The Cry That Saved a Life: “Father!”

Today, the 18th of Cheshvan, is the yahrzeit (anniversary of passing) of Rabbi Yeshayahu Bardaki. On this occasion, the respected Torah speaker Rabbi Yisrael Meir Shoshan shared a powerful story from Rabbi Bardaki’s life with the ‘Dirshu’ website.

“We walk through life often forgetting that we have a Father in Heaven who watches over us every moment,” Rabbi Shoshan said. “Prayer is the bridge that connects us to Hashem. The Avudraham explains that the Hebrew word for prayer, tefillah (תפילה), is an acronym that means 'a wondrous remedy for the believing Jew.' The following true story shows us just how powerful tefillah really is.”

In Jerusalem, there once lived a well-known and righteous family, the Bardakis. Their father, Rabbi Yeshayahu Bardaki, lived about 190 years ago in the city of Kovno, Europe. He had two small children: Shloimele, age 8, and Lahale, age 7. One day, the rabbi and his wife made the brave decision to move to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). At the time, many great rabbis dreamed of moving there — including the Chofetz Chaim and the Vilna Gaon — but few succeeded. Rabbi Yeshayahu Bardaki took action.

Life in Jerusalem back then was very difficult. People lived in great poverty, with barely enough food or shelter. Still, the devoted Rebbetzin (rabbi’s wife) went ahead and boarded a ship with a group of other women. She arrived in the Old City of Jerusalem and rented a tiny room — so small it almost didn’t need a mezuzah. But she was thrilled. She immediately sent a telegram back to her husband: “Thank G-d, we already have an apartment!”

In those days, telegrams traveled slowly. It took a full month for the message to reach Europe. But the moment it arrived, the joyful father and his two children began preparing for their journey to the Holy Land. Rabbi Yeshayahu sold all his belongings so they could afford a few basics and buy tickets. With his tallit, tefillin, and a small set of Talmud, he boarded a ship from Odessa with little Shloimele and Lahale.

There were 14 Jews aboard — seven on each wooden bench. They filled the ship with food for the first week, and each week the ship stopped at different ports to gather more supplies. For two and a half weeks, the journey was peaceful. But then, in the middle of the sea, a terrifying storm erupted.

The ship was tossed between huge waves. The winds howled. The frightened passengers began to cry out with all their hearts: “Shema Yisrael!” “From the depths I call to You, Hashem!” Their voices rose from the depths of the stormy waters.

Rabbi Yeshayahu clung to his two children, heart pounding. The ship was falling apart. It cracked, shook, and finally shattered. The older passengers jumped into the sea with the holy cry of “Shema Yisrael!” To this day, their burial places remain unknown.

Rabbi Yeshayahu, though already around 50 years old, knew how to swim. With his daughter Lahale holding his left shoulder and his son Shloimele on his right, he became their human raft and began swimming. He struggled forward, trying to reach land. But after 20 minutes, he was already exhausted. After half an hour, he felt himself about to go under — with his children still clinging to him.

What could he do?

With no strength left, he realized a painful truth: If he didn’t let go of one child, they would all drown. He cried out to Hashem: “Ribono Shel Olam (Master of the Universe), what should I do? I need a Sanhedrin (a high Torah court) to judge such a life-and-death matter!”

While still swimming, a piece of Gemara (Talmud) flashed through his mind — from Tractate Horayot, page 13b — about whom to save first when two lives are at risk. He remembered the order of priorities: a man before a woman, a Kohen before a Levi, and so on.

He told himself, “A boy is obligated in tefillin and more mitzvot than a girl, so maybe I must let go of my daughter…”

Little Lahale heard and understood what was about to happen. With tears streaming down her face, she said, “Father! I accept Heaven’s decree. But before you let me go… please say the Shema and Viduy (confession) with me.”

She was hanging between life and death. Still holding on to his shoulder, she cried with all her soul: “F-A-T-H-E-R!!! F-A-T-H-E-R!!!”

A pure little girl — what did she have to confess? But her father said the words with her, Shema Yisrael and Viduy, and when they finished, he kissed her goodbye and asked her to gently let go of his shoulder.

She began to lower one hand into the water… but couldn’t let go. Her other hand clung tightly to her father. Hanging between sky and sea, she cried again — this time with a voice that shook the heavens: “F-A-T-H-E-R!!! F-A-T-H-E-R!!!”

That desperate cry — that holy word, “Father” — thundered through Rabbi Yeshayahu’s heart. He felt a shock run through his body. That cry awakened strength he didn’t know he had. “Lahale,” he yelled, “hold on with both hands! I’m not letting you go!”

Sometimes, in the darkest moments, a person discovers hidden strength. With the power of a lion, Rabbi Yeshayahu swam on. Lahale clung tightly to his back.

Then, after ten more minutes, they saw it — an island in the distance! It was about a kilometer away. There were people walking around — a sign of life! Hope returned. With all the energy left in his body, he swam until they reached the shore.

The children slid off his back. He collapsed on the sand, too exhausted to move. The children, overjoyed, shouted, “Baruch Hashem (Thank G-d)! We’re alive! Hashem saved us!”

After an hour, Shloimele tried waking his father. “Father, wake up!” But there was no answer. Panic set in. Had he passed away after saving them?

They didn’t give up. Lahale pulled one arm, Shloimele the other — until at last he opened his eyes. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’m alive. Just let me sleep a little more. Then we’ll continue our journey.”

Lahale threw her arms around him and cried: “Thank you, Father! You saved me!”

But Rabbi Yeshayahu looked at her with love and said: “No, my dear Lahale. I didn’t save you. You saved yourself. That powerful cry of ‘Father!’ — it gave me the strength to keep going. If not for that… I would have already been saying Kaddish for you…”

Eventually, they arrived safely in Jerusalem. The family was reunited. The whole Jewish Quarter came out to welcome Rabbi Yeshayahu Bardaki, a student of Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin. He spoke in the famous Churva Synagogue and told this very story. He concluded with deep emotion:

“I had no strength left. I was about to let go of my precious daughter… when she suddenly cried out, ‘Father!’ And that gave me new life. I don’t know where the strength came from.”

Then he added:

“We are all children of Hashem. The Torah tells us, ‘You are children to Hashem your God.’ And sometimes, when we feel like we’re drowning — all we need is to call out with all our heart: ‘Father!’”