In Search of A Dream...
Today, someone asked me what made me go to Kever Devorah HaNevia, a'h, in the first place. When I started answering, I realized that I never planned this, it just happened...
When I got on a plane, I knew where I was going - directly to Kever Rochel Imenu, a'h. When Rochel Imenu told me to wake up Yosef, I understood that I need to somehow get inside Sh'chem, to the Kever of her son, Yosef HaTzaddik, zs'l. Unsure how to accomplish this, I decided to go to Maarat HaMachpela and from there, I'll figure out what to do. In Ma'arat HaMachpela, I found a group of Breslevors whom were going to Mitzpe Sh'chem but understandably, they were not willing to take me.
Plan B: I'll rent a car, dress up as a muslim woman, and drive into Sh'chem. I speak a little Arabic and there should be no problems, right? But the more I thought about this plan, the more ridiculous it seems. I don't know the roads and driving alone in Sh'chem is definitely not recommended. Besides, if I ask one Arab person where is the Kever of Yosef HaTzaddik, I'll be lynched without mercy...
Plan C: I'll go to the Kotel and HaShem will help me to figure it out.
By the time I got to the Kotel, it was late evening and I was exhausted, I missed 2 nites of sleep. I called my sister and asked her for her address. She had no clue I was in Israel and was giving me her zip code... I told her I'll be by her in less than an hour.
When I got to my sister's house, I called my husband and he asked me what my plans are for the following day. If I tell him to my plan to drive into Sh'chem, he'll tell me, "better you drive to the Rabbanut". There was no way he'll let me go in there. I told him that I'm not sure of my plans. He told me, "I want you to go to Minharat Eliyahu HaNavi, zachur latov". I right away agreed because going to Sh'chem seemed impossible. I told him I'll go and afterwards, I'll go to Kever Devorah HaNevia. I asked him if he knows where she's buried but he didn't know. I told him I'll figure it out...
After going to Eliyahu HaNavi, I figured that Devorah HaNevia is probably buried somewhere in the Galil. Besides, I was already in Haifa, in the North, and if she's not buried in the Galil, I'll go to Tzfat, to the Arizal HaKadosh.
When I got on an Egged bus, the bus driver told me that he's going to Kiryat Shemona. Perfect, that's the Galil! On the bus, I sit next to a lovely air-force officer and told her that I'm going to Kever Devorah HaNevia and if she can please tell me where she's buried. The air-force officer's name is Rut. Rut told me that she doesn't know but I can get off the bus with her and she'll ask her friends. That sounded terrific and I quickly agreed. I dozed off. When she woke me up, she told me that she changed her plans and will be going to Kiryat Shemona. She showed me where to get off the bus, at Junction Koach, and told me to cross over the Junction and wait for a connecting bus.
I had no clue where I was going but Rut's directions seemed fine. I waited at the bus stop for over 30 minutes. Hardly any cars passed by and definitely no buses. The time was about 4:30 pm and it was starting to get dark, it was December. I decided I'm going to hitchike and will see what happens... The first car that stopped was a man and I didn't want to get in the car with him. It suddenly dawned on me that hitchiking is very dangerous and to get in a car with a strange man, is not just dangerous but plain stupid. Instead, I asked him to tell me where is Kever Devorah HaNevia. He didn't just chuckle, he laughed in my face and told me there's no Kever Devorah anywhere!!! As proof to show me that he knows what he is talking about, he told me that he lives in this area for decades.
I started panicking but then he told me that all the kevers of the Tzaddikim are fake and no one really knows where anyone is buried, I unpanicked. I thought in my mind, 'HaShem is testing my will. This guy doesn't believe in anything so am I going to believe him?'.
He drove off...
The next car stops, it's a woman, b'h. She asked me where do I want to go so I tell her to Kever Devorah HaNevia. The woman didn't laugh but politely smiled and said, "Metuka, there is no Kever of Devorah HaNevia here. I live here all my life and I heard about Devorah HaNevia. If she was buried in the area I live, I'd go every day to her!!!".
She told me she's going upwards to Ramot Naftali and asked me if I want a ride. I got in the car and she had a plate of Sufganiyot, it was the night before the first candle of Chanukah. She offered me a sufganiya but I wasn't in the mood of chewing... She told me that her name is Batsheva. I had the chills when I heard her name. I thought in my mind that definitely I'm in the right direction. HaShem is sending me encouragement thru the names of Rut and Batsheva and somehow, these women are messengers that will help me find Kever Devorah HaNevia.
She parked her car by her house and invited me in for coffee and offered me to sleep in her house so tomorrow morning I can catch the bus home. There were no buses at this time of night...
I politely declined and asked her for directions to the Moshav's office. Maybe someone there, with a name like Devorah, will be the third messenger to help me... She told me that the office is closed because of the late hour. I told her to give me the directions anyway. She said, "Go up the hill and on the right is the office, the dark empty office". She was very kind and told me that if I am stuck, I should return to her house and the offer to sleep in her home is still open...
I started walking up the hill and see a person. I wanted to ask her for her name... Instead I asked her to tell me where Kever Devorah is. She said she doesn't understand the question and walked away. I continued walking up the hill and heard a dog barking. I don't know why but I decided to walk in the direction of this dog. Behind the houses, I see a supermarket and in front, is a nice big dog. I walk inside the supermarket, there were about 5 people inside and I make an announcement, "I am looking for Kever Devorah HaNevia, does anyone know where she is buried???????????"
Needless to say, the customers and the store owner were bewildered at my 'announcement'. In my mind, I didn't care anymore what people think. I want to go to Kever Devorah HaNevia and this is my focus!!!! Not surprisingly, no one knew where she is buried but they all knew that she's definitely not buried here in their Moshav or within 1,000 km radius...
I sat down on an empty chair and put my head between my hands, what am I going to do???? Just then, the store owner tells to make myself useful and hand him a shopping bag. I asked him where is it and he told me that it's hanging on the wall. I turn towards the wall and don't see any shopping bags. He gets up, walks to the wall and pulls a bunch of shopping bags. He tells me, 'If you can't see the shopping bags infront of you, how are you ever going to find kever Devorah HaNevia?'.
He was right, I failed. There is no Kever Devorah HaNevia here and even if there is, I'll probably never find it....
But he was wrong, b'h!!!!!!!!! They were all wrong!!!!!!! That evening we found kever Devorah HaNevia - Divine Providence.
When I returned to NY Sunday morning, my husband told me that Friday night, he had a dream and was told that the mission to awake Yosef was a tremendeous success.
We didn't understand. If I didn't even really attempt going inside Sh'chem to Kever Yosef HaTzaddik, how is the mission to wake Yosef a success? Only much much later, we understood. We found out that the Zohar HaKadosh, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, zs'l, says that Devorah HaNevia, a'h, was Moshiach ben Yosef of her generation. We now understood.
When Rochel Imenu said, 'Wake up Yosef', she was referring to Devorah HaNevia. When we found Kever Devorah HaNevia that evening, without being aware, I was yelling at the top of my lungs, while looking upwards to Shamayim, 'WAKE UP WAKE UP DEVORAH, WAKE UP WAKE UP עוּרִי עוּרִי דְּבֹורָה עוּרִי עוּרִי
| 0 comments
When I got on a plane, I knew where I was going - directly to Kever Rochel Imenu, a'h. When Rochel Imenu told me to wake up Yosef, I understood that I need to somehow get inside Sh'chem, to the Kever of her son, Yosef HaTzaddik, zs'l. Unsure how to accomplish this, I decided to go to Maarat HaMachpela and from there, I'll figure out what to do. In Ma'arat HaMachpela, I found a group of Breslevors whom were going to Mitzpe Sh'chem but understandably, they were not willing to take me.
Plan B: I'll rent a car, dress up as a muslim woman, and drive into Sh'chem. I speak a little Arabic and there should be no problems, right? But the more I thought about this plan, the more ridiculous it seems. I don't know the roads and driving alone in Sh'chem is definitely not recommended. Besides, if I ask one Arab person where is the Kever of Yosef HaTzaddik, I'll be lynched without mercy...
Plan C: I'll go to the Kotel and HaShem will help me to figure it out.
By the time I got to the Kotel, it was late evening and I was exhausted, I missed 2 nites of sleep. I called my sister and asked her for her address. She had no clue I was in Israel and was giving me her zip code... I told her I'll be by her in less than an hour.
When I got to my sister's house, I called my husband and he asked me what my plans are for the following day. If I tell him to my plan to drive into Sh'chem, he'll tell me, "better you drive to the Rabbanut". There was no way he'll let me go in there. I told him that I'm not sure of my plans. He told me, "I want you to go to Minharat Eliyahu HaNavi, zachur latov". I right away agreed because going to Sh'chem seemed impossible. I told him I'll go and afterwards, I'll go to Kever Devorah HaNevia. I asked him if he knows where she's buried but he didn't know. I told him I'll figure it out...
After going to Eliyahu HaNavi, I figured that Devorah HaNevia is probably buried somewhere in the Galil. Besides, I was already in Haifa, in the North, and if she's not buried in the Galil, I'll go to Tzfat, to the Arizal HaKadosh.
When I got on an Egged bus, the bus driver told me that he's going to Kiryat Shemona. Perfect, that's the Galil! On the bus, I sit next to a lovely air-force officer and told her that I'm going to Kever Devorah HaNevia and if she can please tell me where she's buried. The air-force officer's name is Rut. Rut told me that she doesn't know but I can get off the bus with her and she'll ask her friends. That sounded terrific and I quickly agreed. I dozed off. When she woke me up, she told me that she changed her plans and will be going to Kiryat Shemona. She showed me where to get off the bus, at Junction Koach, and told me to cross over the Junction and wait for a connecting bus.
I had no clue where I was going but Rut's directions seemed fine. I waited at the bus stop for over 30 minutes. Hardly any cars passed by and definitely no buses. The time was about 4:30 pm and it was starting to get dark, it was December. I decided I'm going to hitchike and will see what happens... The first car that stopped was a man and I didn't want to get in the car with him. It suddenly dawned on me that hitchiking is very dangerous and to get in a car with a strange man, is not just dangerous but plain stupid. Instead, I asked him to tell me where is Kever Devorah HaNevia. He didn't just chuckle, he laughed in my face and told me there's no Kever Devorah anywhere!!! As proof to show me that he knows what he is talking about, he told me that he lives in this area for decades.
I started panicking but then he told me that all the kevers of the Tzaddikim are fake and no one really knows where anyone is buried, I unpanicked. I thought in my mind, 'HaShem is testing my will. This guy doesn't believe in anything so am I going to believe him?'.
He drove off...
The next car stops, it's a woman, b'h. She asked me where do I want to go so I tell her to Kever Devorah HaNevia. The woman didn't laugh but politely smiled and said, "Metuka, there is no Kever of Devorah HaNevia here. I live here all my life and I heard about Devorah HaNevia. If she was buried in the area I live, I'd go every day to her!!!".
She told me she's going upwards to Ramot Naftali and asked me if I want a ride. I got in the car and she had a plate of Sufganiyot, it was the night before the first candle of Chanukah. She offered me a sufganiya but I wasn't in the mood of chewing... She told me that her name is Batsheva. I had the chills when I heard her name. I thought in my mind that definitely I'm in the right direction. HaShem is sending me encouragement thru the names of Rut and Batsheva and somehow, these women are messengers that will help me find Kever Devorah HaNevia.
She parked her car by her house and invited me in for coffee and offered me to sleep in her house so tomorrow morning I can catch the bus home. There were no buses at this time of night...
I politely declined and asked her for directions to the Moshav's office. Maybe someone there, with a name like Devorah, will be the third messenger to help me... She told me that the office is closed because of the late hour. I told her to give me the directions anyway. She said, "Go up the hill and on the right is the office, the dark empty office". She was very kind and told me that if I am stuck, I should return to her house and the offer to sleep in her home is still open...
I started walking up the hill and see a person. I wanted to ask her for her name... Instead I asked her to tell me where Kever Devorah is. She said she doesn't understand the question and walked away. I continued walking up the hill and heard a dog barking. I don't know why but I decided to walk in the direction of this dog. Behind the houses, I see a supermarket and in front, is a nice big dog. I walk inside the supermarket, there were about 5 people inside and I make an announcement, "I am looking for Kever Devorah HaNevia, does anyone know where she is buried???????????"
Needless to say, the customers and the store owner were bewildered at my 'announcement'. In my mind, I didn't care anymore what people think. I want to go to Kever Devorah HaNevia and this is my focus!!!! Not surprisingly, no one knew where she is buried but they all knew that she's definitely not buried here in their Moshav or within 1,000 km radius...
I sat down on an empty chair and put my head between my hands, what am I going to do???? Just then, the store owner tells to make myself useful and hand him a shopping bag. I asked him where is it and he told me that it's hanging on the wall. I turn towards the wall and don't see any shopping bags. He gets up, walks to the wall and pulls a bunch of shopping bags. He tells me, 'If you can't see the shopping bags infront of you, how are you ever going to find kever Devorah HaNevia?'.
He was right, I failed. There is no Kever Devorah HaNevia here and even if there is, I'll probably never find it....
But he was wrong, b'h!!!!!!!!! They were all wrong!!!!!!! That evening we found kever Devorah HaNevia - Divine Providence. When I returned to NY Sunday morning, my husband told me that Friday night, he had a dream and was told that the mission to awake Yosef was a tremendeous success.
We didn't understand. If I didn't even really attempt going inside Sh'chem to Kever Yosef HaTzaddik, how is the mission to wake Yosef a success? Only much much later, we understood. We found out that the Zohar HaKadosh, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, zs'l, says that Devorah HaNevia, a'h, was Moshiach ben Yosef of her generation. We now understood.
When Rochel Imenu said, 'Wake up Yosef', she was referring to Devorah HaNevia. When we found Kever Devorah HaNevia that evening, without being aware, I was yelling at the top of my lungs, while looking upwards to Shamayim, 'WAKE UP WAKE UP DEVORAH, WAKE UP WAKE UP עוּרִי עוּרִי דְּבֹורָה עוּרִי עוּרִי
Labels: Prophet Devorah
0 Comments: