THE WONDER TORAH SCROLLS

The following story began in Mezhibuzh and continues until this very day; it still isn’t over. * R’ Yosef Yitzchok Lieder, one of the prominent shluchim in Rishon L’Tziyon, along with his wife Chava, tell of miracles that people experienced after buying pages in the “wonder Torah scroll.”

By Yaron Tzvi

This story is truly a “Baalshemske maaseh” of our times. As I write, the miracles are still taking place and it is still possible to take part in this “healing campaign” that began two years ago in Adar.

R’ YY Lieder, who started the second Chabad House in Holon in 5739, is now a shliach in Rishon L’Tziyon in the area of Kiryat Kaliv. He gives numerous shiurim, holds a large weekly kabbalas Shabbos for mekuravim, works with kids at risk and conducts numerous other activities. His wife Chavi is also very active and gives Tanya classes, lectures, and leads workshops. She worked as a teacher and mechaneches in Holon for over thirty years and is now active with mekuravim. R’ Lieder is also known by many for his weekly farbrengens which he leads in 770 in Kfar Chabad on Thursday nights.

In the past two years, he has become known for his involvement in the writing of a wondrous Torah scroll, as he relates:

Two years ago, my nephew, then fourteen, became sick with cancer. The doctors forgot that Hashem only gave them permission to heal, and not to cause people to despair. They did not sound optimistic about his condition. The family was in shock and I began to think about what I could do. As a chassid of the Rebbe, I immediately wrote to the Rebbe and asked for a bracha. The letter I opened to in the Igros Kodesh was addressed to “our brothers, the Jewish people who are settling in Nachalat Har Chabad among the immigrants settling our holy land, may it be built and established speedily in our days.” It was dated, “the day after Shabbos HaGadol, 11 Nissan 5728.” The Rebbe wrote, “surely the two Sifrei Torah that were sent from here already arrived and were received,” and the Rebbe included the contents of a letter from the Rebbe Rayatz when he sent a Torah to new settlers in Kfar Chabad in 5709.

When I read this, I got an idea. That week, I held my weekly farbrengen in the small zal in 770 in Kfar Chabad. I invited R’ MM Roth from Beitar to farbreng. In incredible divine providence, and without his knowing about my personal matter, he repeated a story connected with a Torah scroll written upon the Baal Shem Tov’s advice in order to bring about salvation in a certain health matter. This story gave the “push” for the initiative that was taken in Beitar Ilit to write a Torah when a number of people had become sick.

After all the events of that day, the Rebbe’s letter, and then the moving story, I decided to write two Sifrei Torah as the Rebbe had mentioned in the letter, and to dedicate them to the healing of my nephew and for all those who needed yeshuos and would take part in the expenses. I got up and announced this at the farbrengen.

From the way things unfolded, I very soon realized that we had begun an astonishing G-dly process of miraculous salvation.

I thought of how we could move forward as fast as possible, for my nephew needed salvation urgently. It occurred to me that since the Rebbe mentioned two Sifrei Torah, we would offer the possibility of buying two columns in the Seifer Torah. I also decided to make a raffle for a dollar from the Rebbe to whoever bought one full page and another raffle to win the right to choose where the Torah scroll should be lodged for whoever bought two pages.

In order to speed things up, I decided to look for a Torah that was already in the middle of being written. I came across an ad in the local newsletter of Kfar Chabad about a Torah like this. I made inquiries and found out that the scribe was a G-d fearing person from Anash of Tzfas, experienced in writing Sifrei Torah for Chabad Houses. He had begun writing a Torah upon the advice of his mashpia even before he had a buyer. He did it with faith that a customer would come. And I had come! I explained my reason and he said that he was up to page 190 and that would seem to symbolize the keitz (end, numerically equivalent to 190) of evil decrees for those who took part. He also noted that he had gotten up to Parshas Pinchas to the page where it tells about the plague that was stopped in the merit of incense.

The first medical miracle happened Pesach time, right after we closed the deal with the scribe. My nephew was completely healed of a disease the doctors called fatal. It was an incredible miracle that was publicized and many people began buying letters and pages in the Torah scroll.

More miracles began to occur. There was a Lubavitcher from the center of the country whose wife was sick with cancer and was in critical condition. The doctors had lost hope. He heard about us and about a year ago he participated, and then he called to tell me that his wife was healed!

Mrs. Lieder, who takes care of the logistics and contacts with donors, also has stories to tell:

“The son of one of our mekuravim suffered from emotional problems and wasn’t functioning. He dressed strangely and slowly stopped leaving the house and having anything to do with others. They tried many treatments but nothing helped. They then bought two pages in the Torah scroll. After a while, I heard from his mother that he was functioning again and he is now running one of the stores in the family chain.

“Another story happened through R’ Ziv Katzbi, shliach in Ramat HaSharon and a known lecturer. At the dinner we made last year in Holon, he said he had a tumor in his throat and he also took part in the Torah. His problem also disappeared in a completely miraculous way.

“Another medical miracle that must be told happened with Rabbi Haroush of Kfar Truman, who had the privilege of the Torah scroll leaving from his house and being brought to the shul in his Kfar. R’ Binyamin Haroush suffered greatly from a problem with his pinkie which began eight years ago. He had a growth on it and he underwent many treatments and surgery until they nearly amputated it. His hand was also nearly paralyzed. He spent entire nights in a fog of painkillers and was in great pain. He heard about us when we made a dinner to get donors for the Torah scroll. He bought Parshas ha’man, which is known for its segulos, and another parsha. Then he went to a top doctor who performed a simple operation and the problem disappeared. It was extraordinary! He also won the raffle to bring the first Torah to Kfar Truman.

“When his name was chosen, we wondered why the Torah would be brought to Kfar Truman of all places. We knew there had to be special significance to this. I called Mrs. Haroush and asked her why she thought they won. She said that over the past year there were many people in Kfar Truman who were sick with cancer; some of whom had died. Maybe the Torah needed to be brought there because there were many people who needed a refua.

“It’s unbelievable. We keep hearing more stories about medical salvation and other saves. More people are interested in taking part in the second Torah. Buying a portion in this Torah scroll is a means for refua and yeshua. Anash and mekuravim from a number of countries have taken part and I am sure that more yeshuos are taking place and that there is much rejoicing in heaven.”