The Tombstone of Rav Hertzkela of Ratzfert
Gedalaya* was 33 years old and not yet married. His friend told him about a segulah to go daven at the kever of Rav Hertzkela of Ratzfert on his yahrzeit, which was Erev Yom Kippur. “So many people have gone there and davened on his yahrzeit and on Yom Kippur, and have seen amazing yeshuos,” he said.
Gedalya took the advice and went there. That same friend saw Gedalya again a couple of days before Chanukah.
“Anything new?” he asked.
The Segulah Didn’t Work
“No, the segulah didn’t work,” Gedalya said disconsolately. “Things are worse than ever.”
“Go back to the kever and daven again,” his friend advised. “Speak out about what’s bothering you.” Gedalya needed to travel to New York on the first day of Chanukah, so he decided to detour through Hungary and return to the kever to daven. He recited the entire Sefer Tehillim and, once again, begged Hashem to help him find his zivug. Then he went to the Budapest airport.
Arrived in Amsterdam
The next leg of his trip was to Amsterdam, where he was scheduled to catch a connecting flight to New York. When he arrived in Amsterdam, he learned that his connecting flight had been postponed until the next morning. He checked into a hotel, where he received permission from the manager to light his menorah in the lobby. Gedalya found a secluded corner, lit his menorah, and sang zemiros softly to himself.
Another Jew walked into the hotel, looking for overnight accommodations. He saw Gedalya standing by his menorah and asked the manager if he could light his menorah there, too. The manager graciously agreed. The two ended up speaking for a long time, and Gedalya made a very positive impression on the older man.
Offered Another Detour
After Gedalya explained that he had stopped off in Hungary primarily to daven for a shidduch and unexpectedly ended up spending the night in Amsterdam, the man mentioned that he had an outstanding daughter in her upper twenties, who just might be perfect for him. “Would you consider taking another detour, this time to Antwerp, where I live, to meet my daughter?”
Gedalya agreed, and not too long afterward they were engaged. (Excerpted from the ArtScroll book – “Living Emunah on Shidduchim”)
Reprinted from the Parshas Mattos Masei 5784 email of The Weekly Vort.
