It All Started with a Promise

The beloved storyteller Rabbi Shlomo Levenstein shares an amazing story that shines a light on the powerful merit of Torah learning—especially for those struggling with infertility.

"I’ve told this story many times," says Rabbi Levenstein, "about a couple who had no children for twenty years. They lived abroad and decided to move to Eretz Yisrael—the Land of Israel—because, as Rashi teaches, living in the Holy Land is itself a spiritual merit that can help in having children. But even after three more years of living in the land, their situation remained the same."

A friend from abroad came to visit and asked how they were doing. Hearing that they were still waiting, still praying, and still hoping, he said to them: "Why are you still suffering? If after 23 years you haven’t had children—it may just not be in your destiny... There are plenty of other ways to serve Hashem. You can still live a meaningful life. There are many mitzvot (Torah commandments) you can fulfill."

"Let me be clear," says Rabbi Levenstein, "this man didn’t mean any harm, G-d forbid. He saw their sadness and their tired eyes and wanted to comfort them, to lift their spirits a bit and give them strength to go on."

But when he got home and told his wife what he had said, she was upset. “Why did you interfere in other people’s lives?” she asked. “You weren’t helping.” He answered, “If you had seen their faces, their broken hearts—you would have said the same thing.”

Then she asked him a simple question: “How do you know they won’t have children?” He answered sharply, “Are you starting too? They won’t have children! That’s it. After 23 years—if they haven’t had them by now, they never will!”

And then she responded with her own challenge: “What if they do have children?”

“Fine,” he said. “If they have kids—I’ll shut down my business, move to Israel, and become a full-time learner in kollel (a place where married men study Torah all day). Will that make you happy?”

“It would make me very happy,” she said.

Two more years passed. With tears and tefillot (prayers), the couple continued hoping. And then, with Hashem’s help, they were blessed—with twins. A boy and a girl. The entire community was in shock. There was so much simcha (joy)... but one man, the one who had spoken those words, became very anxious.

He got on the next plane to Israel. From the airport, he went straight to the home of the late Rav Chaim Kanievsky, the great Torah sage, and asked, “Kavod HaRav (Honored Rabbi), this is what happened, and this is what I said—what should I do now?”

Rav Chaim answered without hesitation: “What’s the question? You made a vow—now fulfill it!”

The man tried again. “But can I annul the vow? Is there any way around it?”

Rav Chaim replied firmly, “No. This is called a neder shel mitzvah—a vow for the sake of a mitzvah—and it cannot be undone.”

Trying one last time, the man said, “What if I find someone to study in kollel for me? I’ll support him completely—from head to toe.”

Rabbi Chaim smiled and said, “That’s a nice idea—to appoint someone as your representative. But let’s flip it around. You should be the one learning in kollel, and he can run your business!”

Then he added gently, “Who knows—maybe the reason you haven’t had children yet is because you promised to learn Torah and haven’t fulfilled that promise.”

Rabbi Levenstein, sharing the story, turned to the crowd with passion in his voice.

“My friends, this is amazing! This man hadn’t even started learning yet—he had only decided to start. And already, in the merit of that decision alone, his wife was blessed to have a child!”

“That’s the power of Torah,” he said with emotion. “It brings life—it’s like oxygen for the world. It brings blessing to those struggling to have children, and it even heals the sick. There is nothing more powerful!”