Retiree Discovers He's Won a Whopping 52 Million: What Took Him a Week to Claim It?

How does divine providence work in the world? This story seems like a perfect example that "what is meant for you will find its way to you": A retiree won an enormous prize of 52 million shekels in the Double Lotto over a week ago.

"I've always felt that someday I would win a significant prize in the lottery," the retiree excitedly told representatives from Mifal HaPayis, who were thrilled alongside him. "I've been in the habit of submitting a ticket only when there's a high prize, and my numbers have no special meaning. I let the machine choose for me."

The representatives from Mifal HaPayis asked him how he discovered he was the winner, and the retiree tearfully recounted that it was a day of running errands and doing routine things. When he returned home, he decided to visit the Mifal HaPayis website to check the winning numbers, and then realized that the ticket he held was the winner of the grand prize. "The first thing I did was call my wife," the retiree shared. "I was very excited to tell her that we were the winners, and she was very excited too. We checked the ticket again together and decided to wait before going to Mifal HaPayis itself—to process the win. We weren't entirely sure how much we won. Even now, it's hard for us to comprehend."

The emotional retiree also shared that he and his wife will dedicate the money to their children and grandchildren and will continue to live a modest lifestyle. "We don't think we'll change our lifestyle habits. We love our simple and thoughtful way of living as it is, and this year our kids will receive slightly more expensive and respectable Chanukah gifts."