In the updated version of HaAdmor Rabbeinu Yisrael Abuchatzera: His Story and His Miracles (a Hebrew-language biography of the Baba Sali written by his son-in-law Rav Aryeh Yehudah Harel), the follow story appears on page 331-332.
(A biography appears in English called: Baba Sali, Our Holy Teacher: His Life, Piety, Teachings, and Miracles – by Rav Eliyahu Alfasi and Rav Yechiel Torgeman; translated by Leah Dolinger)
I never heard this story before and found it fascinating.
(A biography appears in English called: Baba Sali, Our Holy Teacher: His Life, Piety, Teachings, and Miracles – by Rav Eliyahu Alfasi and Rav Yechiel Torgeman; translated by Leah Dolinger)
I never heard this story before and found it fascinating.
Three Bizarrely Brazen Youths
Toward the end of the Baba Sali's life, he understandably developed a need to rest in the afternoon.
Because he napped during that time, his family members scheduled their errands during that time, knowing they weren't needed.
Apparently, it became a known thing that the home sat mostly empty during those hours, with the elderly Baba Sali napping in his room.
Since even secular Jews maintained reverence for his holy personality, no suspected a lack of home security in the arrangements.
In fact, back in Morocco, even the Arabs maintained a healthy reverence for him, especially after seeing both positive and negative consequences depending on whether they respected or disrespected the holy Torah Sage.
The Moroccan king himself, a scion of 800 years of royalty from the 'Alawi dynasty, King Muhammad V, invited the Baba Sali to his palace in Rabat to receive a blessing for himself and for his newborn son, Prince Hassan II, in 1929.
(In fact, King Muhammad V invited the Baba Sali to visit him several times prior, with the king and his family always treating the Baba Sali with the greatest respect – and the Baba Sali always treating them with tremendous respect and appreciation.)
The Baba Sali blessed the newborn prince and declared his certainty that the blessing would remain with Hassan II as long as he knew to treat the Jewish community well.
King Hassan II ruled from 1961 until his death in 1999, after which his reign and the Baba Sali's blessing apparently passed on to the present ruler, King Muhammad the Sixth.
As we see from Morocco's relative stability and security, the Baba Sali's promise and blessing holds fast even until today.
While many royal families in both Europe and the Middle East faced ejection, exile, and an end to their royal rule with both world wars and the upheavals of the 1950s, the Moroccan family remained steadfast through it all.
Even a temporary forced exile in the 1950s did not prevent King Muhammad V and his son Prince Hassan II from returning to Morocco and retaking the throne.
(Throughout Europe and the Middle East, retaking a forcibly deposed throne did not happen – except for the rabbinically blessed Moroccan royalty.)
Though Morocco sometimes experiences hiccups from certain elements influenced by political and religious radicalism, the king always manages to quell them – in fact, it was one of the only North African countries that maintained relative stability throughout the Arab Spring in 2010s.
So in Netivot in the 1980s, no one seriously entertained concerns about home security.
But bizarrely, 3 irreligious youths decided to break into the Baba Sali's home at that time, enter his study while he rested in a nearby room, and steal the large amounts of cash and coins kept in a drawer (sums which the Baba Sali doled out to the physically and spiritually needy).
Because he napped during that time, his family members scheduled their errands during that time, knowing they weren't needed.
Apparently, it became a known thing that the home sat mostly empty during those hours, with the elderly Baba Sali napping in his room.
Since even secular Jews maintained reverence for his holy personality, no suspected a lack of home security in the arrangements.
In fact, back in Morocco, even the Arabs maintained a healthy reverence for him, especially after seeing both positive and negative consequences depending on whether they respected or disrespected the holy Torah Sage.
The Moroccan king himself, a scion of 800 years of royalty from the 'Alawi dynasty, King Muhammad V, invited the Baba Sali to his palace in Rabat to receive a blessing for himself and for his newborn son, Prince Hassan II, in 1929.
(In fact, King Muhammad V invited the Baba Sali to visit him several times prior, with the king and his family always treating the Baba Sali with the greatest respect – and the Baba Sali always treating them with tremendous respect and appreciation.)
The Baba Sali blessed the newborn prince and declared his certainty that the blessing would remain with Hassan II as long as he knew to treat the Jewish community well.
King Hassan II ruled from 1961 until his death in 1999, after which his reign and the Baba Sali's blessing apparently passed on to the present ruler, King Muhammad the Sixth.
As we see from Morocco's relative stability and security, the Baba Sali's promise and blessing holds fast even until today.
While many royal families in both Europe and the Middle East faced ejection, exile, and an end to their royal rule with both world wars and the upheavals of the 1950s, the Moroccan family remained steadfast through it all.
Even a temporary forced exile in the 1950s did not prevent King Muhammad V and his son Prince Hassan II from returning to Morocco and retaking the throne.
(Throughout Europe and the Middle East, retaking a forcibly deposed throne did not happen – except for the rabbinically blessed Moroccan royalty.)
Though Morocco sometimes experiences hiccups from certain elements influenced by political and religious radicalism, the king always manages to quell them – in fact, it was one of the only North African countries that maintained relative stability throughout the Arab Spring in 2010s.
So in Netivot in the 1980s, no one seriously entertained concerns about home security.
But bizarrely, 3 irreligious youths decided to break into the Baba Sali's home at that time, enter his study while he rested in a nearby room, and steal the large amounts of cash and coins kept in a drawer (sums which the Baba Sali doled out to the physically and spiritually needy).
A Terrifying Miracle
Justifying their crime by convincing themselves that "it doesn't matter; he won't even miss it because all the money is constantly replenished anyway via all the ongoing donations," they slipped into the home of the Baba Sali.
Just as they figured, the home remained empty – except for the Baba Sali. They peeked into his room and saw him fast asleep.
They entered his study, opened up the drawer near his desk, and withdrew all the bills they found there, then immediately filed out to make a hasty exit...
...only to discover the door to the home was no longer there.
No door, no doorway, no doorframe.
Just a wall.
Wildly scanning the room, they searched for a window – but the windows also disappeared.
They found themselves enclosed in the home by walls with no doors, windows, or any kind of opening.
Understanding that a frightening miracle had happened in the merit of the tzaddik, fear and remorse struck the hearts of the 3 potential thieves.
Meanwhile, the Baba Sali awoke and understood that a home invasion was taking place.
He called out to them to come to him.
With no other choice, the 3 youths slunk into the Baba Sali's room. They immediately returned the money and begged for forgiveness.
They promised they would never do such a thing ever again.
Just as they figured, the home remained empty – except for the Baba Sali. They peeked into his room and saw him fast asleep.
They entered his study, opened up the drawer near his desk, and withdrew all the bills they found there, then immediately filed out to make a hasty exit...
...only to discover the door to the home was no longer there.
No door, no doorway, no doorframe.
Just a wall.
Wildly scanning the room, they searched for a window – but the windows also disappeared.
They found themselves enclosed in the home by walls with no doors, windows, or any kind of opening.
Understanding that a frightening miracle had happened in the merit of the tzaddik, fear and remorse struck the hearts of the 3 potential thieves.
Meanwhile, the Baba Sali awoke and understood that a home invasion was taking place.
He called out to them to come to him.
With no other choice, the 3 youths slunk into the Baba Sali's room. They immediately returned the money and begged for forgiveness.
They promised they would never do such a thing ever again.
Three Predictions from the Baba Sali
The Baba Sali gazed at them for a while, then said to the first of the three, "You...have a chance."
Then he gazed at the second one and said, "As for you...there's no chance."
And turning to the third, he said, "And as for you...I do not know what will be with you?"
Then he sent them off.
Then he gazed at the second one and said, "As for you...there's no chance."
And turning to the third, he said, "And as for you...I do not know what will be with you?"
Then he sent them off.
How were These Predictions Fulfilled?
And what became of these 3 young bizarrely brazen youths?
1) After a short time, the first one (to whom the Baba Sali declared he had a chance) made total teshuvah, eventually becoming a ben Torah and a talmid chacham.
2) The second (whom the Baba Sali declared as "no chance") died in a car accident not long after this event.
3) The third (about whom even the Baba Sali did not know what would be with him), continued in a phase of repeated extreme ups and extreme downs – without seeming to ever break this cycle.
1) After a short time, the first one (to whom the Baba Sali declared he had a chance) made total teshuvah, eventually becoming a ben Torah and a talmid chacham.
2) The second (whom the Baba Sali declared as "no chance") died in a car accident not long after this event.
3) The third (about whom even the Baba Sali did not know what would be with him), continued in a phase of repeated extreme ups and extreme downs – without seeming to ever break this cycle.
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