כבד את אביך ואת אמך (יתרו יד:לא)

Honor your father and your mother…

In the Merit of Staying With His Parents

Doctor Frankel was a renowned psychologist in Eretz Yisroel who used to share this story.

Before the Germans entered Vienna, Austria, Dr. Frankel had already arranged for himself a passport and ticket to flee Vienna.  However, he realized that if he escaped, he would need to leave his elderly parents behind. Dr. Frankel faced a dilemma, should he stay with his parents or save his own life? He davened to Hashem, saying, “Ribbono Shel Olam, send me a sign that I should know what to do.”

That same day, when he came home, he saw a stone lying on the kitchen floor.  He asked his father, “What is this stone?” His father answered, “Oy, I was walking on the streets, you know, there, two blocks away, and the Nazis ym’’s had destroyed the shul on that block, and unfortunately, they smothered and destroyed every piece of it. I found one stone that was part of the aron kodesh and brought it home for safekeeping.”

Dr. Frankel relates: “I picked up that precious piece of stone with tears in my eyes and turned it over.  And what did I see? Etched in stone were the words ‘כבד את אביך ואת אמך למען יאריכון ימיך’ – the whole pasuk was inscribed!  At that moment, I vowed to stay behind with my parents because ‘למען יאריכון ימיך’ – I would merit a long life!”  

Dr. Frankel survived the war together with his parents.

(Story told by R’ Avraham Mordche Malach, sh”lita)