Last year before Rosh Chodesh Nissan, an old dear friend called me and asked me to travel with him at his expense, to the grave of R’ Yeshaya ben Moshe of Keristir since he has a daughter who was having a particularly difficult time finding a shidduch, and they were out of ideas, his heart told him he would receive salvation by R’ Yeshaya...
A friend asked and I answered his request. The reason he came to me went beyond our friendship. I arrange trips for groups which I am paid for and everything is taken care of, eating, drinking, sleeping, transportation, hotels, and anything needed for the trip ‘lemehadrin’ with the most important point to me is davening with a minyan. My principle is I do not fly anywhere without a minyan arranged beforehand, for if not, why would someone fly to holy places to daven when he transgresses the will of his Maker, and in this way he will attain salvation? Because of this he came to me knowing that he will not miss one Tefillah with a minyan.
We arranged it and travelled to the grave of R’ Yeshaya. He finished davening and pouring out his heart, and we left to go back to the airport. On the way, I suggested that we stop to daven by the grave of a student of the Chasam Sofer, the ‘Kol Aryeh’ which was in a city ten minutes away from Keristir. My friend was surprised and asked, who is this Tzaddik? He never heard of him. But I insisted that we travel to him, and I told him, “You just worked for your daughter by R' Yeshaya, and the second daughter who is also of marriageable age you will work by the Kol Aryeh!!!” He smiled and agreed.
We arrived and davened by the grave of the Tzaddik. My friend looked into the seforim of the Kol Aryeh, he was interested in this Tzaddik who he had never heard of, and he davened emotionally.
At the duty-free shop, he asked me if he should buy a bottle. I told him to buy two bottles, one for the kallah and one for her sister!!!
We arrived in Israel and that Motzei Shabbos he invited me to break a plate for Mazel Tov.
Two days ago I got a call from my friend who spoke with a shaky emotional voice, “Do you remember what happened by the Kol Aryeh less than a year ago?! We are now closing a shidduch with the great-grandson of the Kol Aryeh, son after son!!! Come to me and if you have pictures, bring them because the father of the chosson is moved and finds my story hard to believe!!!”
This is what he merited, within a year he made a shidduch with the great-grandson of the Kol Aryeh, and he opened the bottle that he bought on the way back to Israel!!! מ.ש.
