and he is telling us not to move! It’s just incredible!"

"The Rebbe often said that kosher mezuzos and t’fillin serve as protection," said Rabbi Borochov, trying
to strike while the iron was hot. "Maybe you should check your t’fillin and mezuzos."

Mr. Cohen agreed to let Rabbi Borochov check them. Rabbi Borochov went with them to the temporary
dwelling the government had provided for them, and just as he suspected, the mezuzos and t’fillin were
pasul (unfit). He made another trip to get them kosher t’fillin and mezuzos.

Some time later, Rabbi Borochov was asked to farbreng in a non-Chabad yeshiva. He was happy to have
the opportunity to do hafatzas ha’maayanos, and farbrenged with the students for hours, explaining
about the Igros Kodesh. Among other stories, he mentioned this story about the Cohens.

The rabbanim and talmidim listened intently; but one of the rabbanim appeared to be indifferent. After
the farbrengen that rav approached him; Rabbi Borochov was sure an argument was brewing. To his
pleasant surprise, the man said: "I know that story about the fire. I hadn’t heard the part about the Igros
Kodesh, but as a neighbor of the Cohens, I can add a few details to the story.

"The fact that their house burned down was most unnatural. The fire stopped four houses away from
theirs, and then inexplicably jumped the four houses and landed on their house. It was as though
Hashem wanted to give them a push. As far as what it said in the Igros Kodesh, everything the Rebbe
said was fulfilled. The director of the yishuv accepted all their claims, down to the tiniest detail, and they
got whatever they claimed!"

(The real names, other than Borochov, which is genuine, are known to the author.)

8a

Someone began writing a letter and realized he made an error. He crossed it out and wrote the
correction next to it. Then he went on to write a two page letter. When he reread it, he saw he had
omitted certain important words. Rather than rewrite the entire letter, he filled in the missing words
wherever he could find space, in the margin and between the lines.

When he opened volume 13 to a random page, a letter on p. 119 said, "Do not think that because I did
not answer your letters sooner, that it is a personal issue. Rather, it is just that I am very busy and your
letter which was very lengthy and had many corrections and words between the lines and in the margin,
took more time to decipher in order for me to be able to answer it."

The letter writer realized that one must be as scrupulous now as ever before, in how you write the
Rebbe!

8b
 At the beginning of 5766—2006 when Dov Tovi of Ramat Gan, Israel came to the Chabad shliach
with his special request, he was greeted with a warm and friendly welcome. He explained to the shliach
that while not a Chabadnik, he wanted to write to the Rebbe, although he did not know how to
proceed. 

In truth, Dov was not only totally disinterested in writing to the Rebbe, but he was simply attempting to
discredit one of the Rebbe’s present methods of responding to people’s requests. 

The shliach, unaware of Dov’s true intentions, eagerly offered to assist him in writing to the Rebbe. He
began by explaining how one should spiritually prepare oneself prior to writing. Before he could finish,
Dov interrupted him stating that he had already made all the appropriate preparations and was ready to
put his letter into an Igros. He quickly produced his neatly folded two-page letter 

The innocent shliach randomly removed a volume of the Igros from the shelf and handed it to Dov. This
was the moment Dov had been waiting for. He would now prove beyond all doubt that he was
absolutely right to regard the Igros cynically. 

But when he opened the Igros to the page where his letter was randomly inserted, Dov suddenly
blanched. The pages were totally blank on both sides. The shliach had never seen anything like this
before, but immediately attempted to console Dov, telling him not to worry as this was obviously a
printing error. He offered to give him another volume in which he would be able to find his answer. 

Still in a state of shock, Dov shook his head.. Finally, after regaining his composure somewhat, he
explained that he had actually received his answer. The shliach was bewildered and wondered how
blank pages could provide an answer. Dov clarified the mystery when he removed his two page letter
and showed the shliach that both of his pages were in fact blank.

8c nice and short

HELP FROM ABROAD

Writing to the Rebbe is a regular habit of R’ Konikov, and the answers he receives in the Igros Kodesh
are astounding. Here's one about how the new Chabad house came to be.

“A number of years ago I was surprised to discover that some non-Lubavitchers wanted to open a center
in the same vicinity as my Chabad house. The Jewish community is not a large one, and their opening
the center would have destroyed whatever I had built up over the years. I knew that in order to prevail I
would have to do something tohu’dik (outrageous), something really big and difficult. I decided to put
up a large building for a new Chabad house.

“I wrote to the Rebbe about it, and the answer I opened to in the Igros Kodesh was written to the N’shei
Chabad of Boston. I didn’t see anything in the letter that pertained to me, but I wouldn’t write again if I
didn’t have anything new to say. 

“My financial situation at that time wasn’t great, nevertheless I proceeded with my plans and began
looking for a location for a Chabad house. I found it rather quickly. It was in the best possible location as
far as who I wanted to reach, but it needed serious renovations. Actually, it needed to be torn down and
rebuilt. This entailed an enormous expense and I had prior debts.

“Then I got a phone call from an Israeli girl who had been at our Chabad house some time before. She’s
a bit “spiritual,” if I can call her that, but not quite one of ours … She was spending time in Boston where
she was involved in stocks, using money she had received from her mother. She had opened a business
in Boston and her account was there. Anyway, she told me that she wanted to give me a donation. I
immediately recalled the letter I had opened to about the N’shei Chabad of Boston!

“Then I was preparing for Purim and the girl from Eretz Yisrael was on the line again, this time telling me
she was in Eretz Yisrael but she couldn’t transfer the money to my bank account since the bank refused
to do the transaction. The money was in Boston and she was in Eretz Yisrael and something was amiss.
So in another half a year, around the holiday time when she’d be back in America, she’d send me a
donation.

“I got up my courage and said that if she couldn’t transfer the money, I would personally show up to any
location she named, in order to get the donation.

“Hearing that, she said she had a different solution. Go to Boston, she said, and then I’ll tell you how to
obtain a signed check and you’ll fill in the amounts I tell you.

“So as in a fairy tale, I flew to Boston and late at night, as per her instructions, I went to an attic where I
found checks. She told me to fill in one check for $50,000 for that day, and another check for $50,000
for the following month! And that’s how our new center opened, a center where we do ten times more
than we used to, which ended the plans of our opponents.”

8d short

A Jew was caught selling illegal goods and was put in jail in Atlantic City for a year. The boy’s mother
asked the shluchim for their help. They tried; they spoke with lawyers etc. but didn’t accomplish
anything. Things got worse when a year later it was discovered that the boy wasn’t an American citizen
and he had entered the country illegally. This was a good reason for the authorities to extend his prison
sentence for a few more years.

On a short furlough he visited with the shluchim along with his mother. They suggested that he write to
the Rebbe and ask for a bracha. He did so, and put the letter in the Igros Kodesh. On the pages he
opened to, the Rebbe spoke about a proper divorce and about asking forgiveness.

The shliach, Rabbi Rapaport, asked him whether he had ever been married. It turned out that he had
had a girlfriend for a year, back in Eretz Yisrael, an orphan, and he had promised to marry her, but he did
not fulfill his promise and broke off all ties with her. Naturally, she was very hurt.

When Rabbi Rapaport heard this, he understood the answer and he told them that the boy had to ask
forgiveness from the girl. They laughed and didn’t take it seriously, especially since this had happened
years before and they didn’t even know where she lived.

Two years went by and the boy’s situation only got worse. They transferred him to a different prison and
someone told him it was hard to get out of there.

He remembered what the shliach had told him and decided to do as the Rebbe said. He began looking
for the number of the girl and finally found it. He called her and it turned out she had gotten married
and had two children. He asked her forgiveness and she said she forgave him.

Like in the Baal Shem Tov stories, two days later, two people came to his cell and told him he was free!

A WALKING MIRACLE

by Shneur Zalman Berger

"The Rebbe is wishing me long life? How come, I wondered," says Rabbi Tzvi Weiss of the yishuv Tel
Tziyon which is near Yerushalayim. It was at the end of a day of learning at the Tzemach Tzedek Kollel in
the Old City. R' Weiss prepared a shiur on the laws of family purity which he would be giving as soon as
he arrived back at the yishuv. At the end of his day's learning, he sat down to write a letter to the Rebbe
about whether he should accept a certain job offer. Some of his friends who were skeptical about using
the Igros Kodesh to ask the Rebbe a question, were there at the time. When he opened the volume at
random, he read a bracha about long life! His friends said they didn't see a connection between long life
and a job offer .
Later that evening, when they heard the awful news, they realized that the answer in the Igros Kodesh
was open prophecy.

***
"It was a Wednesday, 9 Tamuz. I left the Kollel at 6:30 as I always do, and used public transportation to
get to the station at the French Hill junction. I was standing between the bus stop and the designated
area for picking up passengers or hitchhikers, since I didn't know whether the bus to Tel Tziyon had
passed already, which would mean I'd have to hitch a ride, rather than wait for the next bus which
would take a long time in coming. I looked at the passing cars, trying to spot someone I knew so that I
could go directly to the shul in the yishuv to give my regular class.

"Suddenly I heard a tremendous noise, an explosion. I was smashed to the ground from the force of the
blast. A fraction of a second passed before I began feeling terrible pain in my right shoulder. I felt
extremely weak. I was in a state of confusion but got ahold of myself. I realized it was an attack and that
I had to flee the scene as quickly as possible.

"I took a few tentative steps, but weakness overcame me. I collapsed in the street feeling utter frailty. A
few minutes later, medics approached me. In answer to their question, I told them I felt terrible pain in
my arm and that I was very thirsty. They thought I was in a state of confusion and that's why I needed
water. My cell phone, which at times like these is essential, was lost.

"I was treated quickly. They put me on a stretcher and carried me to the ambulance, which was
extremely painful because it jarred me. Those who accompanied me said that I was lightly injured. "It
seems you broke your shoulder. You were saved miraculously." I asked them to take me quickly to a
hospital so I could be treated for the unbearable pain. At the same time I thought, boruch Hashem that I
was only lightly wounded. I didn't realize that the big miracles still lay ahead of me.

"I got to Hadassa Medical Center- Mt. Scopus. The doctors didn't rush to take care of my shoulder. First
they examined me for shrapnel. Within a few minutes they had the general picture: I had shrapnel all
over my body, my head, back, hand, feet. After some first aid, I was taken for a CT scan and from there I
was sent to the operating room. They had seen that my large intestine had been torn by shrapnel.

"The CT scan revealed the miracles I had experienced. Fifteen pieces of shrapnel had penetrated my
body. One piece had entered my head, nearly reaching my brain. A few pieces had entered my back, not
far from my spine. Some had penetrated further than others, but most of them caused no significant
damage that required special treatment. Yet another piece had entered my knee and went out the other
side without harming the bone! Despite all this, we still didn't know my true condition, which for the
meantime had been designated as "light."

At nine in the evening, only two hours after the attack, R' Weiss was operated on. The family got the
news and when they arrived he was already anesthetized in the operating room. The brother-in-law,
Rabbi Shlomo Margolios, was at home at the time, and he quickly wrote the Rebbe a letter and put it
into the Igros Kodesh. The answer he opened to encouraged them all, "As per your request, tomorrow ...
I will mention your and your wife and children for blessing and a long, good life ... and I will conclude
with a blessing that G-d should give you and your wife, length of days and good years to be sated with
much Jewish nachas and Chassidic nachas from all your children and from yourselves too ... " (vol. 4, p.
194-195)

R' Margolios quickly called his sister, Mrs. Bracha Weiss, and told her the answer. She related:

"The doctors said Tzvi was wounded. We were in shock. It was only when my brother Shlomo told me
that he has a positive answer from the Rebbe, that I relaxed. I knew that everything would work out all
right, and soon. We had experience with answers from the Igros Kodesh, and I had no doubt that the
Rebbe's bracha would be fulfilled. When I got to the hospital, both of our families were there already.
They were all worried about Tzvi who wasn't even thirty years old.

They had just begun the operation when the doctors were stunned to discover that a main artery had
been severed. The lower stomach was full of blood which had been pouring in for over two hours. One
of the doctors came out to report to us that his condition was critical and the family was shocked once
again. "We are trying to connect the artery, so far without success."

The doctors were not optimistic. "We'll do whatever we can to connect the artery and to take care of
the torn large intestine, but you should know that this is just the beginning. There will be months of
rehabilitation ahead of you. We hope we'll be successful," said the doctor before quickly disappearing
back into the operating room.

The waiting room near the operating theater was full of the sounds of Tehillim, along with faith and
hope in the Rebbe's bracha for length of days and good health.

A hesitant voice could be heard. It was Tzvi's father, R' Aryeh Weiss. He began to describe the dream he
had had that morning. "I daven with the netz ha'chama [sunrise] every morning. This morning I napped
a little after the davening, when I suddenly dreamed that something terrible would happen to Tzvi, but
that everything would be all right in the end. I am not a dreamer, and this dream really bothered me. I
couldn't remember the details, just the gist of it, that something terrible would happen to Tzvi. During
the day I tried to call him, but could not. My wife tried to calm me down and said I should let him learn
in peace. Now I see that the first part of the dream came true, and halevai the rest of it should come
true too." 

***
The doctors fought for Tzvi's life in the operating room. Again and again, the best doctors tried to
correct the tear in the main artery, but were unsuccessful. Blood kept pouring in. Dr. Aner was called in,
as he is one of the heads of the surgical department in Haddasa-Ein Kerem, and is an expert in blood
vessels. Only after serious effort did he manage to stop the bleeding and to sew the tear. The doctors
breathed a sigh of relief. 

Despite all the delays, the operation was over earlier than expected. Before they began, the doctors had
estimated that it would take at least eight hours. They said he would be unconscious for 24 hours, and
would only be removed from the respirator a few days later.

The doctors left the operating room, sweaty and tired. "That was a big miracle," they said. "He lost 75%
of his blood! We had to give him 16 units of blood, but despite the huge amount of blood he lost, and
despite the large rip in his large intestine, he is basically okay. Just to lose that amount of blood and to
remain alive is highly unusual. We hope that the large amount of blood he was given will work out all
right, and won't cause any problems."

The operation was finished and R' Weiss was placed in Intensive Care. The doctors projected guarded
optimism. R' Shlomo wrote the Rebbe again, reporting on what had happened. He opened to a page
where the first letter ended with "refuah kerova", and the second letter was addressed to a man named
Dovid, one of R' Weiss' names (vol. 4 p. 266).

The Rebbe had wished a "refuah kerova" and so five hours after the operation, R' Weiss opened his
eyes. After carefully examining him, the doctors took him off the respirator and found it hard to explain
their first estimate, that the anesthesia would last at least 24 hours and that he would be on the
respirator for a few days. "But," they warned, "be prepared for a long recovery period of a number of
months."

R' Weiss emotionally relates, "When I got up, I felt terrible pain in my stomach. The shoulder had
already set and it hardly hurt. When I first heard the doctors' report, I was very down and worried. What
calmed me was the Rebbe's answers that people had gotten. I suddenly recalled the answer I had
opened to on the morning of the attack, and I shuddered. I believed that I would leave the hospital very
soon and would be well, in the merit of the Rebbe's brachos."

The family wrote to the Rebbe once again, this time relaying good news, that the patient had opened his
eyes and had even spoken. This time, the letter contained a date (remember, the attack took place on
erev 9 Tamuz): "... and as we approach the yimei ha'Geula 12-13 Tamuz, the redemption of the Rebbe,
my father-in-law, and the redemption of all "who occupy themselves in disseminating Torah" - as the
Rebbe, my father-in-law put it, may his bracha be fulfilled in its entirety - that Hashem open His good
storehouse and bestow upon all those who love Torah and those who learn it, and those who teach
publicly, amongst our brethren the Jewish people an abundance of life and much blessing ad bli dai,
with blessings for success in your holy work and much physical good ..." (vol. 4 p. 372-373).

And the letter on the other side said: "And since I won't know where you'll be on the upcoming 12-13
Tamuz, I include the kuntres for 12-13 Tamuz. And surely you'll find much of interest in it, with blessings
for peace of mind, and naturally, peace of body."
"I read the letter and cried," says R' Weiss. "The letter was written to, "those who love Torah and those
who learn it, and magidei shiur b'rabim" - the attack took place when I was on my way to give a shiur.
The Rebbe also spoke about the segula of these days, the yimei ha'Geula, and bestowed so many warm,
fatherly brachos."

"The Rebbe adds in the letter, "I won't know where you'll be on 12-13 Tamuz" - on Sunday, 13 Tamuz,
the doctors decided to transfer me from Intensive Care to a regular department ... If that wasn't enough,
in the morning the doctors spoke about a long recovery, and the evening of that very day, they changed
their prediction and said there would be no need for rehab! And I just kept reading and re-reading the
words, "that Hashem open His good storehouse and bestow upon all those who love Torah and those
who learn it, and those who teach it publicly, amongs our brethren the Jewish people, an abundance of
life and much blessing ad bli dai."

R' Tzvi Weiss doesn't just receive brachos; he fulfills directives. In the letter, the Rebbe said he was
enclosing a kuntres for 12-13 Tamuz and "surely you'll find much of interest in it" and the family brought
the kuntres mentioned in the letter to the hospital.

The next Shabbos, R' Weiss participated in the meals provided for the families and patients who are
Shabbos-observant. During the meals, R' Weiss got up and told everyone about how the brachos of the
Rebbe Melech Ha'Moshiach had saved him. At shalosh seudos, he reviewed part of the maamar by heart
that had been sent to him.

***
Only two weeks after the attack, R' Weiss left the hospital. The doctors recommended that he go to a
convalescent home under doctors' care for a week. Three weeks later he was home. R' Weiss enjoyed a
chain of answers, brachos, and miracles. It can be summed up as the senior doctor put it, "A walking
miracle." The doctor who operated on him called it, "shiga'on refu'i" (medical insanity). 

The shoulder is knitting together and in a few weeks he needs to undergo an operation to fully close the
large intestine. He tells the story of the miracles and amazing answers to whoever visits him. For those
who ask, he also shows the release form from the hospital, "Shrapnel penetrated the back and reached
the muscle tissue surrounding the spine - fine. Shrapnel in the skull - brain fine. Hole, entrance and exit
in the knee - fine," and the list goes on ...
---------------------------------------
P.S. Right next to Rabbi Weiss' bed in the intensive care unit, lay another victim of the same attack:
Aharon Gozlan, an officer in the Border Guard, who with great personal self-sacrifice charged at the
suicide bomber in an attempt to stop him. Sadly, he was a few seconds too late, and not only was he
unsuccessful in averting the blast, he was severely wounded. At one point, the doctors considered
amputating his leg.

What is fascinating is, that despite his close proximity to the terrorist, he had no upper body injuries. In
regard to this, he recounts with great emotion, "ever since I became a baal teshuva, I tell anyone who
asks about them, that my tzitzis are my personal armor... and they actually saved me from any serious
injuries in the upper half of my body."

The two roommates quickly became friends, and Rabbi Weiss asked him to write to the Rebbe MH"M,
explaining to him how one goes about it. The answer was a letter addressed to a Jew named Aharon,
and contained blessings for recovery...

The blessings came to fruition, and the doctors decided that it wasn't neccesary to amputate.

10

By M. Melamed

It was late at night and on Binyamin Boulevard in Netanya, the lights went out one by one. The street
emptied out and the nighttime silence descended on the entire area. One house still had the lights on. It
was the house of Rabbi Moshe Antizadeh, the rav of the Iranian shul. R’ Moshe was sitting and learning
in his living room.

The Iranian community in Netanya had gotten used to the fact that their rabbi wasn’t an ordinary rabbi
but also a Chabad Chassid. When they had any sort of trouble they knew they could ask him to help
them write to the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh. The miracle stories that resulted were the talk of the
town.

So it didn’t surprise R’ Moshe when somebody knocked at his door at that late hour. He opened the
door to see a woman who looked obviously in distress. He invited her in and asked how he could be of
assistance.

The woman broke down as she said she had heard that you can write to the Rebbe…

THE DOCTORS SAID AN ABORTION WAS MANDATORY

After she calmed down, she began to relate her tragic story. “I am married for nearly ten years and I still
don’t have any children. I’ve undergone medical treatment and three months ago I was told that I’m
finally pregnant. I was thrilled of course, but my joy was short-lived.

“A few weeks ago I wasn’t feeling well and after a series of tests, the doctors said there’s a malignant
growth in my uterus and I must have it removed. Since they can’t treat the growth while the fetus is in
the uterus, they told me I have to abort within a week so they can start treatment as soon as possible.
“I’ve gone to the top doctors in the country and they all say I must abort, and every additional day
endangers my life and increases the chance that the usual protocol won’t work to stop the malignancy
from spreading. They say that will give them no choice but to remove my uterus.

“I’ve seen a number of rabbonim and after telling them what the doctors say, the rabbonim say I can do
the abortion because, “ha’ba l’horgecha, hashkeim l’horgo” (if someone comes to kill you, rise up and
kill him [first]).

“I’ve come to you in order to write a letter to the Rebbe for a bracha that the abortion go okay, without
complications, and that the treatment that I’ll start right after that be successful. They should be able to
get rid of the growth without having to remove my uterus, so I’ll still have a chance of having children.”

THE REBBE SAID: IT’S OUT OF THE QUESTION

R’ Moshe listened to the woman’s tragic story and said, “You’ve come to ask the Rebbe about a matter
that concerns life and death. This is extremely serious and when you write to the Rebbe, you must tell
him all the details and agree to follow whatever the Rebbe says.”

The woman nodded her agreement, took a pen and began to write her letter. R’ Moshe sat nearby and
said Tehillim, praying that the woman would get a bracha for a refuah sheleima.

When she finished writing, she put the letter into a volume of Igros Kodesh and after she accepted the
Rebbe’s Malchus by saying Yechi, R’ Moshe began to read the Rebbe’s letter.

When the woman heard the opening words of the Rebbe’s answer, she nearly fainted. The Rebbe
explained at length the great prohibition in aborting a baby. He went on to explain how it is out of the
question negated from any standpoint, both physically and spiritually. At the end of the letter, the
Rebbe wished success in all matters. 

“The Rebbe is telling you explicitly that you may not have the abortion done,” said R’ Moshe.

The woman looked at him in shock, not believing that a sane person could confidently tell her to oppose
all the biggest doctors.

“Are you serious?” she asked skeptically. “Am I really supposed to ignore the warnings of all the
doctors? It’s my life we’re talking about!”

Mrs. Antizadeh was present and her heart went out to the woman. She asked her husband to read the
Rebbe’s answer again. Perhaps this woman’s situation was different. R’ Moshe took another look but
the Rebbe’s answer was quite clear: no abortion!
He looked up from the letter and softly said to the woman, “I absolutely understand your feelings. It’s
very hard to accept the Rebbe’s answer when all the doctors say the opposite. But thanks to my
experience in similar situations, I can tell you: When the Rebbe says to do something or not to do
something when it entails danger to life, listening to the Rebbe brings bracha and success, and not
listening can entail real danger. I’m telling you – if you want to do the best thing for yourself and your
baby, don’t do the abortion.

“I am absolutely confident that if this is what the Rebbe says, he also takes full responsibility for your
wellbeing. The only thing that remains to do is to pick up the phone and tell the doctors that you will not
be doing the abortion. Believe in the Rebbe’s words and you will see miracles take place.”

The woman left the rav’s house, her mind in a turmoil. In her ears rang the doctors’ warnings; that if she
didn’t do the abortion now, they would have to remove her uterus in order to prevent the growth from
spreading. On the other hand, there was the Rebbe’s clear answer. The Rebbe’s blessing for success at
the end of the letter gave her some hope that perhaps she would give birth to the child she had waited
for these ten years.

THE OPINION OF ANOTHER DOCTOR

The next day was Friday and on his way to shul, R’ Moshe saw the woman and her husband standing
near the door, waiting for him. Before he had a chance to greet them, the husband exclaimed, “How can
you take this upon yourself? You are taking advantage of a woman who is already on the brink of
collapse. Do you want to leave me a widower?”

R’ Moshe stayed calm under attack and waited for the husband to calm down. Then he repeated what
he had said the night before. “The Rebbe’s answers in the Igros Kodesh are not a game. People in worse
situations were saved by listening to the Rebbe, and so you would be best off strengthening your
bitachon in the Rebbe’s words. If you listen to the Rebbe, you’re assured of success.”

The husband didn’t look as angry but he still remained adamant about not listening to an answer that
opposed all the doctors and rabbonim. For the next 24 hours he thought about what R’ Moshe had said.
The strength and emuna had reached deep into his heart and on motzoei Shabbos he and his wife went
to the rav’s house. They wanted to write to the Rebbe, asking him to consider the sensitive and
dangerous situation and to perhaps permit the abortion.

The husband wrote the letter and put it in a volume of Igros Kodesh. The Rebbe’s answer was that if
they still had doubts, they should consult with another top doctor.

The couple agreed to do this and to listen to what the doctor would tell them to do. R’ Moshe referred
them to a world-renowned doctor who works at Hadassa Hospital in Yerushalayim. This doctor is a
relative of a Lubavitcher in Netanya, and he had heard many stories about the answers from the Rebbe
through the Igros Kodesh. He had seen quite a few brachos fulfilled and he agreed to examine the
woman.

The examination on Sunday showed that the growth wasn’t as big as it seemed in earlier exams. This
doctor was also of the opinion that an abortion had to be done, but unlike the other doctors, he said it
didn’t have to be done so fast. He recommended waiting another week. Before they left his office, he
encouraged them to have faith in the fulfillment of the Rebbe’s brachos.

TREMENDOUS SIMCHA AT THE BRIS

After a nerve-wracking week, in the course of which the couple did their best to strengthen their belief
in the Rebbe’s words, they went back to the doctor’s office in Yerushalayim. She was taken in
immediately, due to the seriousness of her condition, and the doctor had the results within a very short
time. 

His surprised but happy face broadcast the news. “A miracle has taken place. The Rebbe was right, once
again! The tests we just did show that the growth is gone! There is no trace of it! There is no need for
any treatment, and of course, no abortion is necessary!”

The woman found it hard to believe the news and insisted on another exam to verify the astounding
news. Another test confirmed the miraculous results: there was no growth and the woman was fine!

A few months later, the woman gave birth to a healthy boy. The bris was celebrated with tremendous
joy as the parents, and their relatives who heard the miracle story, praised Hashem for giving us the
Rebbe, may he be revealed immediately!

11

An amazing story about an ultra-Orthodox Jew from Yerushalayim’s Mea Sh’arim neighborhood
whose wife ran off to live in an Arab village. When she demanded custody of their five children, the
story had a surprising ending!

This shocking tale was told to be by a bachur who heard it from the baal ha’maaseh himself while on
shlichus in a European city. One day, he was preparing to board a local train when to his great surprise,
he noticed among the waiting passengers a Polisher Yerushalmi chassid, dressed in full regalia, a very
rare sight in that particular city.

Unable to restrain himself, the bachur approached the chassid, wished him a hearty “Shalom Aleichem”,
and asked him where he was headed. The chassid replied quite matter-of-factly, as if there was nothing
strange about it, that he was going to learn chassidus in the synagogue with one of the local Chabad
chassidim. The bachur was a bit puzzled: What was a chassid from Yerushalayim doing in a place like
this, and why did he come to learn chassidus in such a faraway land?

The chassid hesitated for a moment or! two, and then he told the bachur his amazing story, one which
caused a totally unexpected upheaval in the middle of his previously tranquil life.

*****

“I was born and raised in Mea Sh’arim and lived there my whole life,” said the chassid as he began his
story. “My wife was also born and raised in Mea Sh’arim. We were married and lived there. We had five
children, all of whom studied and were educated in our community institutions. All was well, until
suddenly after the birth of our fifth child, my wife started disappearing from the house for several hours
each day. She told me that she was going to a friend, to her sister, to her parents, to my parents, etc. I
had no reason to be suspicious until suddenly about a month later, she went out one night and did not
return…

“I waited until a very late hour, and when I saw that she hadn’t come back, I called my parents to ask if
my wife had been at their house. They replied that it had been several mont! hs since the last time she
had visited them. I received a simi! lar answer from her own parents, friends, her sister – from everyone.
To my great astonishment, no one seemed to know where she was or where she had disappeared. It
was as if the earth had simply swallowed her up…

“After we had spent several days searching for her, we made a few inquiries and came up with different
assumptions, but in fact, we didn’t have the foggiest notion where she might be. Even my friends from
the community joined the search, but we turned up no clues as to her whereabouts.

“A few days later, we received a letter from her. She wrote to me that I shouldn’t be offended, ‘you’re
actually an excellent husband’, but she had found an Arab Muslim boyfriend and had gone to live with
him on his village. The envelope had no return address, and we were left with nothing except to absorb
the shock of our lives, the pain and anguish, the anger and embarrassment, and wait for perhaps
another sign of life from her.

“After several more days, anoth! er letter came in the mail. This time, she was already asking about the
children. She left a number where I could call her and tell her how they were doing, but my feeling of
anger and shock ran so deep, I didn’t call her and told her nothing. While this was going on, I looked for
professional advice and turned to an attorney. While he wasn’t a particularly great legal mind, he was
very close to our community. 

“The lawyer told me that for the time being, I don’t have to worry as long as she doesn’t demand to get
the children, but if she does so, the chances are more than likely that the courts will honor her request,
particularly since we’re talking about young children who need their mother. In fact, those fears were
realized just a few days later when a letter arrived from the court stating that my wife was demanding
custody of the children, and that I was being summoned to the court on a certain date.
“I showed the court summons to my friendly attorne! y, and when he saw which lawyers were
representing the ‘plaintiff’, his! jaw dropped. He explained to me that these were five of the most
prestigious attorneys in the Arab sector, and if they are representing my wife, there is no chance that
the court will ignore their request. ‘Maybe there will be a miracle,’ my attorney said, ‘and the court will
give you one or two of the children, if any. But it’s clear that most of them will be placed in the custody
of your rebellious wife.’

“When I heard this,” the chassid continued, “I went into a deep depression. Anyone who saw me
noticed immediately that I was in a state of literal grief. Everyone sympathized with my plight, but no
one knew how to help me. Then one day, I met a Lubavitcher chassid with whom I was acquainted, and
when he saw my disconsolate look, he realized that something was seriously wrong and he asked me to
tell him what had happened. After I told him the whole story, he had just one question for me: ‘Have
you written to the Rebbe yet in Igros Kodesh?’ I said that I am not a C! habadnik, I’ve never written to
the Rebbe in my life, the Rebbe doesn’t know me, and I don’t see the point in writing to him now.

“But this Lubavitcher would not relent. ‘What do you have to lose?’ he replied. “Ask for a bracha from a
tzaddik and you’ll see the results for yourself.’ In the end, I agreed. We sat together and wrote a letter to
the Rebbe explaining the whole matter and requesting his advice and blessing. We opened the volume
of ‘Igros Kodesh’ to see the answer we had received, and we found one line on the selected page that
was most relevant to the issue at hand. The Rebbe had written: ‘It is forbidden to compromise on
Jewish education, even for one Jewish child’. I saw this as a clear answer and bracha from the Rebbe. I
informed my attorney that he should state before the court in my name that we concede not a single
child. All five children must remain with their father, and continue to receive a kosher and chassidic
Jewish education! .

“The attorney shook his head slightly, an expression of pity f! or my naiveté and my exaggerated hopes,
and we agreed to meet on the day on the court hearing.

On the Day of Judgment

“The ‘Day of Judgment’ arrived. I came to the court armed with my attorney, but facing me, to my great
shock and anger, was my wife surrounded by five respected and impressive lawyers, looking very stern
and unwavering.

“The judge called the hearing to order, and then invited the plaintiff to present its arguments. The first
Arab lawyer got up and said along these lines: ‘Your Honor, according to the Child Protection Law
(5727), Section X, Regulation Y, children under the age of ten must be raised with their biological
mother, as long as she is willing to provide for their physical and emotional needs.’ Then the second
attorney got up and said: ‘Your Honor, we have presented before the court a review by the social
worker, which gives a proper view of everything happening with this family. While the mother raised
the! children, fed them, cooked for them, cleaned for them, and provided all their needs, the father sat
in ‘kollel’ for his own lofty spiritual enjoyment. It’s clear that the children need their mother along side
them, and therefore, we claim that justice and fairness require that the children be placed in the
mother’s custody.’

“I won’t tire you with the speeches of the other lawyers for the plaintiff, but they gave a most
convincing presentation. The judge then turned to us and asked what we had to say in reply. My
attorney stood up and said, ‘Your Honor, while it’s quite clear to me that according to the law, custody
of the children must be given to the mother, I come before the court with a special request that at least
one or two of the children be permitted to remain with their father.’

“When I heard these words,” the Yerushalmi chassid said, “I positively bolted from my place, stood
before the judge, and asked to address the bench.“Your Honor,” I said, “if! counsel will not listen to my
instructions, I hereby deprive him of th! e right to speak on my behalf. From this moment forward, he
does not represent me. I only request to make one brief statement before the court: The Lubavitcher
Rebbe told me that I must not compromise on Jewish education, even for one Jewish child, and
therefore, I claim and demand that all of my children must remain with me and continue to receive the
Jewish education they have been receiving from the moment they were born until this very day.’

“The judge asked me if this was all I had to say in my defense, and I replied, ‘Yes, Your Honor, that’s all.’

“The judge made a brief summation, stating that he had heard the two sides in a clear and orderly
manner, and he would now retire to his chambers to consider the matter, and he would return to the
courtroom in a few minutes to render his decision. 

“Just as the judge left the courtroom, something totally amazing and unexpected took place. My wife,
the mother, suddenly got up and began to scream as i! f she had gone mad. She showered the most
violent curses upon me, our children’s Jewish teachers, the rabbanim, the judges, even the judge in the
adjacent chambers, and all the Jewish People. ‘It’s a pity that Hitler didn’t wipe you out!’ she shouted.
‘It’s a good thing that there are suicide bombers. We’ll destroy all the Jews!’ The Arab lawyers
desperately tried to calm her down. ‘This screaming will do you no good,’ they told her, but she merely
yelled with even greater intensity.

“In the meantime, the judge completed his deliberation, and then entered the courtroom to read the
verdict. He pounded his gavel and called for order, but that failed to stop the mother’s screaming and
cursing. Everyone was trying to calm the woman down, but to no avail. When things finally settled
down, the judge said: ‘At first, I wanted to rule in favor of the mother raising the children, as obligated
by law, but after what I just saw for myself in the past few minutes, I now realize ! quite clearly that her
mental state is both unstable and dangerous. I a! lso understand her distorted outlook on life – she’s
interesting in raising terrorists, not children. Therefore, I now hereby rule unequivocally that all the
children will remain in the custody of their father, and the mother has no basis to make any further
claim in this matter.’
“The mother and her five lawyers left the courtroom in utter shame, and I immediately started on my
way home.

“Some time later, outside the court, I received an unofficial message from the judge. ‘Your good fortune
shined upon you in the first round, and the children are with you – for the moment. However, there can
be no doubt that the battery of lawyers representing the mother will appeal this decision to a higher
court, and most likely they will win. Take my advice,’ the judge said, ‘use this time while you have a
court decision granting you custody of the children and leave the country together with them before
they can file for an appeal or a restraining order.’

“I took t! he judge’s advice,” the chassid said, as he concluded his story on that train platform in a
distant European city, “and I started to consider where I should take the children. I decided that we
would only go to a place where the children could receive a ‘Chabad education’. Since the Lubavitcher
Rebbe had saved them from forced conversion, it would be proper for them to go in the Rebbe’s path. I
chose to live in this city with Lubavitchers. All of my children are studying in the local Chabad
institutions, and even I catch a chassidus shiur every day with the local shliach.”

12

THE FOURTH LEG

by Shneur Zalman Berger

"I was born into a traditional family in Cholon," begins Mrs. Limor Hosenfed. "I did not have a religious
education since my mother decided to send her children to public school, but she gave us a religious
education at home.

As I was growing up, I had many questions and doubts about emuna, about mitzvos, and about various
Jewish values. Unfortunately though, I didn't find answers that satisfied me. When I asked why
something was done, the answer was so shallow, "Because that's what our ancestors did." I tried asking
my questions among the Litvishe groups who lived in Cholon, but they took the same approach. So it's
not surprising that I developed a distaste for Judaism in general and for charedim in particular.

I didn't want to renounce my faith just like that. I had sought answers but didn't find them. I looked into
other religions and discovered that ******ianity appealed to me. I especially liked the rituals. I visited
churches in Yerushalayim but it didn't satisfy me. I spoke at length with priests and asked them pointed
questions about their religion. They referred me to monasteries where I had long discussions with
monks.

My mother was not thrilled with my newfound interest, to say the least. She thought I was weird.
Needless to say my relationships with family members were not particularly strong, but I didn't see this
as a problem.

In the meantime I was drafted into the army. My four years of military service were exciting. I joined a
secret unit in the airforce which I enjoyed immensely and found very fulfilling. 

One night another female soldier and I went on a night flight far away where it was utterly deserted. We
went a long way and then realized we were lost. We could not figure out where we were and had no
radio. The area was very dangerous, especially at night. We were beginning to panic which is when my
Jewish spark woke up. I suddenly found myself turning to G-d and saying, "If you get me out of here, I'll
find the way back to You."

At that time I was very far from Judaism, but when a Jew reaches a certain point, he suddenly feels that
he has to turn to G-d and plead that He save him. That's how it was with me too.

We went a little further until we found our way. I remembered the promise I had made, but didn't know
how to fulfill it. As a first step, I dropped my interest and research into ******ianity, but I didn't know
where I was heading.

That very same week my little brother came home holding coins of Chabad wrapped in plastic. These
were coins that had been distributed to women who had committed to lighting Shabbos candles. I don't
know where he got them from. I noticed one word that was written there, "segula." I realized that these
coins could only be good for me. After some negotiations with my brother, I got the coins.

It said "Tzeirei Chabad" on the package, and I looked up their number and dialed it, asking what segula
these coins provided. The person who answered the phone laughed heartily and began telling me about
the Lubavitcher Rebbe who lives in New York. I blurted out, "And why doesn't he live in the land of the
Jewish people?" He didn't lose his cool. He just said, "Ask him."

I took him seriously and he gave me the Rebbe's address. That very day I wrote to the Rebbe and
expressed my surprise that he lived in America and not in Eretz Yisrael. Then I wrote some of the
questions I had in emuna.

I had no idea who the Rebbe was, but based on the description I had received, I knew he answered
everybody. In my letter I had said that I wanted to come back to the Creator of the World, which is why I
needed answers to my questions in Judaism.

A Chassid who receives a letter from the Rebbe is very excited, but when I got a letter, I was calm. I
didn't realize what it meant to receive a letter from the Rebbe. I read the answers and they resolved my
questions, but then I had many more questions. I figured the Rebbe was an old, knowledgeable Rabbi,
who out of the goodness of his heart answered whoever wrote to him.

I continued asking questions, and I received a letter each time. I really enjoyed my correspondence with
the Rebbe. To my great sorrow, much time has elapsed since then and I don't remember much of what
the Rebbe wrote. I didn't keep the letters, but I remember that one of the Rebbe's "complaints" against
me was: why did I accept scientific axioms while questioning and disagreeing with the axioms which the
Rebbe said in the name of Judaism. 

This approach dispelled a myth I had been living with for years. I had been studying science at the time,
and certain axioms were accepted as certainties by me. Suddenly I began to see that those axioms bore
no scientific proof, yet I challenged the axioms the Rebbe presented to me. I had a complete turnaround
in my thinking.

In one of the letters, the Rebbe wrote that it would be a good thing if I committed to at least one
mitzvah. Since our correspondence had gone on for so long, I felt obligated to do as the Rebbe asked.

At that time I went into a Judaica store where they suggested that I buy Sefer Ha'Chinuch which explains
every mitzvah. After studying the book, I decided to commit to what I considered an easy mitzvah, that
of tithing my money. This was in 5748 when I served as an officer in the airforce in Tel Aviv. As soon as I
received my salary, I set aside a tenth, but I didn't know who to give it to. I went for a walk and noticed a
sign which said "Chabad" on it.

It was the Chabad center of Tel Aviv. I went in and offered my maaser. I thought they'd look at me
strangely since I wasn't dressed appropriately, but Rabbi Gerlitzky welcomed me and heard about my
correspondence with the Rebbe. I could see that he found it hard to believe that I regularly received
mail from the Rebbe, and I didn't know why. Today I know that not everybody was privileged to receive
so many letters from the Rebbe, especially at that period of time. Today I'm really amazed when I look
back. I wonder how I, among thousands, deserved such a warm relationship with the Rebbe. 

From that point on, I continued to go to the Chabad center, and became more and more acquainted
with Judaism, thanks to Rabbi Yosef Gerlitzky and his wife Hinda.

At that time, I had a boyfriend by the name of Arik. I had gotten to know him from a student exchange
program which came to the school where I had studied in Cholon. The group he had been part of, came
from California. He was Jewish, from an assimilated family. Even after he returned home, I kept in touch
with him through letters and by phone. Each summer he came to Eretz Yisrael, and it was clear to us that
one day we would marry.

To tell you the truth, my interest in religion was not exactly to his liking. One day he asked me to decide
whether I was going to continue with Judaism or not, since my answer would mean either we were or
weren't going to get married!

This was the winter 5752. I wrote to the Rebbe and received an unusual answer. The Rebbe told me that
a Jewish home is like a table which stands on four legs. In the meantime, I had to ensure that there were
three legs, and these were the three mitzvos I had to observe: Shabbos, Kashrus, and Taharas
Ha'Mishpacha. As far as the fourth leg, the Rebbe said he would write me about that at a later point.

It wasn't easy for me to digest this order from the Rebbe. It was even harder to convince my future
husband to accept it. After much persuasion, Arik finally agreed to the three legs. He just made it clear
that when it came to our children's education, "Our children will go to public school and not to a
religious school, so they'll be educated like me." I agreed, since the Rebbe hadn't said anything about
that.

After we worked this out, I went back to Rabbi Gerlitzky who told me that I had to write to the Rebbe
and receive his bracha for our marriage. I sat down right then and there in the Chabad house and wrote
a letter with great emotion. I knew more about the Rebbe by then, and I asked, from the depths of my
heart, for a bracha for a good Jewish home. R' Gerlitzky sent it by fax, and I soon received a response,
the usual wedding letter. It was interesting that in the letter, the Rebbe wrote a date for the wedding, 17
Shevat, even though we hadn't made a final decision on a date.

My parents told me to go to the Rabbanut of Cholon in order to properly prepare for my wedding. At
the Rabbanut, I got to know Rabbi Mordechai Nachimovsky, a Chabad Chassid who was in charge of
guiding brides and grooms. Since then, he's been very close to us. 

As we prepared for our wedding, I also studied kashrut, the laws of Shabbos, and other subjects. Mrs.
Gerlitzky came to my aid. She studied with me and recommended many books which helped me
understand these laws.

The wedding took place when the Rebbe said it would - 17 Shevat. We moved to S. Diego where my
husband grew up. He worked as a lawyer in the field of computer science. I worked in marketing. We
grew closer to Chabad and Judaism in S. Diego. We went to shul every Shabbos and Yom Tov, although
my husband Arik always made sure to emphasize that he was only going to observe those fundamental
mitzvos of Shabbos, Kashrut, and Family Purity, and only out of respect to me, but that he himself didn't
believe in it.

This bothered me very much. I wrote to the Rebbe and the gist of the answer I got was not to let it
bother me.

***
3 Tamuz 5754. My husband told me that all the channels were talking about the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The
Rebbe disappeared. We can't see him. For me, this was a particularly difficult blow. If until 3 Tamuz, I felt
close to the Rebbe, from that point on, I felt as though something had been taken from me. I felt that I
no longer had any reason to live in America, when I couldn't physically connect with the Rebbe in any
case.

My husband and I moved back to Eretz Yisrael. We bought a home in the Kfar Gabirol neighborhood of
Rechovot. At that time, I continued wearing the clothes I was accustomed to wearing, and I didn't cover
my hair. I kept a number of mitzvos, especially the "three legs" the Rebbe had written about. I often
found myself thinking about the fact that the Rebbe had said he would write me and let me know what
the fourth leg was, but this hadn't happened and so how would I know what he meant?

It was only some time later that I realized how far-reaching the Rebbe's vision is, and that his ruach
ha'kodesh has no limitations of time and space or anything else.

Three years ago, in Tamuz, our third son was born. We named him Eitan Meir. He was cute, as all
children are, and all his medical examinations showed he was healthy. Then one day of Chanuka 5760,
we were at my parents in Cholon when I suddenly noticed little black and blue marks on his body, in a
number of places. At first I thought that his brothers, who were still young, had hit him without realizing
their strength, but when I took a good look, I saw this was something more serious.

We took him to the doctor and he sent us rushing to the Wolfson medical center. The doctors did a
blood test, and all of a sudden there was a great deal of commotion. Many nurses and doctors showed
up to see the baby with their own eyes. I realized good news was not in the offing. Tears came to my
eyes, but I didn't know how bad the situation actually was. After the tumult subsided, we entered the
doctor's office where he sadly explained that the baby had a rare disease which was a form of leukemia,
plus another illness. His condition was critical, and the treatment would be complicated and difficult
since generally, children this age did not fall prey to this disease. It's usually two years and older. In
addition, his immune system was compromised.

There are no words to describe how I felt, to describe the feelings of a mother whose baby is in critical
condition. I didn't know where to turn or what to do.

We consulted with top doctors. We went to Rabbi Elimelech Firer who refers the best doctors both in
Eretz Yisrael and abroad. We were told there was no cure. A top doctor in Texas who is the number one
doctor in this disease, explained why it didn't even pay to try and bring the baby to Texas, since he
wouldn't survive the flight.

We went through the seven levels of gehinnom. The baby received various treatments, chemotherapy
among others, but nothing helped. The situation was terrible. My husband despaired and said there was
nothing to do and that we had to anticipate the end. "There's no point in fighting anymore," he said
bitterly.

At that point, I realized that I had to speak to someone great, and this reminded me of eight years
earlier, back to the days when I had written to the Rebbe and received answers for everything I asked.
Like a good father who takes care of everything bothering his daughter.

I strengthened my mitzvah observance. I began covering my hair and I dressed modestly, but Eitan's
condition was still terrible.
One day I came across a brochure "Sichat Ha'Geula," where I read about being able to write to the
Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh. At first I didn't take it seriously, but after reading a number of miracle
stories, I decided to try it myself. I went to the office of the editor, Rabbi Zimroni Tzik in Bat Yam, and he
helped me write the letter. I told the Rebbe my baby was dying. Rebbe, help me!

The answer I opened to was about chinuch in Chabad schools. I had no idea how that related to my
question. I concluded that the Rebbe did not want to answer me.

Let's go back now to the moment, a few years ago, when we arrived in Eretz Yisrael. As I said, our home
was Kfar Gabirol in Rechovot. We got to know Rabbi Shlomo Mizrachi, a Lubavitcher Chassid and a
member of the city council, today rav of the neighborhood. He is a warm Chassidic Jew, and he helped
us on a number of occasions.

Our children got to know one another, with one of my children in gan together with a child from the
Mizrachi family (my husband agreed to allow our children to have a Torah education until age 6, at
which point they would enter elementary school). At the time that my baby got sick, our daily routine
had changed of course, and sometimes the children went to the homes of relatives. 

One day, a child from the Mizrachi family told his father that our son had disappeared from gan for a
few days. Rabbi Mizrachi called us and I told him what had been going on. He suggested that I write to
the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh.

I went to his house and I wrote to the Rebbe, but the answer I opened to was the same as the other
one, about chinuch in a Chabad school. "What does that have to with my baby's medical condition?" I
wondered.

Some more time passed, and Yedida, Rabbi Mizrachi's wife, told me that there is an Igros Kodesh center
in Rechovot which is run by Rabbi Hertzel Borochov. "Go to him and he will certainly be able to explain
what your answer means."

Rabbi Borochov suggested that I write again, and this time too, the third time, I opened to a letter which
spoke about chinuch in Chabad schools. The letter ended with the blessing that because of this, you
should merit the blessings of children, life, and livelihood.

Eitan my baby was critically ill, and for the third time, the Rebbe was talking about chinuch in Chabad
schools. That's when I "got it." I suddenly thought of the "fourth leg" the Rebbe said we'd discuss at a
later point. The fourth leg must be chinuch!

It wasn't easy, in the middle of the year, to transfer the children to Chabad schools, but Rabbi Mizrachi
who was a council member, helped us out, and the children switched schools. This was 17 Shevat, our
anniversary, the date the Rebbe had set.
Eitan was at home all this time. We took him to Tel Ha'Shomer hospital every so often for check-up's and
treatment. That day, he hemorrhaged. Since his immune system was shot, I rushed to bring him to the
hospital. I remember how on the way there, I began a dialogue with Hashem. "I did everything the
Rebbe told me to do. The table of my Jewish home now has four legs: Shabbos, Family Purity, Kashrut,
and now Chinuch too. None of the treatment is helping the boy. He suffers greatly as do we ..." I
continued to whisper my complaints and requests, saying that I just wanted my son to be healthy.
We arrived at the hospital and they immediately did blood tests, as usual. A doctor came over to me
some time later, and said in amazement, "Did they switch tests?"

"Why, what happened?"

"The results are good!" he said in incredulity.

I felt that I had to give the doctors time to digest the turn of events. I realized that a miracle had
happened, and that the Rebbe had give me Eitan as a gift.

After the exams and treatment, I took him home. The next day, I went back to the medical center. The
doctors explained that under the circumstances, they could try an experimental treatment that had
never been used by human beings, and maybe this would save him.

I asked for a few days to think it over. I did research and finally spoke to Rabbi Mordechai Nachimovsky.
He said this was a complicated halachic/medical question and that I had to ask rabbanim.

Rabbi Kanievsky asked me to make some hachlatos tovos and then said we could not experiment with
this treatment. The main thing was, he said, to daven and not to forget to invite him to his bar mitzvah
and wedding.

I knew that everything I did was based on what the Rebbe and the rabbanim had told me to do, so I
stopped all treatment. Eitan's appearance began to return to normal.

The signs I had gotten from the Rebbe hadn't ended yet. A few months later, in Nissan, I had a dream. I
saw the Rebbe approaching me and giving me the afikoman. I told Yedida Mizrachi about the dream,
and she said that matzah is "food of healing."

I felt that my prayers had been answered. In the morning I told my husband that our son was perfectly
healthy. I went to Tel Ha'Shomer and asked them to thoroughly examine Eitan. The doctors could not
believe the results. "The child is fine! It's a spontaneous remission," they announced excitedly.

I said it wasn't a spontaneous remission, but a bracha from the Lubavitcher Rebbe which began before I
got married and ended that day, the day the doctors officially announced that Eitan was well.
***
Limor is a Chabadnikit. Her children attend Chabad schools in Rechovot, and she gives classes in Family
Purity. Her husband realized that these were miracles, and he also became a baal teshuva. Today, the
two of them help spread the wellsprings in their neighborhood.

Limor publicizes the miracle of the Rebbe, and about his letters, his ruach ha'kodesh, his answer through
the Igros Kodesh, and the dream.