Rav Mutzafi Shlit"a Eulogizes His Sister

Rav Mutzafi's sister Rahel recently passed away, and Rav Mutzafi Shlit"a talks about her life on his website (in Hebrew).

An scary story with a miraculous happy ending (with eerie similarities to another recent story that didn't end as well) happened to her when she was 3 years old in around the year 5701-2 (1941-2).

She used to accompany her father, Rav Salman Mutzafi ZT"L, to the Beit Midrash every day in the Geula neighborhood of Yerushalayim since she was 2 and being a precocious child, her father would take time out of his studies to give her age-appropriate work to do.

One day, however, Rav Salman Mutzafi needed to go 2 hours early to the Beit Midrash and could not take her along.  Rahel saw her father leaving early and ran to her mother, asking her if she could chase after her father and come along.  Her mother agreed, and Rahel ran to catch up with her father.  Her father, however, was very quick in going to the Beit Midrash and she lost him in the distance.  She tried to follow him regardless, but got lost on the way.  She missed the turn onto Hagai Street, and continued on to the main street of Geula, crossed Kikar Shabbat into Meah She'arim until she reached the end of Rehov Meah She'arim.

At this point, as she was close to the Arab neighborhoods, an Arab Jew-hater spotted her and planned to kidnap her.  He approached her smiling, handing her a Kosher candy from his pocket, and grabbed her, marching with her straight to Hanevi'im Street towards the Old City until they reached Sha'ar Shechem (Damascus Gate).

However, HKB"H, Who was watching from above, sent her mother's second cousin to be at the right place at the right time.  She "happened" to be praying at the Kotel that morning and then went to the Old City Shuk to buy food for Shabbat 30 seconds before the Arab passed through the gate with the little girl in hand about to go through the narrow alleyways of the Muslim Quarter.  This cousin was standing right in front of them, and called out "Rahel!  Who grabbed you?"  The Arab tried to disappear in the crowd, but the cousin blocked his path and screamed, "Thief!  Kidnapper!  Stop immediately!"

Everyone - both Jews and Arabs - started gathering around and she screamed, "You kidnapped my cousin!"    The Arab was still determined to carry out his plan, and said, "This girl is my daughter - she's a Muslim!"  Immediately, the girl spoke up and said, "I'm a Jew, the daughter of Hacham Salman!"  The Arab decided to run away, and finally, the British police came, and after an investigation, gave Rahel over to the cousin, who brought her home.

Read the rest of his eulogy there (in Hebrew) for this Tzadeiket.