From a Dream to a Double Miracle and a Night of Gratitude

Gita Gatnyo invited Rebbetzin Hagit Shira for a home gathering after her own miraculous deliverance, which is a story worth telling.

"Two months before the Second Lebanon War, I had a dream where an older woman came to me, giving me a note that I received at the mikvah before my wedding," she recounts. "I went to my mother to ask about this dream. She said, 'You need to go to the mikvah.' I replied, 'I'm 50 years old, why do I need to go to the mikvah?' but she insisted, 'Go to the mikvah!'

"So I decided to do it. I went to the mikvah twice, and the second time I also visited Rabbi Elazar Abuhatzeira, may his memory be blessed.

"On the last Shabbat of the Second Lebanon War, on August 12th at 9:00 AM, two officers knocked on our door in Be'er Sheva, telling me that my son was critically injured and I needed to come to Rambam Hospital with them immediately. Of course, I took my Book of Psalms with me, reading continuously, giving charity, and lighting candles, constantly talking to Hashem. By the time I arrived at the hospital, my son had already undergone surgery. By true miracles, thank God, he was fine and recovered well. That was the first miracle."

The second miracle came less than 12 hours later. "Suddenly, a young woman approached us, asking if my son was alive. Talking to her, we discovered that she was a volunteer at MDA, and she was the one who took him from the helicopter. She spoke to the doctors, insisted on keeping him awake, and ensured he received treatment. Today, she is his wife, and they have three children."

One day, Gita asked her son, "What were you thinking about then, during the war, when you were injured?" He told her he was thinking about how he hadn't even gotten married yet.

"After my son recovered and got married, I invited Rebbetzin Hagit Shira to a thanksgiving evening. I asked her to bless the couple, and also my daughter, as both my daughter and daughter-in-law were pregnant at the time. Today, as mentioned, my son has three children.

"Since this story, my husband and I have embraced Torah and mitzvot, and we have passed this on – my daughters and daughters-in-law are committed to maintaining family purity and regularly going to the mikvah," Gita concludes her touching story.

From the Department of Home Gatherings and Challah Baking – for bookings: Tel 073-2221290, Email aviva@htv.co.il