A Miracle Through Mezuzah: A Family's Journey

If you meet Lior Haim during one of his journeys in northern Israel, you can be almost certain he's engaged in his "mezuzah activity": transporting mezuzot for inspection, buying new ones, and mainly raising awareness about the importance of the mezuzah in every possible way.

"I am a simple man, living in the Akko area since I was a child," he says. "There are people far more righteous and greater than me, but when it comes to mezuzahs, I simply cannot give up this opportunity. Anyone who reaches out to me and asks for a mezuzah receives an immediate response."

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The Doctors Were Stunned

Lior's unique work follows an emotional family story that took place over 40 years ago: Lior was six years old when his three-year-old sister complained of severe back pain—a rare complaint for a young child, ringing alarm bells for their parents, who rushed her to the doctor for a checkup.

The pediatrician referred them to a more senior doctor, and when he too found nothing, she was admitted to Rambam Hospital, where the devastating news was revealed: the young girl was suffering from a severe, malignant illness. "Our lives turned upside down from that moment," recalls Lior. "My sister was hospitalized, my parents split their time between being with her and being with us other kids at home, and they seized every free moment to seek blessings from great rabbis."

Lior notes that his parents were not religious at that time, but when his sister fell ill, it became clear to them that the doctors, with their grim predictions, weren't the ones who could save her—only Hashem could. They also realized that the best emissaries to advocate for them would be the rabbis and scholars.

"My parents even went to the Rebbe of Lubavitch in New York," he shares, "and when they asked for his blessing, the Rebbe didn't ask questions but told them: 'All the mezuzahs in your home are invalid. You need to replace them, and with Hashem's help, everything will be fine.'"

Lior gets emotional as he recalls how his parents immediately replaced all the mezuzahs in the home. Soon after, during a complex 14-hour surgery, the astonished doctors announced the girl was cancer-free, despite the severe prognosis. After a year of illness, she left the hospital, and the disease never returned.

The Rebbe of Lubavitch

Life Changes

Although Lior was a young child back then, he vividly remembers the period that followed. "My parents became unequivocally religious, our entire family began keeping Shabbat, and we were sent to religious schools. It was a confusing time for me, initially marked by a year where we hardly saw our parents and stayed with relatives. Suddenly, our parents returned, but our world had changed—our home's very essence had shifted."

Did you find it difficult?

"No, there was immense joy in the home because we got to keep my sister alive, and that simply affected us all positively. Our lives changed, but only for the better."

The profound impact of the story is evident even today, as Lior dedicates himself to promoting the significance of mezuzah inspections. "Whenever I hear of someone with issues related to their mezuzahs, I advise them to check them, and often I drive to personally deliver them for inspection. It always gives me chills when I hear stories of incorrectly written mezuzahs found and miracles happening after replacements—people's lives changing, receiving blessings and answered prayers."

"I have a good friend who moved into a new home. I recommended he check the mezuzahs, and to my surprise, he said: 'I don't have any mezuzahs at all.' Right then, I told him: 'My gift to you for moving is a set of mezuzahs.' In another case, I advised a dear friend battling a serious illness to check his mezuzahs. It turned out that all of them were invalid. After replacing the mezuzahs, he recovered completely, although at one point the doctors gave him only five days to live."

Who are the people you mostly support in this area?

"Everyone—both secular and religious. I live in northern Israel, especially now, during a time of conflict, with many displaced people moving homes without always considering the mezuzahs. I am passionate about raising awareness so people don’t go a single night in their homes without a mezuzah. It's our daily connection to Hashem and our protection."

Do you have an estimate of how many such cases you've handled?

"I've been involved in this for decades, and I've managed over 1,000 cases. Professionally, I'm in high-tech, but because I have a special child with arthritis at home, I make numerous trips across the country, using them to transport mezuzahs for inspection. All of this is done with the blessing of my rabbi, Rabbi Eliyahu Vaknin, who also writes the mezuzahs. We are both thrilled to help the community and invite anyone interested in strengthening their observance to reach out to us. With Hashem’s help, we’ll be happy to assist."