During the Son's Bar Mitzvah Celebration: The House Burned Down Completely, but the Tefillin and Gemara Were Saved

The miracle of the Chertokov family: Their house burned down completely, and while they were left homeless, their Gemara books, tefillin, family photos, and a few items with sentimental value survived the flames that soared up to five meters high. The family's home, located in the settlement of Yavne'el in northern Israel, caught fire while they were celebrating their son's Bar Mitzvah. As the celebration was in full swing, reports of the unfolding disaster began to flow in. Father Menachem-Shlomo and mother Simcha decided they would not put a halt to their son's celebration. Indeed, they sang 'The whole world is a very narrow bridge', but when they returned home, they were shocked: the house and the off-road vehicles belonging to the family's business were up in flames.

The parents, in their thirties, and their four children (15, 13, 8, 5) had prepared for the Bar Mitzvah event held in Tiberias weeks in advance. Nothing prepared them for what would unfold just as the event was starting. "Last Thursday evening was our son's Bar Mitzvah celebration," recalls Simcha this week. "Of course, we prepared with great joy. He is the first son whose Bar Mitzvah we celebrate. We greatly wanted him to be happy and carry a positive memory. We left for the hall after I managed to make him a tefillin cake. It was very exciting for us. We were on cloud nine, certainly delighted and emotional".

Simcha continues: "Around 7:45 PM, guests started to arrive. The atmosphere was good, we greeted guests warmly, and the celebration began. At some point, my husband Menachem-Shlomo read a dedication he wrote for the Bar Mitzvah boy, speaking personally about his childhood, the days spent at his grandparents' house, and the years in Yavne'el. While delivering his speech, a guest approached me and said one of the off-road vehicles, which my husband uses for tours, was on fire. I was in shock, finding it hard to believe. I thought perhaps it was just a rumor, maybe someone was joking, but as the stream of reports didn't stop, I realized it was true, and the vehicles were indeed in flames. We were soon informed that everything was burning and there were explosions. At first, during the speech, I stopped my husband and informed him. I already told him I wouldn't stop the celebration, but it was important to address the matter quickly. We summoned relatives who traveled to the scene to see what could be done. Meanwhile, I was reported that the entire ceiling collapsed, the windows shattered, and everything caught fire, including the vehicles. Nothing was left.

"Luckily, the tefillin and Gemaras survived, as did the photo albums. The spiritual items were saved, whereas everything material burned. Unfortunately, our room is completely charred, and there were precious items like letters exchanged with my husband that were lost. In some places, we could see the fire tried to break in but didn't succeed – but the windows melted from the heat. The flames roared outside, but in other places, they did indeed break in".

How did you find the strength to keep celebrating during this time?  

"I knew the house burned, but I didn't know how severe the damage was. I didn't think we wouldn’t have a place to return to. We were told the off-road vehicles caught fire. I thought at worst, a small part would be damaged, not that the destruction would be this extensive. At the end of the evening, I got a hint: 'Listen, you have nowhere to return to – everything collapsed, including the tiles. The house was consumed by fire.' I admit I shed tears, I was in initial shock, but alongside this, I had inner joy and faith. I felt I had to maintain a cool head not to ruin my son's Bar Mitzvah. Stopping the event wouldn't have stopped the fire or saved the house. My desires weren't different from the cries of my mother or my husband's brother who were on site. I had no interest in stopping the joy. Anyway, it wouldn't have helped".

Husband Menachem-Shlomo backs up his wife's words. "My mind rules my heart," he says. "I consciously decided not to cancel his Bar Mitzvah, sent my brother to the scene, and continued to celebrate. We kept rejoicing, dancing, and singing Rabbi Nachman of Breslov’s song: 'The whole world is a very narrow bridge'. Life presents challenges, but at the peak of a trial, a person must know not to be afraid, and for that, one must believe in something. It's Hashem’s hand that the tefillin and the Gemara weren’t burned. I found joy in that. When you love people, you receive love, and the important things aren't burned. Everything fits like a puzzle."

How did the Bar Mitzvah boy react?

Simcha: "He's a very strong boy. He understood something had happened but continued to be happy and wasn't confused. We didn't fully inform him; he just sensed something bad had occurred. The Bar Mitzvah acquired a different intensity, although it was sad, there was unity and prayer. He saw that his parents were not willing to stop the celebration and gained strength."

Menachem-Shlomo: "The child remained calm; he spoke and gave a speech. We strengthened him and the other children. He knows his parents. We coped – although it's not easy."

Seeing the destroyed house – it's certainly very difficult

Simcha: "It's a very difficult feeling, it's unpleasant. You stand before your things helplessly, it's your history, and it's known people become attached to things. There are no words to describe the feeling that there's nothing to save. All clothes turned into a mass of plastic - it's unbelievable. Even the thought that the house became a fire trap is hard. It's a house that was maintained, meaning if there was a short circuit or any problem - it was handled. I think about how within minutes everything burned, the fire climbed mainly to the bedroom, the house became a fire trap, and even the thick doorframes are also charred. When I understand the magnitude of the miracle that we weren't inside - it's encouraging".

Menachem-Shlomo: "It's ambivalent. Initially, you don't digest it. When we returned from the hall, I felt the need not to sleep. I made sure my wife and children went to my mother-in-law's place, and I went with my brothers and friends to play and sing Carlebach songs in a good atmosphere. The guys encouraged me, I did not feel alone.  In the morning, the tragedy didn’t hit me all at once. I took things in proportion".

Simcha: "Ultimately, I'm glad I stuck to the goal of giving the child a good feeling so the Bar Mitzvah wouldn't be a trauma. If we had left the hall midway, after all the effort, and went to a burning site, it would be a trauma forever. Besides, I look on the bright side that we weren’t inside. It could have happened when we were at home, and there would be losses of life. It was a miracle. I see the sacred books that survived, the tefillin, sentimental items, and I understand Hashem isn’t angry with me, and He will open a better door for me. For instance, the fridge filled with food for *Shabbat Chatan* wasn't harmed, and we could use the food. I believe it’s for the best; I don’t know how – but I believe we will see it."

"Our mission was to give strength to people"

Simcha says that following their incident, people in their environment were strengthened: "The faith we broadcast to people strengthened them. Many approached us and said our response inspired them and gave them strength. Perhaps our mission was to inspire others. My husband is a social person; he projects a spirit of unity, and people told us they hadn’t seen such conduct. People talk about faith, and in a moment of truth, they saw it before their eyes. People distant from Torah and commandments contacted my husband and said they couldn’t stop being impressed".

Menachem-Shlomo: "When people heard how we coped, they told me: 'You brought tears to our eyes.' People were strengthened. Many began helping and lending a hand. Everyone did something and supported us. They embraced us incredibly. This sharpens the understanding that if you love people - they will love you back. If you worry about yourself all your life, then God forbid, when you face a tragedy - no one will look at you, and no one will care for you. The off-road vehicles that burned provided tens of thousands of hours of pleasure to people. I, little Menachem, had the privilege to make people happy, proposals happened here, people made each other happy and were spiritually strengthened".

These days, the family is raising funds for renovating and restoring the house. Simcha: "Now we are starting a rebuilding process. We look forward - to restoring the children's routine, my husband's work. We are running around and doing everything as quickly as possible to prevent sinking down, God forbid. We are a loving family raising our children with dedication and love, and our priority is to give them back the house we lost in the fire. We're now mostly dealing with the technical side, meaning remodeling, buying clothes, ensuring food – all that one needs to live. We aim to convey a message of unity and love for the people of Israel, and above all – faith. Without faith, you can't endure and survive such situations."

Menachem-Shlomo: "Hashem is testing me and my wife Simcha. We, with God’s help, will come out of this more complete and positive, and the children will see an educative example for Bar Mitzvah, not in theory. I am thankful from the bottom of my heart to the friends who help and embrace us."