A Purim Blessing and a Match Made in Heaven

Rabbi Avraham Chaim Roth, whose yahrzeit (anniversary of passing) is on the 5th of Elul, was still a young man when he began leading the community after the passing of his father, Rabbi Aharon, the author of Shomer Emunim. Even at a young age, he had deep, almost hidden connections with the great Torah sages of the generation. It was widely known that a blessing or promise from his lips held special power. He, however, always attributed everything to strong emunah (faith) and trust in Hashem’s divine plan.

At that time, a fine young man served as an attendant to the Rebbe. He had reached the age for marriage and would occasionally remind the Rebbe of his hope to find a shidduch (match). The Rebbe always gave him heartfelt blessings.

Purim was a particularly meaningful day for the Rebbe, a time filled with joy, holiness, and mercy, and a moment when he offered special prayers for those in need. That winter, the young attendant made a quiet decision in his heart: on the upcoming Purim, at the Rebbe’s tish (festive table gathering), he would not leave without receiving an explicit promise that his match would come soon.

Purim arrived, and the atmosphere around the Rebbe’s table was filled with happiness and awe. The Rebbe was joyful in the way the day calls for. The young man approached with both reverence and hope and spoke his name out loud to request a blessing.

In response, to everyone’s shock, the Rebbe suddenly gave him a loud, stinging slap across the face.

The room froze for a moment. Then, people nearby smiled knowingly. The young man remembered what he already knew: a slap from the Rebbe was considered a hidden sign of certain salvation. His heart lifted even more when the Rebbe looked at him and said three simple but powerful words:

"This year, you'll be a groom."

But as the year passed, there was no sign of a match. Days turned to months, and still nothing happened. As winter came to a close, so too did the time frame for the promise. Soon it would be Purim again.

That year was a leap year, which meant there were two months of Adar, Adar Aleph and Adar Bet. As the first Adar began, and Purim Katan (Small Purim, which falls on the 14th of Adar Aleph) approached, the young man gathered his courage and gently asked the Rebbe about the promise.

"Yes," the Rebbe said immediately, with no hesitation, "when a promise is made, it must be kept."

The next morning, on the 14th of Adar Aleph, the Rebbe called the young man and said something unexpected:

"We're going on a journey together. Bring cookies and a bottle of whiskey for l’chaim, for your engagement celebration, with blessings for good fortune."

The young man was stunned. He knew the Rebbe planned to travel to Tiberias. But how did this have anything to do with his engagement? No one had contacted him about a possible match. And to make things even more mysterious, it seemed the Rebbe himself didn’t know of a specific young woman. So why bring cookies and whiskey?

Their trip was long and winding. From Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, then Tel Aviv to Haifa, and finally to Tiberias traveling by shared taxis and buses along the way. After morning prayers, they set out. In Tel Aviv, they stopped at the home of Rabbi Yaakov Schechter, a wealthy friend of the Rebbe, to rest before continuing.

As they arrived and stepped out of the taxi near Rabbi Schechter’s home, a woman happened to pass by. The moment she saw the Rebbe’s face, she recognized his holiness. She quickly approached the young attendant and asked if she could speak with the Rebbe. She was invited inside.

She explained that she had a daughter of marriageable age who had not yet found her match. This had been weighing heavily on her for some time.

"And what do you think of this young man who spoke with me just now?" the Rebbe asked her.

"He looks like a wonderful match," the woman answered without hesitation. "He would be perfect for our family."

The Rebbe was deeply moved. Clearly, this was from Heaven. That day marked the very end of the year since his promise on Purim. A meeting was arranged. The young man and woman met and both agreed immediately.

The groom’s family, who lived in Bnei Brak, quickly arrived. The cookies and whiskey had already been packed that morning. And for a full hour, the air filled with the sounds of joyful "Mazal Tov!"

Later, the Rebbe called his home in Jerusalem and informed the Rebbetzin that the young man had just become engaged. She was astonished. By her calculation, the Rebbe hadn’t even reached Tiberias yet, so how had he managed to arrange a shidduch on the way?

The following day, the Rebbe called the young groom and shared something important:

"Yesterday, on Small Purim, was my birthday. The holy books teach that a person’s birthday is a time of unique spiritual power. On that day, a Jew can accomplish things that at other times might not be possible. I set aside the personal requests I had for myself and prayed for you instead so I could fulfill what I promised you: 'You shall observe what has gone out from your lips.'"

Today, large crowds from all backgrounds travel to Rabbi Avraham Chaim Roth’s grave on the Mount of Olives every year on his yahrzeit. It’s not just tradition. He promised to continue helping those who pray at his grave after his passing just as he did with such kindness and holiness during his life.