A moving story occurred in Bnei Brak on Monday evening after HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Zilberstein delivered a shiur in Bnei Brak and was about to return to his home.

When a siren sounded, HaRav Zilberstein asked his driver—Reb Dovid Tzion, one of his closest talmidim—to find a shelter. Rav Tzion stopped at HaTzvi Bakery on Rechov Kahaneman, and he and HaRav Zilberstein entered the bakery and, together with the other customers, stayed in the safe room and recited Tehillim, repeating Perek 91—”Yoshev B’Seser Elyon.”

Those present said later: “There’s nothing more calming than being caught in a rocket alert—with frightening missiles overhead— inside a shelter together with one of the Gedolei HaDor. It gave us a feeling of peacefulness and tranquility.”

They added that when a worker offered HaRav Zilberstein a chair, he firmly refused, pointing to women standing nearby with their children, saying they should sit first. He remained standing throughout the alert.

When the all‑clear was given, the Rav left the bakery, surrounded by crowds eager to receive a bracha without the need to schedule an appointment to wait in line.

But then, unexpectedly, HaRav Zilberstein stopped, turned around, and went back into the bakery. He asked his driver to bring him several baked goods so he could pay for them. When asked whether he needed anything, Rav Zilberstein replied: “I don’t need to buy anything, but I want to out of hakaras hatov. We came in here, and he allowed us to take shelter comfortably during the alert — it’s proper to show hakaras hatov and buy something.”

And so, the leading Posek in Eretz Yisrael stood in line like anyone else, took out his own wallet, and paid for a few pastries.

It should be noted that Bnei Brak experienced incredible nissim late Tuesday night, when an Iranian cluster missile led to several impact sites in the congested city, causing heavy damage. Only one person was lightly injured.

A missile scored a direct hit on one of the quieter streets in the city, in the courtyard of a choshuve avreich in the Ponevezh kollel. Shortly afterward, neighbors and emergency volunteers broke into song and dance, singing “Hodu LaHashem Ki Tov” for the incredible neis. Late-night mispallelim later davened Maariv at the impact site and held a l’chayim.

In a separate incident, missile fragments also fell on another street in the city. Once again, no injuries were reported, and residents who came out to the scene responded with spontaneous dancing.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)