Faith Across Oceans: How a Gift from Bnei Brak Saved a Shidduch in Mexico

A Shattered Engagement and a Family in Crisis

The story, shared by Rabbi Yaakov Galinsky’s grandson, Rabbi Aba Zvi Galinsky, and published in HaMevaser HaTorani, begins with a joyous engagement that quickly unraveled. During the shidduch arrangements, the groom’s father and future father-in-law had agreed on how much each would contribute toward purchasing an apartment for the couple. They paid the full amount to a contractor tasked with building the new home.

But before the wedding even took place, disaster struck: the contractor disappeared with the money. No funds, no apartment, and no clear path forward. Tension quickly escalated between the families as each side debated what to do and who should shoulder the loss. What started as a financial problem snowballed into a personal conflict that threatened the engagement. The families were devastated, unsure whether the shidduch could be salvaged.

A Gift from Bnei Brak and a Message That Changed Everything

In the midst of this turmoil, the groom’s brother arrived in Mexico from Israel to visit the family. He approached the groom and said, “I went to see Rabbi Galinsky in Bnei Brak. I told him everything, and he sent you a gift.”

The groom was puzzled. What kind of gift could possibly help? But when he unwrapped the package, he was stunned. It was a copy of Emunah U’Bitachon, the hallmark book about faith and trust by the Chazon Ish. Inside the front cover, Rabbi Galinsky had written a heartfelt dedication: “During this difficult time you're going through, it is fitting that you strengthen your faith and trust in Hashem. This will give you the inner strength to overcome this trial. Therefore, I recommend you study this book for about twenty minutes each day.”

The groom later recalled, “I went into my room and broke down in tears. I thought to myself: Here is a great man in Israel thinking about me, all the way here in Mexico, and doing whatever he can to encourage and uplift me. That alone gave me a strength I didn’t know I had. I followed Rabbi Yaakov’s advice and began learning the book daily.”

From Breakdown to Breakthrough

What happened next defied all expectations. “It was less than two weeks,” the groom said, “before everything turned around. Not only was the issue resolved, but they bought me an apartment in the most prestigious neighborhood in Mexico.”

What began as a crisis ended in unexpected blessing. And at the heart of it all was a small book, a handwritten note, and the power of a rabbi's heartfelt concern that reminded one Jew that he was never alone.