How the Baba Sali's Song Saved Soldiers During the War

How the Baba Sali Prayed for Jewish Soldiers

During the First Lebanon War (1982), Rabbi Yisrael Abuhatzeira—the Baba Sali was deeply concerned about the situation. He worried about the soldiers and prayed that G-d would save them and that they would return home safe and sound. One day, during that period, when one of his close disciples entered, he suddenly extended five fingers forward, as if signaling to someone to stop. The disciple asked him, “What is that?” The Baba Sali replied, “I am protecting the soldiers so that they will not be struck by bombs and bullets.” He said, “Look, look at how G-d is saving them.” But the disciple saw nothing—he assumed that he had not yet reached that level.   The Baba Sali's Song That Saved the Soldiers After the war, a soldier who had served in it came to the Baba Sali. He told him that he and a friend had been in an armored vehicle when, suddenly, a shell struck the vehicle. They managed to jump out, but the Arabs opened fire on them from all sides. Then one soldier said to the other, “Let's sing the song of the Baba Sali, ‘Yodu Lecha Ra'yonai’. Perhaps we will be saved in the merit of this song.” They began singing, and both were saved. After the war, that same soldier who had suggested singing the Baba Sali's song decided that he would definitely visit the tzadik. As soon as he entered the Rav's room, the Baba Sali said to him: “It was precisely in the merit of the song you sang that you and your friend were saved!” The soldier told the tzadik that he had never seen the Baba Sali and did not even know anything about him, but at the most difficult moment of his life, he suddenly remembered that whenever trouble arose, his parents would always mention the Baba Sali's name in their home—and this brought salvation. The tzadik smiled and blessed the soldier with a long and prosperous life.   The Baba Sali's Song, “Yodu Lecha Ra'yonai” יודו לך רעיוני  / ר' ישראל אבוחצירה יוֹדוּ לְךָ רַעְיוֹנַי אֵל מִבֶּטֶן יוֹצְרִי עַל קִרְבָתְךָ בְּסִינַי לְהָאִיר אֶת נֵרִי עַל כֵּן בְּתַחֲנוּנַי אֲפָאֵר בְּשִׁירִי בְּכָל יָמַי וְשָׁנַי עַד לָעַד לְעוֹלָם אֶשְׂמַח בְּךָ אֵל עוֹלָם אֶשְׂמַח בְּךָ גּוֹאֵל נַפְשִׁי אֶת גְאֻלַּת עוֹלָם שְׂשׂוֹן לִבִּי הֵמָּה בְּזָכְרִי חֲסָדָיו כִּי בָחַר מִכָּל אֻמָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדָיו נֵצֶר נְטִיעָה תַמָּה הָאָבוֹת יְדִידָיו אֶבֶן צֶדֶק שְׁלֵמָה מִשֹׁרֶשׁ גִּדְּלָם רְצוֹנְךָ אֶשְׁאֲלָה חַי בַּעַל הָרָצוֹן כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּתְּחִלָּה נָהַגְתָּ אֶת הַצֹּאן בְּמִרְעֶה טוֹב וְנִפְלָא וְהָיָה כָל עֶלְצוֹן רוֹעֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל סֶלָה הַאֲזֵן אֶת קוֹלָם אַתָּה הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים הָעֵד וְהַדַּיָּן קוּם נָא לִקְרַאת גְבָהִים צְאִי נָא מְזֻיָּן לִנְקֹם נִקְמָתְךָ מֵהֶם לְהַשְׁלִים כָּל עִנְיָן שִׁמְךָ וְכִסְאֲךָ שֶׁהֵם מֵעֵין כָּל חַי נֶעְלָם לְעֹשֵׂה נִפְלָאוֹת לְבַדּוֹ אֶת יְרִיבַי יָרִיב אֲקַוֶּה תָמִיד חַסְדּוֹ הַשְׁכֵּם וְהַעֲרֵב וְלֹא יָסֵךְ בַּעֲדוֹ אֶת טִירָתוֹ יַחֲרִיב וְאָז נָשִׁיר לִכְבוֹדוֹ הַשִּׁירִים בְּמָשְׁלָם חַזֵּק צִיּוֹן מוֹעֲדֵנוּ אֲשֶׁר מְכֻוֶּנֶת מוּל זְבוּל מִקְדָּשֵׁנוּ שֶׁהִיא הַנּוֹתֶנֶת כֹּחַ עֶלְיוֹן לְגַנּוֹ עֵדֶן הַמְכוֹנֶנֶת אֲשֶׁר בָּם כָּל חֶפְצֵנוּ הֵם מִקְדָּשׁ וְאוּלָם זֹאת הָיְתָה לִּי בְעָנְיִי גְּדוֹלָה הַבְטָחָה לְאַב הָמוֹן נִסְיִי בֵּין בְּתָרִים זָרָחָה לֵאמֹר מָתַי וְאַיֵּה וּמְצֶאנָה מְנוּחָה בְּךָ כָּל מַאֲוַיַי אֵל תַּאֲוַת עוֹלָם קֵץ יָמִים גַּלֵּה לְעַם אֵלֶּה עֲמוּסֵי תְלָאוֹת גַּדֵּל צַעֲרִי וַעֲמָלִי בְפִלְאֵי-פְלָאוֹת מְצַפִּים אָבוֹת וְעוֹלָלֵי עֲשֵׂה לְטוֹבָה אוֹת כְּלִילוֹ גְדִילֵי בָנֶיךָ עַל תִּלָּם   Transliteration Yodu lecha ra'yonai El mibeten yotzri Al kirvatecha be-Sinai leha'ir et neri Al ken betachanunai afa'er beshiri Bechol yamai veshanai ad la'ad le'olam Es'mach becha El olam Es'mach becha go'el nafshi Et ge'ulat olam Sason libi hemah bezachri chasadav Ki vachar mikol ummah Yisrael avadav Netzer neti'ah tamah ha'avot yedidav Even tzedek shelemah mishoresh giddelam Retzonecha eshalah Chai ba'al haratzon Ka'asher batechilah nahagta et hatzon Bemir'eh tov venifla vehayah kol eltzon Ro'eh Yisrael selah ha'azen et kolam Atah hu ha-Elohim ha'ed vehadayyan Kum na likrat gevahim tzei na mezuyan Linkom nikmatecha mehem lehashlim kol inyan Shimcha vechise'acha shehem me'ein kol chai ne'elam Le'oseh nifla'ot levado et yerivai yariv Akaveh tamid chasdo hashkem veha'arev Velo yasech ba'ado et tirato yachriv Ve'az nashir lichvodo hashirim bemashlam Chazek Tziyon mo'adenu asher mechuvvenet Mul zevul mikdasheinu shehi hanotenet ko'ach Elyon leganno Eden hamchonenet Asher bam kol cheftzenu hem mikdash ve'ulam Zot hayetah li ve'onyi gedolah havtachah Le'av hamon nisyi bein betarim zarachah Lemor matai ve'ayeh umetz'enah menuchah Becha kol ma'avayai El ta'avat olam Ketz yamim galleh le'am elleh amusei tela'ot Gaddel tza'ari va'amali ufilei-fele'ot Metzapim avot ve'olelei aseh letovah ot Kelilo gedilei vanecha al tillam   Share this with soldiers and tell them this story. You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAcYo9581WI&t=13s (from the book “Maase Nissim,” part two, by R. Avraham Mugrabi)