At periodic intervals throughout the year, the CMC runs a community-wide campaign offering the opportunity for individuals to have their tefillin and mezuzot checked by an expert certified scribe. Over the years, we have regularly been privileged to witness amazing miracles and Divine Providence in connection with this practice. The following story is but one recent example.
When Dan was diagnosed with leukemia, it was a terribly difficult blow. However, the doctors were hopeful about saving Dan’s life if only a matching donor could be found for a stem cell transplant. As it turned out, from all of the databases and registries that were searched, exactly one was found to be a match – Dan’s brother, who lives in Israel. A successful transplant would mean that Dan’s blood cells would become transplanted by his brother’s healthy cells. Thus, in a sense, Dan’s leukemia would be healed by “becoming” his brother. Still, Dan was warned, not every transplant is successful. Transplants can fail when the recipient’s system rejects the donor cells, or when the donor cells attack the recipient.
Those months were incredibly difficult for Dan and his family. Between the high dosages of pre-transplant chemotherapy and the intense days surrounding the procedure itself, it felt like he was suffering endlessly between life and death. Following the transplant, Dan needed frequent medical tests to check on his body’s progress in accepting the transplant so that his immune system would be successfully “taken over” by his brother’s healthy cells. Until this happened, Dan had effectively no immune system. Extremely weak, vulnerable and stressed, Dan felt like he was just hanging on by a thread.
And then, in the midst of the suffering, there came yet another tragedy. On the way to synagogue for Yom Kippur, Dan’s wife was hit by a car. Her injuries included a broken knee, which prevented her from walking unaided for many weeks thereafter. For Dan and his wife, this latest calamity was too much to bear; it felt like their lives had been turned completely upside down. They decided to take the spiritual initiative, and called the CMC to request that all of their mezuzot be checked.
Upon examination by the CMC’s expert scribe, it was determined that nearly half of the mezuzot belonging to Dan and his wife contained defects. The mezuzah that was found to have the most acute defects was the one that had been installed on the couple’s bedroom door. In addition to other (severe) issues, this particular mezuzah scroll had been inserted and was hanging upside down in its case!
Needless to say, Dan and his wife ordered new mezuzot from the CMC to replace the defective ones. In view of the circumstances, Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Wolf made sure to expedite the order even faster than usual, and to take extra care to personally affix the new mezuzot in the proper manner. Dan and his wife were extremely grateful to Rabbi Wolf and to the CMC for taking such personal care and for making the process so smooth and easy. The knowledge that only certified, excellent-quality mezuzot were now installed in their home was reassuring, and it fortified them in the belief that Divine Providence would soon turn their fortunes aright again.
It wasn’t long before that belief was vindicated in the clearest possible manner. On his very next visit to the doctor, Dan was informed that according to the new test results, his immune system had now been taken over one hundred percent by his brother’s blood cells.
“Congratulations!” exclaimed the doctor. “Dan, you are now in remission – you have finally “become” your brother!”
The miracle was not yet complete. The very next day, a piece of “random” promotional mail arrived in Dan’s letterbox at home. It was from a well-known company, and there was nothing unusual about it in any way – except for the fact that it was not addressed to the name of Dan or his wife, but to the full name of Dan’s brother! Such a thing had never occurred before, and neither Dan nor his wife or brother could think of any rational explanation for it. Therefore, in awe and gratitude they concluded that it could only be a sign from heaven to confirm that the transplant had indeed achieved complete success.
As they concluded telling their story, Dan and his wife expressed profound gratitude for all of G-d’s blessings. Dan thanked the CMC for raising community awareness about checking mezuzot, as well as for providing so many other programs and services for the community. “And what I appreciate most about the CMC,” he said, “is their truly deep caring and absolute devotion to help the people who need it the most, in whatever way possible.”