SO THAT YOUR DAYS ARE EXTENDED

The phone rang in Rabbi Hertzl Borochov’s office. A frightened voice said, “Hello, this is Dorit Sasson, the sister of Officer Yoel Sasson who was critically injured.”

“What happened?” asked R’ Borochov.

“My brother, an army officer, took part in a military operation last week in the course of which he led a convoy of tanks. He was in the first tank. It was dark and suddenly, the tank fell into a hole that was covered with sand.

“The tank overturned and my brother, who was in the turret and hadn’t gone inside the tank, was crushed.”

R’ Borochov listened sadly to the details of the accident. He immediately understood why she had called him. R’ Borochov is a shliach in Rechovot and he runs an Igros Kodesh Center. Many people contact him for help in writing to the Rebbe. He has witnessed many miracles of the Rebbe.

“I heard that it is possible to write to the Rebbe with your help. Please, help me. My brother is in the ICU and the doctors are not optimistic.”

R’ Borochov asked, “Please give me your mother’s name since, when you write to the Rebbe, it is customary to write the full name along with the name of the mother.” He added, “Under normal circumstances, I would ask you to tell your brother about writing to the Rebbe and urge him to make a good resolution as a vessel for the bracha but, in this case, we cannot wait.”

Mrs. Borochov, who was there, took the woman’s information and said they would be in touch.

R’ Borochov then sat down to write a letter to the Rebbe. When he opened the Igros Kodesh, he saw the words, “I will mention it at the tziyun.”

He knew that these words contain a bracha, for the Rebbe’s prayers at the gravesite of the Rebbe Rayatz were effective.

Without waiting, Mrs. Borochov called Dorit back.

“Dorit,” she said confidently, “the Rebbe promises to pray for your brother. You can be sure that his prayers will be accepted. Now, my husband would like to talk to you.” She handed the phone to him.

“It is important that we check the mezuzos of your brother’s house,” he said. He explained the significance of mezuzos as a protection for those who dwell in the house. Dorit invited the rav to come to their house and take the mezuzos to be checked.

How surprised they were when one of the mezuzos was found to be pasul. The foot of the letter mem in the word “yimeichem” in the verse “so that your days increase,” was missing!

R’ Borochov arranged for a replacement mezuza. He also brought a Chitas and a pushka and asked the family to put them in the bed of the injured man who had been unconscious since the accident.

The next morning, an excited Dorit called and said, “Last night, I was in my brother’s room at the hospital and the doctor said there is a chance Yoel will recover but we don’t know how long it will take till he regains consciousness. If it doesn’t happen in the next few days, they would transfer him to a department where unconscious people lay.

“I was very frightened. What would be? What about the Rebbe’s bracha? Suddenly, at dawn, my brother opened his eyes and began to speak. He did not know where he was. I was ecstatic. I explained to him about the accident and that he was in the hospital. I told him that we wrote to the Rebbe and had checked the mezuzos at home.

“My brother asked me questions that made sense and I saw that his mind had not been affected, thank G-d!”

R’ Borochov was thrilled to hear the update. Hearing about the miracle wasn’t enough for him; he also went to the hospital to meet the living miracle.

When he arrived, he saw the young man sitting up in bed, alert and talking. Around him sat his family who were all smiling.

“I am Rabbi Borochov,” he said, introducing himself and shaking the hands of father and son.

“You saved us! There are no words to thank you!” they chorused.

But R’ Borochov did not accept the thanks for himself. “The thanks are for G-d and His emissary, the Rebbe Melech Ha’Moshiach.”

Yoel pointed under his eye which was swollen and said, “Then allow me to ask for another bracha.

“The doctors see in the X-ray that there is a swelling and they are afraid I will lose my vision in this eye. Please ask the Rebbe for a bracha for me.”

R’ Borochov was happy to do so and Dorit went to his house to write to the Rebbe. She committed to lighting Shabbos candles and after proclaiming Yechi, she put her request into a volume of Igros Kodesh. The letter she opened to in volume 21, pages 118-119 had the date of 3 Shevat, her birthday. In both letters there was a bracha for a refuah shleima.

You probably know the end of the story. The treatment that the doctors tried was successful and the swelling went down. A short time later, Yoel was transferred to a military rehab for continued treatment where his condition improved.

Then, the mother, Chana Sasson, gave the Rebbe good news, as the Rebbe requested, that we not only inform him of problems. She thanked the Rebbe and wrote about the good resolutions they had committed to, thanks to the great miracle, and expressed her request that the swelling heal completely.

The Rebbe’s answer was “an improvement in health.”

The next Shabbos, the family held a thanksgiving meal in the Chazon Yechezkel shul in Rechovot. The family plus friends and others attended. People wanted to see the big miracle for themselves, how Yoel had emerged intact from an accident in which he had been crushed by a tank weighing fifty tons!

They all heard Rabbi Borochov speak about miracles of the Rebbe MH”M and ways to contact him and be blessed by him even today.■