Rabbi and Mrs. Hertzel and Chagit Borochov are known to many, thanks to their Merkaz Igros Kodesh that they’ve been operating for years.
The Borochovs have numerous miracle stories to tell.
Rina, the heroine of our story, knows where to go whenever a problem crops up. Chagit will always welcome her graciously and together they will write to the Rebbe.
Rina has seen miracles more than once. She shares three of them that happened to her:
The first miracle that happened to me through the Igros Kodesh was my shidduch. Many years ago, when I was in my late twenties, I wrote to the Rebbe through the Igros Kodesh and asked for a bracha to get married soon. The Rebbe’s answer was to check the mezuzos of my home.
I checked all the mezuzos and they were all kosher. A long time passed and I was still waiting to get married.
When fourteen years passed and I was forty years old and still single, I met Mrs. Borochov. I told her what was on my mind and said, “I did what the Rebbe said. I checked all the mezuzos and they are kosher. So many years passed and I still haven’t met my husband. Maybe there was a mistake?”
Chagit did not accept that. “The Rebbe does not make a mistake,” she said. “You must be missing a mezuza. I will come to your house and we will check.”
Mrs. Borochov came to my house and walked all around, looking at the doorposts. She came to a small doorway and said, “There is no mezuza here!”
I was stunned. I didn’t know a mezuza had to be placed in this doorway. I did not delay but immediately bought a mezuza and put it up. Two months passed and I met my husband and we married.
Now for the second miracle.
Boruch Hashem, even though I was not young, I gave birth to three sons, two of whom are twins. When I learned that I was expecting twins, I had to be regularly monitored by doctors.
At one exam, the doctors discovered a serious problem with the twins and they said that they were not viable. I was devastated. Then I remembered Chagit.
Together, we wrote to the Rebbe about the serious problem with the twins and the bleak prognosis of the doctors. The Rebbe’s answer was: may there be good news and that everything would be all right.
We strengthened our trust in Hashem and continued as usual, even though the doctors said otherwise. Boruch Hashem, I gave birth to healthy twin boys. The joy and excitement cannot be described. The Rebbe saved our babies!
The third miracle happened with my mother. My mother has a heart condition and she underwent two complicated operations that saved her life. Her health wasn’t good and she had to undergo a third heart operation. It was a very complicated surgery and the doctors feared for her life. She was not young and the operation was dangerous.
This time too, we did nothing without asking the Rebbe. Together with Chagit, I wrote to the Rebbe about my mother’s health. The answer I opened to said to check the Sefer Torah. I immediately realized what this meant. Not long before, we had had a Torah written as a merit for my father. The Rebbe said to check the Torah; maybe there was a problem with it.
I immediately contacted the shul and asked for the Torah and with Mrs. Borochov’s guidance, I went to Bnei Brak to a place that checks Sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzos.
I told the man there, “I want to check this Torah as quickly as possible. My mother needs to undergo a dangerous operation and the Lubavitcher Rebbe said to check the Sefer Torah.” The man said he would do it.
“It will cost $1200,” he said. I wasn’t put off by the cost; my mother’s life was at stake.
I was in touch with him daily. “Listen, there’s a problem with this Torah,” he said after he began checking it. “It is pasul!”
I was shocked.
“Please fix it as quickly as possible,” I urged him.
“Fine, but it will cost you more than I told you. The price is $1800. It’s a complicated correction and I need to have experts work on it.”
“That’s fine, whatever it costs,” I told him. “Just do it as soon as possible. My mother’s life is in danger and she is waiting for an urgent operation.”
The sofrim worked on fixing the Torah and soon it was ready to be returned to the shul in perfect condition. Needless to say, the operation was a success, miraculously so. If we weren’t aware of how miraculous it was, the doctors made sure to tell us.
A month later, I went with my mother to the hospital for a checkup. When the doctor saw her looking well he said, “You should know that there was a big miracle here. I tell the story about your mother at medical conferences.”
I told Chagit about the big miracle and she said, “You need to give the Rebbe the good news.” We wrote to the Rebbe and were amazed to see the answer we opened to which began with the words, “After the operation was a success …”
“How wonderful it is that we have the Rebbe to guide us,” concluded Rina. “We can be confident and calm that we have whom to rely on.” ■