A Family Saved on Yom Kippur

Baron Herzog of Kedem wines was also a talmid of the Rav. His entire family, twenty-six people, were held by the Nazis in a small camp that was a transit stop for Auschwitz. Every day thousands of people were sent from it onto the trains that took them to their deaths. The Baron himself was not interned there, and he used every connection, including huge bribes, to get his family out. Nothing worked.

Then he heard that on motzoei Yom Kippur his family was on the list for the transport. Before Yom Kippur he sent his chavrusa, Reb Refual Cohen, to Galanta, to make sure that before every tefillah he would tell the Galanta Rav of the family's plight. After every tefillah the Rav told Reb Refual that the decree was very great and he did not know if he could accomplish anything.

After Ne'ilah he told Reb Refual that he felt he had broken through and that good news would come soon. The next day the Nazis unexpectedly released the whole family, without anyone taking credit. For the rest of his life Baron Herzog said that his Rav had saved his entire family.