Divine Guidance in Real Time

Have you ever had an experience that was so beautiful that you did not want to document it for fear of diminishing its true value?

Well, five years ago, we experienced such an amazing, “you just can’t make this up” adventure.

Why am I writing this now? Because, this morning, I received a text from my Dear Friend who is in Israel, prompting me to join her on a livestream that she was about to start. By the time I saw her text, she was almost at the completion of the livestream. Yet I arrived just in time to receive my prompt to document our adventure…..listen to her story to understand “why’.

In May of 2019, Gushin and I traveled to Israel to visit our son and his beloved. Before we arrived, he told us that they were planning to go on a tour to Meron for Lag B’Omer and asked if we would be interested in joining them. Our response was a resounding YES!!!! Meron is a very special place. That’s the same place where my father, Isaac Mordechai Antebi,Z”L received his first haircut 100 years ago!!!!

We boarded the tour van and the tour guide told us that, at the last moment, they had decided to change the route for our trip that day and that we would be making an unplanned stop in Tzfat on our way to Meron (to visit the gravesites of some of our Holy Sages). He also said that there is usually a divine surprise that occurs when he guides a tour to Meron and the he was waiting to see what would unfold.

Little did he know that Divine timing had orchestrated this trip for us. After a few minutes, I told him that we had planned to rent a car in the next few days to drive to Tzfat in order to visit the gravesites on my maternal grandparents. I also told him that they were buried in the same cemetery that we were going to visit. In fact, my grandparents Rosa and David Amar, Z”L, are buried within view of the Arizal.

After visiting the gravesites of our Holy Sages, our entire group came with us two visit my grandparents. What a Z’chut (privilege, זוכה) for me to watch and listen to my son say Tehillim (Psalms) for his Great-Grandparents.

We descended the hill to a gathering area and Gushin (my beloved) suggested that I call my mom to let her know that we just visited her parents. To our surprise, she was wanting to speak with us to let us know that it was the actual day of my Grandfather’s Yahrzeit (anniversary of his passing). The entire group ascended the hill so that my son could lead Kaddish for my Grandfather. I still get chills every time that I think of this experience.

Written in Aramaic, the Mourner’s Kaddish is the prayer traditionally recited in memory of the dead, although it makes no mention of death. It is included in all three daily prayer services. Find the words in Aramaic, transliteration and translation below.

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/text-of-the-mourners-kaddish/

Then, we boarded the tour van and continued on our journey to Meron.

And what a wild ride it was……