A True Story of the power of our tefillah

A Lesson For the Children - My name is Rina (this is not her real name), and I live in Gush Etzion. A few months ago, when I was in my car, riding towards Gush Etzion, there was a serious traffic jam. When I reached the Gush, I saw the reason for the heavy traffic – there had been an accident, and cars were standing in the road. Out of curiosity, I looked quickly to see what had happened. I was startled to see a completely smashed car blocking the road, with a body lying on the road, covered with a sheet.

I wonder who the poor dead person might be, I thought to myself. Is it a single person or somebody married, somebody with a family or not, a man or a woman? Will there now be new orphans or perhaps bereaved parents who do not yet know what has happened? I got out of my car and took out a book of Tehillim, and I prayed with flowing tears and with great devotion. After a little while, the traffic started to move. I returned to my car and went home as fast as I could.

Two weeks later, I was sitting at home, and the phone rang. At the other end of the line, I heard an unfamiliar voice of a young woman. She asked, “Are you the one who stopped on Tuesday two weeks ago at the side of the road and read Tehillim?” “Yes, I am,” I replied, wondering what the question meant. And the girl continued in a voice choked by tears. “Listen, I am the girl who was lying on the road. Everybody was sure that I was dead, and that is why they covered me with a sheet and waited for the ambulance. I lay there and experienced what is called ‘clinical death.’ As it were, my soul left my body, and I was able to see everything around me, from above. I saw my smashed car, the people who ran around the scene, and the long line of cars. I could even see my own body, covered with a sheet, lying on the road. When you started to read the Tehillim, all the letters flew around me, giving me a misty feeling and pulling me downwards. At that moment, a Magen David ambulance arrived, and the medics decided to try to revive me. They tried again and again, in an attempt to start my breathing and to get my heart pumping again. All that time I felt the letters of the Tehillim wrapped around me in a pleasant light, bringing my spirit back to me. The fact that you read Tehillim saved my life, and I am calling to say thank you!”

There was nothing I could say. I was completely speechless. Before this, I had no idea about the great power of prayer and what could be achieved by reading Tehillim. And I still did not understand how this anonymous woman knew who I was.

It turns out that she had not been religious at all. After this amazing event, she repented (no surprise at all!), and she repeatedly tries to convince people to read Tehillim. Of course, she recites Tehillim herself. After the accident, she asked many of her friends if they had been at the scene and if they had seen somebody reciting Tehillim. Somehow she found my name, and it was then easy for her to get other details, including my phone number.

Ever since these events I cannot stop thinking about my amazing experience. One can never know whom she is rescuing by reading Tehillim. Let us all recite Tehillim regularly, at least five minutes every day. The Almighty is sitting high above, waiting for us, His children, to ask for what we need. And He, the merciful Father, is always ready to give it to us and to forgive us for our sins.

(Source: Received by e-mail, based on a Breslov Radio broadcast)




Reprinted with permission from Zomet Institute (http://www.zomet.org.il). Translated from the Hebrew by Moshe Goldberg. To subscribe to receive the complete version of Shabbat BeShabbato please write to dan@zomet.org.