From Years of Waiting to a Miraculous Match: A Story of Faith and Divine Providence

“Twenty-two years have passed since my story,” says Anat Mana, now in her early fifties, happily married and a mother of three. “And yet every single year, precisely on Lag BaOmer, it all comes back to me.”

When Anat speaks about “her story,” she is referring to the almost unbelievable story of how she met her husband — a match that came when she was nearly thirty, after years filled with attempts and disappointments. Afraid she might never marry, she then experienced a moment of divine providence so powerful that it still brings her to tears, compelling her to retell the story year after year.

Prayer Without Pause

“It was Rosh Chodesh Shevat,” she recalls. “I had just returned from yet another unsuccessful date — one of countless meetings that led nowhere. I was exhausted and deeply disappointed. I called the rabbi who was guiding me at the time and cried to him: ‘What will be with me? I want so badly to get married, to build a home, to have children — and it feels like I have no chance. This is the hardest period of my life.’

“To this day I remember his calm, reassuring response: ‘The Creator made the world in seven days and can easily send you your match. Nothing can delay it — only that the right time has not yet arrived.’

“Those words strengthened me greatly,” Anat says. “Then the rabbi added: *‘If the Creator wills it, this will happen within the coming year. Therefore, on the upcoming Purim holiday, I recommend that you go pray at the grave of a righteous person for the entire day. This is a special time of divine favor, your opportunity to focus exclusively on prayer for your match. Purim is likened to Yom Kippur — on that day, direct all your prayers toward finding your soulmate.’”

Choosing Where to Pray

The conversation took place on Rosh Chodesh Shevat, but Anat immediately resolved to follow the rabbi’s advice on Purim. “I wasn’t sure which righteous person’s grave to visit,” she says. “Then, exactly a week before Purim, a childhood friend told me she was in mourning for her mother. Because of that, she didn’t want to celebrate Purim with family and planned instead to go pray at the grave of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

“Truthfully, I had never been to Rabbi Shimon’s grave before. But the moment she told me, I said to her on the spot: ‘I’m coming with you.’”

“Rabbi Shimon Is Worth Relying On”

Anat becomes emotional as she describes the sense of divine orchestration. “On the entire drive to Meron, my friend told me about the wonders of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, about the many spiritual merits of praying at his grave, and about the well-known saying: ‘Rabbi Shimon is worthy to be relied upon in times of distress.’ Even then, I felt strongly that I was about to witness miracles. When we arrived at the site, I felt chills — I was deeply moved by the moment.”

They stayed in Meron for three days: the Fast of Esther, the 14th of Adar, and the 15th of Adar. “During those days, I barely left my chair,” Anat testifies. “I would step away only to fulfill the mitzvot of the day, then immediately return to pray. I was completely immersed, feeling as though it was just me and the Creator — nothing separating us.

“I had plenty of time, and I prayed in detail for everything I hoped my future husband would be. I begged to merit marriage soon. I also made one additional request that was extremely important to me: ‘Please,’ I cried, ‘let my match come through someone who truly knows me — not just someone throwing out names and suggestions.’ This mattered deeply to me because I had been hurt many times by matchmakers who suggested people without knowing me at all.

“Not long afterward, as we stepped out of the site, my friend suddenly remembered a particular man she knew and felt could be a very good match for me. We laughed and joked that maybe my match was starting right then and there — but we didn’t seriously think so. We continued praying, and on the final day, I found it genuinely difficult to leave. I felt such a powerful light there; it was hard to go. I told my friend, ‘I feel like I’m leaving here as a bride.’ She answered, ‘Yes, you are a bride,’ reminding me again of her suggestion.”

From Prayer to Reality

On the surface, the match seemed unsuitable — both because of the age difference and other reasons. “But my friend insisted and did all the necessary work,” Anat says. “That’s how she brought about the match between me and my husband. A few months later, we were engaged, and within that same year we were married.

“Since then, we return to Meron often, to give thanks, to pray, and to ask. We even celebrated our son’s chalakah (haircutting) there, at Rabbi Shimon’s grave. Every time I go back, the same feeling grows stronger within me: ‘Rabbi Shimon is truly worth relying on.’ My story is the proof.”