Family's Tragedy Annulled the Decrees

It started with an electric short circuit that started the fire. The flames took over the apartment very quickly, r'l. The father, Yoaz, was in shul praying Shacharit and the mother, Atara, quickly woke up the kids to escape. She couldn't reach the front door because it was burning up. She quickly brought a bucket of water but it didn't help. She placed the 3-week old baby, Naria, by the gated window to have fresh air. She tried to place the children, two year old Shirael, and one year old Alishiv, also by the window but there was not enough room for all. Atara called her husband yelling fire, fire, fire. She moved the older kids to a safe zone, hoping it's safe but the flames quickly took over, there was nothing left to do.

Yoaz rushed home but wasn't able to enter the house, everything was on fire including his legs. All the windows shattered from the fire. He yelled to Atara to jump from the roof but she wouldn't leave without her children and she couldn't get to them. Yoaz yelled back, "jump now, you first, you cannot jump with the kids. We'll rescue the kids". Atara jumped.

The fire trucks arrived late, and Atara begged them to save the kids. The remaining 2 kids in extremely critical condition, were rushed to the hospital, as well as the parents.

Atara was not able to attend the double funeral, she was in emergency with severe burns at Rambam Hospital in Haifa. The whole town of Tzfat attended the double funeral. Yoaz walked with assistance from 2 friends, while limping on one leg, the one that got less burned. At the funeral he said, "HaShem gave, HaShem took, May HaShem's Name be Blessed. Everything is from HKB'H. We got the terrible news from HKB'H. We accept it with love. I have total belief that HKB'H gave me my precious children for a year or two. And now, it was time to return them. HKB'H knows what He is doing."

Nothing survived in the burned home. The community took care of everything, with the help of the city's municipality, including a replacement apartment to sit Shiva. Yoaz insisted on an apartment that is close by to his children's graves.

After the funeral, Yaoz went to Rabbi David of Naharia Shlita. Rabbi David told him, "Your children were tremendous holy souls and they accepted the decree to die in order to save Am Israel. Your great tragedy annulled the decree of war that is hanging over Am Israel."
שתי נשמות קדושות ועצומות עלו כקרבן להצלת עם ישראל והאסון הזה ביטל גזרת המלחמה שהיתה תלויה ועומדת על ישראל

Rabbi David Shlita of Naharia, the grandson of the Baba Sali, zs'l, took upon himself to support the family for unlimited time and money.

The 6 year old daughter Raya, who was under emergency medical supervision, passed away this morning, HaShem Ishmor. Her death is probably an even bigger Kapara for Am Israel. The mother, Atara, will be released from the hospital to attend her daughter's funeral.

Baruch Dayan HaEmet.