A Blessing in Purity
The Rav was receiving people in a country abroad. He spent days in discussion with people from all strata of society. Finally, it was time to head homeward. He had to travel to the airport to make his flight, but there were still many people waiting for his blessing or sound advice. Since the Rav did not have time to see each person individually, he gave them a collective blessing.
Among the petitioners was Mrs. Lizzy Burstein, who had come to ask for a berachah for children. Three years earlier, when the Rav had visited this same country, she was among his visitors. But then, like now, she had come on the last day and had been unable to speak with him.
When the Rav stood before the assemblage now, he noticed this woman among the crowd and signaled to her to come forward.
“Is it true that you came to ask for children?” he asked her.
The shocked woman burst into tears. She recounted that she was undergoing various difficult treatments, but the doctors refused to guarantee the effectiveness of any.
“Take upon yourself to observe taharat hamishpachah, and I promise that, B’ezrat Hashem, you will give birth to a baby boy.”
One year later, Mrs. Burstein approached the Rav when he was once again seeing petitioners. She happily related that she was expecting good news. With chasdei Hashem, his berachah had borne fruit.
See how tremendous is the mitzvah of taharat hamishpachah! It can change a harsh decree into a good one. A woman who fulfills her Creator’s desire loyally is repaid manifold times. All prosecutions are torn away, and she merits childbirth, the greatest gift possible.
