From the Depths of Danger, I Felt Hashem's Embrace

My miracle happened seven and a half years ago, not far from my home. I was driving through my own city in a large 9-seater Toyota Hiace, on a quiet Elul afternoon, near the end of summer.

At a certain point on the road, there was a split, one way continued straight, and the other curved sharply downward. I saw that roadwork had been done and water was leaking down the sidewalk, flooding the slope with oily, foamy water. I was extremely careful not to drive through it, but Hashem had other plans. My right wheel touched the water, and in an instant, the car lost control. It veered off the road, knocked down an iron fence like it was made of bamboo, crossed a steep 90-degree drop, rolled over the security path and then plunged into a wadi below.

The fall was 150 meters deep.

During the fall, I somehow understood what was happening, but I didn’t see or feel much. I just remember a yellowish blur and the sound of metal crashing. Then suddenly, I found myself at the bottom of the wadi, with the car turned on its side. I was sitting outside the car, in front of it, staring at its undercarriage. Later, I learned that the airbags had deployed and the seatbelt was still locked in place. There’s no logical explanation for how I got out of that car alive or how I ended up sitting outside of it.

One of the car’s wheels was pressing on my leg. The pain was unbearable. I felt like my leg was going to burst. I started screaming, but I was far from any homes or streets, in a quiet and empty place, with almost no chance of anyone hearing me.

Diesel was spilling from the car, and I couldn’t move. I looked at the ground covered in thorns and fuel and thought to myself, this whole thing could go up in flames any second, and I have no way to get out.

But Hashem didn’t leave me alone, not even for a moment. Just like He wrapped me in protection during the fall, He sent help right away. Within seconds, good people, tzaddikim (righteous individuals), who had seen the accident, ran straight toward the wadi. They didn’t hesitate, even with the dangerous slope. One man asked if anyone was still inside the vehicle. When they saw it was empty, several men pushed the car to release my leg.

Very quickly, an ambulance and firefighters arrived. They considered calling a rescue helicopter, but in the end, they decided to lift me by stretcher up to the security road. I was conscious and able to answer all their questions. The most important thing I said was, “None of my eight children were with me.” The pain in my leg was intense, and they gave me medicine right away.

You can understand the scale of the miracle just by looking at the spot where the car landed. No one believed that anyone could survive such a fall. Before they knew I was alive, neighbors who had heard about the crash began preparing themselves to break the terrible news to my children. They thought it was over.

I was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital. A CT scan showed that, with Hashem’s mercy, the only injury was a broken femur. No damage to the spine, no injury to any vital organs. That very day I had surgery, and the bone was set.

Here, too, Hashem guided me. The doctor who treated me, Dr. Amos Peyser, was like a malach (an angel) in the form of a human being. He cared for me with such kindness, patience, and humility. Much of my healing came through him.

I stayed in the hospital for six weeks. Then I went home for a week, and returned for three more weeks of rehabilitation at Mount Scopus. One of the hardest parts was that the skin on my leg didn’t heal on its own. I needed another surgery for a skin graft, which was a long and painful recovery.

This miracle happened during the month of Elul, and my treatment continued through the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the Ten Days of Repentance and the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days. It felt like Hashem was giving me a deep, spiritual cleansing. There was a powerful sense of renewal.

Throughout this time, my amazing family surrounded me with love and support. Our home continued to function with joy, even though we had eight children and my husband still needed to lead his yeshivah. Our neighbors and friends were like one big extended family. They helped with everything, laundry, meals, the kids, and every small need. Am Yisrael at its best.

After several months of rehabilitation, I was able to start walking around the neighborhood. When people saw me, they would say the blessing: Baruch Mechaye HaMeitim—“Blessed is He who revives the dead.” Some called me a walking miracle.

And that’s how I see it. I know I felt Hashem’s presence throughout from the moment of the crash, to the rescue, through every moment of pain, and throughout my healing. Whenever I get the chance, I share my story. It’s my way of saying: Hashem is with us. He watches over us, even when it seems impossible. Even when no human being could help.