When Their Dream Apartment Slipped Away… a Miracle Was Waiting

Ori and Noa had been searching for a home for what felt like forever. After months of exhausting viewings and dead ends, they finally found the one: spacious, well-kept, in the right location… even if slightly above budget. But it was worth it—they could feel it. This was the place.

The seller, however, was in no mood for delays. "I’m not waiting," he said with a sly grin. "Whoever shows up with the full payment in cash first—gets it."

Ori and Noa pleaded, “Just give us a few hours—we’ll bring every shekel!” He didn't say no, but he didn’t promise either.

They ran. To the bank. To friends. To lending organizations. Checks, loans, and savings were pulled together with breathtaking speed. Their families helped too, all pitching in for this dream. And finally, by 9:30 p.m., the couple returned to the apartment, breathless but hopeful—holding $100,000 in cash.

The seller welcomed them warmly, then asked for a moment and disappeared into the next room. Fifteen long minutes passed. When he returned, his face was cold. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Another buyer beat you to it—with the full amount. I closed with them.”

He pointed to the door.

Noa and Ori left in stunned silence. They wandered to the nearest bench and sat there, crushed. Their dream had slipped through their fingers. All that effort. All that hope. Gone.

After some time, Ori looked at Noa. “You know who lives nearby? Rabbi Aharon Teisig. Maybe we should speak with him. I don't know what else to do.”

So they knocked on his door, holding back tears. Rabbi Teisig welcomed them kindly and listened patiently as they poured out their story. He shared their pain—but also had something to offer: a small booklet called Kuntres HaTzava’a.

Together they opened it and read: Sometimes, we work so hard for something, and just when it seems within reach, it slips away. But don’t despair—because what’s meant for someone else will never be yours, and what’s meant for you… will find you, at the right time, in the right way.

Rabbi Teisig smiled and added gently, “We think we’re in charge. But Hashem already planned everything—who will get what, where, and when. Sometimes what looks like failure is Hashem’s way of saving us… and leading us to something even better.”

Ori and Noa felt comforted. Their disappointment hadn’t vanished, but it now carried a quiet sense of purpose.

The next day, the truth came out: the “seller” wasn’t the owner at all. He was a con artist, pretending to sell an apartment that wasn’t his. He took the other buyer’s cash and fled the country.

Ori called the rabbi, overcome with emotion. “Rabbi, we were saved. Had he taken our money, we would’ve lost everything.”

But the story doesn’t end there.

Two days later, Ori called again, this time through tears of joy. “A respected contractor just called—he has two apartments left in his new building. He offered one to us. We signed today. It's bigger than the first one—and less expensive!”

Ori and Noa saw it clearly: the “no” they received wasn't a rejection—it was protection. And the delay they faced wasn’t a punishment—it was a gift.

We all face moments when our plans don’t go the way we hoped. It’s natural to feel disappointed. But if we remember that Hashem is always guiding us, even in the setbacks, our hearts can stay calm and our faith strong. Sometimes, the door that closes is just Hashem’s way of opening a better one—just around the corner.

“Blessed is the one who trusts in Hashem,” says the verse. Not because life is always easy—but because we’re never alone.