A Shabbat Story: A Rabbi’s Blessing, a Family’s Miracle

“My wife has a serious medical issue,” a successful businessman confided to a young rabbi. “She’s had one miscarriage after another. We already have three daughters, but my heart longs for a son.”

That young rabbi was none other than Rabbi Moshe Levi, a Torah legennd, author of the Menuchat Ahava series and many other sefarim (holy books), and one of the heads of the “Kisei Rachamim” yeshiva in Bnei Brak. Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef once described him as “my spiritual heir after 120 years.” Sadly, we were not privileged to see that future unfold, as Rabbi Moshe was taken from us at a young age in 2001, after enduring much suffering. His yahrzeit is on the 11th of Cheshvan.

Before this conversation with Rabbi Moshe, the businessman had already merited doing a good deed. He lent his car to Rabbi Chaim Rabbi shlit”a so the rabbi could travel to receive a blessing from Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. While at the home of Rabbi Ovadia, Rabbi Chaim asked for a blessing for the man who had helped him. Rabbi Ovadia blessed him and wrote on a note: “May he merit sons, holy and healthy children.”

Still troubled, the businessman shared his situation with Rabbi Moshe.

Rabbi Moshe encouraged him with deep warmth: “Tell your wife not to be afraid. From now on, everything will go smoothly. With Hashem’s help, the birth will be easy and safe.”

Some time later, the man happily informed Rabbi Moshe that, thank God, the difficult stage had passed, and they were now waiting for the birth. His wife was even scheduled for a checkup that day with a well-known specialist.

As they returned from Rabbi Moshe’s class, the rabbi turned to him with a big smile and said, “You’re in for a surprise.”

Seeing his confusion, Rabbi Moshe added, “You will have three children. On one condition, that you name them after our holy forefathers: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.”

Right in the middle of that conversation, the man’s wife called. “Come home quickly,” she said. When he arrived, she greeted him with a big smile. “I just came back from the professor,” she said, “and the checkup went beautifully.” She paused for dramatic effect, but before she could continue, he said, “I know already, we’re having three sons.”

She stared at him in shock. “I told the professor not to tell you! I wanted it to be a surprise! That’s really not nice of him!”

He reassured her that the professor had told him nothing. “I heard it from Rabbi Moshe Levi,” he explained.

His wife was deeply moved. “If the rabbi has such spiritual strength,” she said, “then I accept his condition. We’ll name them as he asked, and from now on, I’ll do whatever he tells us.”

Throughout the pregnancy, there were some scares due to bleeding, but Rabbi Moshe continued to reassure them, promising that everything would be fine and the birth would be smooth and natural.

When the time came, they arrived at the hospital late in the evening. Even though everything seemed fine, the doctors decided not to take any risks, after all, it was triplets and wanted to perform a C-section. The man immediately called Rabbi Moshe to ask for his opinion.

“There’s no need,” said the rabbi. “The doctors themselves will agree that the birth will go smoothly and naturally.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

At the brit (circumcision ceremony) for the triplets, the father honored Rabbi Moshe Levi by asking him to be the sandek (the one who holds the baby during the brit). After the ceremony, a senior doctor came over to the rabbi with tears in his eyes.

“I’m not a religious man,” the doctor said, “but I have to say I saw a miracle with my own eyes.”