A Shabbat Bag and a Soldier’s Salvation: The Baba Sali’s Miraculous Intervention

Teaching by Example

One of the most moving miracle stories associated with the saintly Kabbalist Rabbi Yisrael Abuchatzeira, known as the Baba Sali, begins with a simple yet profound lesson. The Baba Sali would often stress to his students the importance of gently drawing people closer to Torah and mitzvot (commandments).

On one occasion, when a student admitted that he didn’t really understand how to do this, the Baba Sali responded, “Come, I’ll show you.” He took his students out to the street, where they saw a woman walking with her handbag, unaware that carrying it constituted a violation of hotza’ah (carrying in a public domain on Shabbat).

With warmth and kindness, the Baba Sali approached her. He gently asked her to refrain from carrying her bag on Shabbat. The woman politely but firmly declined.

Still smiling, he explained the reasoning behind the prohibition and why it would be meaningful for her to observe it. She listened attentively, his words clearly making an impression, but remained reluctant.

Then the Baba Sali asked her, “Do you have a son serving in the army?”

Surprised, she answered, “Yes.”

He continued, “Is he serving in the American army?”

Once again, her response was affirmative, but now her amazement was visible. How could the rabbi possibly know that?

The Baba Sali said, “Now imagine your son is on the battlefield. The enemy attacks his unit. Every soldier falls, aside for one. Your son. Why is he spared? Because of this mitzvah you’re about to take upon yourself.”

(Illustration: Hila Ben Yitzhak)

The woman burst into tears. “I’ll keep the mitzvah. I won’t carry on Shabbat anymore. I’m ready to leave the bag here right now,” she declared. But then she hesitated. “Who will guard it until Shabbat is over?”

Without missing a beat, the Baba Sali’s students volunteered. They organized shifts to guard the bag on the street, rotating every hour until nightfall.

That very Saturday night, the miracle came full circle.

The woman opened a letter from her son. His words sent chills down her spine: “I was miraculously saved in battle today. Our unit was under heavy enemy fire, and many of my friends were killed. I feared for my life, until, out of nowhere, American reinforcements arrived, and I was saved. Please thank Hashem for this clear miracle.”

In a moment of sincere guidance and deep spiritual insight, the Baba Sali not only inspired a woman to embrace Shabbat but also gave her the merit to save her son. This story reminds us of the unseen power of mitzvot and the ripple effect of faith.