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Otherworldy encounter

Written by Yoni Ganger

The following is a true story:

Recently, the beautiful Jerusalem skylight set the stage for divine theatre that I would find hard to believe if I did not know the people involved. * Kira’s wedding veil drifted lightly as the wind gusted. Hunched over a book of Psalms and with a special letter in hand, she sat in front of the Wailing Wall in lucid, yet intense concentration. In just a few short hours she would be underneath a Chuppah with a groom who she knew stood just a

few meters away on the other side of the mechitza. It had been an entire week since Kira had spoken or seen him as is customary prior to a religious wedding. The letter in Kira’s hand was not an ordinary letter sent from a loved one; rather it was an unsent letter to a loved one. She had written the letter shortly after her mother passed away in a tragic car accident a few years ago. Kira had been in the car that day and had been wounded badly. Her recovery not only included physical healing but also a valiant spiritual recovery that led her to the very spot where she sat now. Within the letter, one particular paragraph stood out. Despite Kira’s knowledge that her mother was with her in spirit, her soul craved a more tangible sign, particularly on the biggest day of her life. As she explained to her mother in the letter, the soul is confined to a body that limits its expanse and spiritual perception. She lingered on the words of the letter that cried out quietly for her mother to give a sign that she was there with her today. Her meditative plea deepened until she felt a hand begin to rub her shoulder. Rather than become startled, she felt a deep sense of calm. Warm tears welled up beneath her eye-lids until they could no longer contain them. With fresh tears on her cheeks, she looked up and there stood a middle aged religious woman who she had never seen before. The woman told Kira that she was not sure why, but that she felt an unexplainable draw to go over to her at that moment. A spiritual intensity beckoned from that direction and a wounded and sensitive soul like this woman had sensed it. It is not normal to begin to rub a stranger’s back, especially when that person is a bride steeped in personal prayer. Kira explained to the woman that she had come just as Kira had beseeched to her mother who had died in a car accident. Taken aback, the woman replied that she too had a tragic story to tell. Two and a half weeks ago, her young daughter Devorah and baby granddaughter had been killed in a car accident in Jerusalem . She had finally come to Jerusalem to seek healing. She elaborated that she felt that it was the spirit of her daughter Devorah that had led her to Kira. The woman described Devorah as a jovial and easily risible person. Kira thought to herself and decided that this is precisely the way she would describe her mother. They chatted a few moments longer and both were visibly touched by the encounter. Before the woman left, Kira offered her a blessing. On her wedding day, a bride’s spiritual ability is amplified and Kira desired to use it. She gave the woman a blessing of comfort and more than ever before both she and the woman felt the transmission. The woman walked away comforted and met her husband. She related the encounter and remained visibly moved. After a few minutes, they received a phone call from their host Rabbi who happened to be near the Old City and offered them a ride back to Har Nof. The Rabbi and Rebbetzin had played an integral part of her daughter’s life as they had helped her find a husband and remained close with the young couple afterwards. The husband began to tell the story of the Cotel bride to the Rabbi. He inquired the name of the bride and after finding out the name, told the couple that he knew the bride and planned to go to the wedding. Aptly, the woman decided that she would go as well.

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