A Story of Divine Providence: The Mysterious Figure Who Opened the Prison Walls and 3 More Stories

An inmate who contracted malaria was taken to the prison hospital. A wondrous figure that appeared to him led to an incredible chain of miracles that allowed him to escape through the bars.

A Story of Divine Providence: The Mysterious Figure Who Opened the Prison Walls

A Jew, who was serving a prison sentence, suddenly contracted malaria, may Hashem protect us. Following his deteriorating medical condition, the prison authorities decided to urgently transfer him for treatment at the prison hospital. At one point during his hospitalization, he needed to use the restroom, and an extraordinary surprise awaited him there.

The Surprising Instruction in the Hospital

The protocols at the prison hospital were extremely strict. Generally, the guards do not allow an inmate to close the restroom door completely, and he is obligated to leave it slightly open so they can keep an eye on him. As he was preparing to leave the door open as required, a wondrous thing occurred.

Suddenly, he saw before him the figure of a short man with a beard. The mysterious figure turned to him and said with absolute certainty: "Close the door!" Despite his immense astonishment at the illogical situation and the violation of protocol, he decided to listen to the voice of that man and closed the door completely.

Bars Falling on Their Own

When the door closed, he suddenly noticed that there was a window in the room with heavy bars, and in front of the bars, a sort of opaque glass was installed. He reached out his hand, and the moment he merely touched the glass lightly, it immediately broke into two pieces without any effort on his part. Afterward, he gave the heavy bars a light push. To his immense surprise, the bars simply fell outward, and the window remained wide open.

A moment of anxiety washed over him. He was very afraid that perhaps the police and guards had heard the noise of the glass breaking and the bars falling, and that they were on their way to him. But to his surprise, absolute silence prevailed in the place—there was no sound and no attention. Realizing that this was an opportune moment arranged for him from Heaven, he quickly climbed onto the windowsill, climbed out, and escaped to freedom.

This wondrous story, which took place on the 23rd of Elul, illustrates how the power of the tzaddik operates above all the boundaries of nature. Even in the darkest and most heavily guarded places, Divine Providence can open a doorway of salvation in the blink of an eye.

A Wondrous Story: The Inconceivable Leap from the Window to the Wall

There are moments when the laws of nature simply come to a halt, making way for a miraculous conduct that is beyond all intellect and comprehension. One of those wondrous moments occurred when eyewitnesses beheld an event that has no logical or physical explanation. This is a story of a literal kefitzas haderech (miraculous contraction of the path), testifying to the immense power of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

The Narrow and Impossible Window

It all began when the Rav approached an especially small window, whose dimensions were incredibly narrow. It was an opening of merely 30 centimeters by 30 centimeters. From a natural standpoint, an adult cannot pass through such a narrow opening, let alone leap out through it.

But by the tzaddik, physical limitations lose their meaning. The Rav climbed onto the small window, pushed himself outward, and within a fraction of a second, the immense wonder occurred.

The Wondrous Passage to the Wall

To the absolute astonishment of those present, the moment the Rav exited the window, he did not fall or jump to the adjacent ground. Instead, he suddenly found himself standing safely on the wall opposite him.

The distance between the wall where the window was fixed and that opposite wall was a full five meters! "A wonder of wonders that has no explanation," the witnesses described it, struggling to digest the sight that was revealed to their eyes. This immediate passage, in mid-air, across such a great distance, proved once again that the tzaddik rules through the fear of God and is not bound by the laws of space and time.

This event was etched in their hearts as living testimony that one who is attached to the Creator of the Universe can operate in this world above all the ways of nature.

A Story of Divine Providence: The Daring Escape and the Yarmulke Left on the Window

A certain Jew tells of a particularly dramatic moment during a dangerous escape, where he experienced firsthand the immense power of mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice). In the midst of the escape, as he was already on his way out to freedom, he suddenly felt that something was missing.

The Choice of Mesirus Nefesh (Self-Sacrifice)

He passed a hand over his head and discovered to his amazement that his kippah was gone. He looked back and saw that the kippah had been left resting on the window from which he had just escaped. In that moment of fear and danger, he made a resolute and brave decision.

"I am not leaving without a kippah!" he declared to himself. With true mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice), he turned around and went back to the window to retrieve the kippah, despite the immense danger involved and the fear of being caught.

The Miracle of Salvation from the Eyes of the Guards

After taking the kippah, he discovered that the situation had become complicated. Now he could no longer climb the wall the way he had originally planned. He looked around and saw that on the other side there was a sort of hill through which he could climb the wall, but the problem was that guards were standing right there, watching over the area.

However, one who sacrifices his soul for holiness merits to see miracles. Hashem, may He be blessed, performed an open miracle for him, and the guards standing there simply did not notice him. By the grace of Heaven, he climbed the wall undisturbed and jumped from there straight into a street bustling with thousands of people, blending into the crowd and being completely saved.

This story illustrates how strict adherence to holiness and mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice), even for wearing a kippah in moments of danger, awakens Heavenly mercy and brings about a miraculous salvation above the laws of nature.

A Wondrous Story of Salvation: Seeing But Unseen Among the Rows of Police

A certain Jew tells of a chain of miracles and wonders that accompanied his escape journey, a journey that began in a Chabad House and ended in the Holy Land. The wondrous story illustrates how the power of the tzaddik brings about salvations above the laws of nature.

The Escape from the Chabad House

During his flight, this Jew arrived at a Chabad House, where he was welcomed with mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) by the holy emissaries, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg and his righteous wife, may Hashem avenge their blood (who were later killed in sanctification of Hashem's Name in the infamous Mumbai terror attack). They cared for him with devotion, arranged money for him, provisions for the road, and everything he needed to continue his journey.

Despite the warm hospitality, he knew he could not stay there for long. He understood that they would certainly come looking for him at the Chabad House, and therefore he hurried to leave the place immediately after getting organized. He set out toward the train station, hoping to continue his escape journey without being caught.

Face to Face with the Police

As he approached the train station, his eyes darkened. He saw large groups of police officers walking across the width of the road, meticulously scanning the area in an attempt to locate him. He found himself walking directly toward them, and there was no longer any natural way or possibility to escape.

He knew with certainty that they would recognize him immediately, as they knew him well from the year and a half he had spent in that area. Despite the paralyzing fear, he continued to advance toward them with no other choice, carrying a silent plea that Hashem, may He be blessed, would help him in his time of distress.

Seeing But Unseen

Here an immense wonder occurred, exactly as Rabbi Berland shlit"a wrote in one of his letters. Hashem, may He be blessed, literally blinded the eyes of the police officers. Even though he walked right in front of them, they simply did not see him.

He confidently entered between the rows of police officers and passed all the groups walking there row by row. He marched among them in a state of "seeing but unseen," and not a single one of them noticed him at all.

The rest of the story is long and filled with a chain of open miracles and wonders, until he merited to arrive safely in the Holy Land. Today, that same Jew stands before audiences and congregations, excitedly recounting his tale and all the wonders that Hashem, may He be blessed, performed for him in the merit of the power of the tzaddik.

From Issue 79 — Parshas Va'eschanan

From the series "Tzaddik Moshel Yiras Elokim" (A tzaddik rules through the fear of God) — the "Shapir Amar Nachmani" newsletters