A Torah Scroll Instead of an Apartment—and a Miracle Followed

A remarkable story shared in Bama magazine reveals the powerful outcome of trusting the words of a tzaddik, a righteous person. A few weeks ago, a young Jewish man walked into the offices of Hod VeHadar, a center that sells Torah scrolls, tefillin (phylacteries worn during prayer), and mezuzot (parchments placed on doorposts), and made a surprising request: he wanted to immediately purchase a high-quality Torah scroll.

The staff were taken aback. A Torah scroll, or Sefer Torah, can cost up to 200,000 shekels—about $60,000—and such a purchase usually comes after months of thought and preparation. But the young man was determined. He insisted on buying one right away, no matter the cost.

Seeing their surprise, he explained what had just happened. “I just came from the home of Rav Chaim Kanievsky,” he said, referring to one of the greatest Torah sages of our generation. “I asked him for a blessing. I have 500,000 shekels saved, but that’s not enough to buy an apartment. I hoped he would bless me that somehow it would work out.”

But Rav Kanievsky didn’t say anything about an apartment. Instead, he looked at the young man and said: “Buy a Torah scroll.”

The man asked again, hoping for a different answer. But Rav Kanievsky simply repeated, “Buy a Torah scroll.”

“I understood,” he said. “We are taught to listen to our sages, so that’s what I’m doing.”

He began the purchase right away, arranging to complete the details that week.

Just two days later, the young man got a phone call from his father. “I have two things I want to share with you,” he said. “One is very sad—your uncle in America has passed away. But there’s also good news. In his will, he left you one and a half million shekels. Exactly that amount.”

The father was puzzled. “Did you have a close connection with him?” he asked.

Still amazed by what had just happened, the young man went to Rav Chaim Feinstein, head of the Ateret Shlomo Yeshiva, and told him the whole story.

Rav Feinstein nodded and said, “Look at the Gemara (Talmud) in Tractate Eruvin, page 64. It’s written there clearly: What should a person do so that his wealth will last? Let him buy a Torah scroll with it.”

This story is more than just an amazing turn of events. It’s a reminder of the power of a sage’s words, and the blessings that can come from emunah (faith) and bitachon (trust in Hashem). Sometimes the path to what we truly need is not direct—but when we follow the guidance of our Torah leaders, the outcome can be far greater than we imagined.