NEWS
A First Person Account of a Famous Story: the Scissors Tale
by Yated Ne'eman Musaf Kodesh Staff
HaRav Yerachmiel Tucker, Rosh Yeshiva of "Or Boruch", recently gave a talk to his students, in which he included the following personal episode. Yated listened in:
I wish to relate an incident which I feel obligated to tell as applying to the tenet of "Speak of all His wonders," which you may have already read about since it was publicized in various pamphlets. Since then, however, this story has grown all sorts of embellishments. I wish to tell it as it really happened.
Many years ago, I left my house in Yerushalayim, heading towards the yeshiva. My toddler son used to crawl to the porch to wave to me each morning as I passed by.
On this particular day, he crawled to the porch, without my seeing him, and tried to lift himself up to wave to me, but he became entangled in a rope from a swing and choked.
His mother noticed his absence and went out to the porch, only to find him already blue from asphyxiation. She screamed for help. Just then, Hashgocho arranged that a nurse passed by and rushed up to our home and began efforts of resuscitation. The Hatzolah organization did not exist then, but shortly after, a Magen David ambulance came and took the child to Hadassah Hospital.
Before I entered to begin my usual shiur, the Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Gavriel Toledano zt"l, approached me and said that a call had come in that my son was in Hadassah (there were no cell phones at the time) and that I should go there immediately.
The doctor who met me said that my son's condition was critical. He would have to be sedated for three days. Only afterwards, when they woke him up, would they be able to size up the situation. If he woke up, he would be alright. If not, G-d forbid!
The tragic story shook up all of Jerusalem.
*
I had the good fortune to have a personal friendship with HaRav Dovid Frankel zt"l, disciple of the Chazon Ish. During this nerve-racking three day period, he called me three times a day to learn about my son's condition. He also organized recital of Tehillim in Bnei Brak for a speedy and complete recovery.
On the third day, Rav Dovid called again and asked me something like: "Was your wife ever involved in an incident involving scissors in the Machane Yehuda shuk?"
I said I had no idea what he was talking about.
He said I should ask my wife about it.
I approached her and asked this question as it was put to me: "Were you involved in an incident involving scissors in the Machane Yehuda shuk?"
She answered, "Yes!"
"I had a pair of very expensive professional scissors which became damaged. I brought them to be repaired at a special store at the shuk. A few days ago I returned to pick them up. The shop owner took them and was about to hand them over to me, but I asked that he place them on the counter instead, so as not to take them directly from the shop owner."
*
Reb Dovid completed the second part of this unusual story when I called up shortly to tell him about the incident.
"Yes, but what is this all about? How did you know that something happened?" I asked.
"I had a dream last night," he explained. "I dreamed that I was in the Heavenly Court. There were two boxes there, one of life and the other of the opposite of life, R"l. Suddenly, I noticed that they were bringing forward a note bearing the name `Yehuda Arye ben Nechama Glika' and the Beis Din Shel Maa'alah was about to pass judgment on the note [in which box to put it].
"Suddenly, an angel sprang forward and said, `I brought a scissors from Machane Yehuda. Here - cut up that note!'
"And that is what happened: the scissors cut up the decree."
HaRav Tucker summed up very emotionally: "This comes to teach us that we cannot conceive the power of a simple act. Sometimes, a simple action which a person does out of halachic caution can create the angel which can advocate to save a life! `I have found one of a thousand to plead for mercy!'"
Today this very son is a talmid chochom and father of a fine family, ba"h.
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