An open letter of gratitude.
Lying in bed, fast asleep late Friday night I hear a man’s voice in our Crown Heights apartment.
Drifting between sleep and consciousness I think I’m dreaming.
I’m hoping I’m dreaming.
It’s just my wife, our kids and me, or so I thought.
But the voice grew stronger, waking me up.
I get up and quietly and walk towards the noise.
Suddenly I hear him again.
“Bentzion, Bentzion?” The unexpected voice didn’t sound threatening at all.
“Bentzion, your son?” Hearing my son being mentioned, whatever fear I might have had dispersed and I walked to the front door which was wide open.
“Elisha, your son was outside by the street.” The man informs me. He was standing there with my landlord who was in his pajamas.
“What do you mean?” I ask him dumbfounded, “Our 2 year-old son is sleeping.”
“Bentzion, your son was outside on the street. He must’ve opened the doors and gotten out.”
I’m completely stunned. “Is he OK? Where is he?” I ask, timid of an answer.
“Your son is fine, he is in your apartment already.” The nice man reassures me.
At that moment I look for my son and see him walking with a bottle as if nothing happened in the hallway.
Our baby is fine! Thank you Hashem.
“How did you find him? What time is it?” I ask, shocked, shaken and physically shaking.
“I’m from Shomrim. I was on my patrol and I saw your son by the street on the sidewalk at approx. 4 in the morning. It’s after 4am now,” he tells me with an expressive face.
My glance drops to the walkie-talkie hanging off his belt. I had no idea anybody was protecting the neighborhood at such late hours in general and on Shabbos in particular. I’m taken aback.
“You might want to double lock your doors from now on,” he warns me.
“Your 2 year-old opened all the doors to the outside, Be very careful.”
“Good Shabbos,” he tells me as he goes back outside to continue his patrol.
“Thank you so much. Good Shabbos,” I tell both the Shomer and my landlord who kindly opened the door which is locked to the outside, for my son and the man from Shomrim.
After they left, both my wife and I just couldn’t stop kissing our beloved little baby boy, afraid to entertain any thought whatsoever as to what could’ve been, G-d forbid, in the dark street.
We place him on the bed and hug him nonstop.
“We love you.” We tell him again and again.
We are utterly unnerved.
My heart is pounding.
As he falls asleep safe in his bed we talk about this bizarre circumstance.
“How could this have happened? How could he open all three doors to the outside,” I wondered.
“He was looking for me,” my wife stated simply. “Around this time of night he always wakes up and comes to my bed. Tonight I fell asleep in the girls room and since he didn’t see me in my bed, he went searching for me.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why would he open the doors and go outside?” I asked.
“Well it kind of happened before. One time I left him in front of the computer to watch a DVD while I went downstairs to get the girls from the school bus. I left the door open just a crack in case he wanted to come down. I guess he got sick of the video and he walked down and saw us just as the girls came from the bus. I opened the door for him downstairs so that he could be outside with us. He probably thought we were downstairs just like last time, however, I had no idea he was capable of opening doors like these. If I learned one lesson from this is to never underestimate what a child can do, even a toddler!”
As I was contemplating my wife’s theory she continued incredulously..
“It’s so bizarre, just a couple of days ago I a friend of mine was telling me that she made a certain mistake with her kids supervision and now she looks at her kids with a whole new level of appreciation and sees Hashems Hashgach in a revealed way like never before. That friend told that a toddler of a friend of hers crossed Eastern Parkway by themselves by mistake and I immediately judged the mother thinking how could a mother let such a thing happen, and here it just happened to me!”
“I had no idea that someone is patrolling Crown Heights at 4 AM. Isn’t that completely incredible?!” I ask my wife. “What an amazing Hashgacha Pratis!” I declare. “From the entire area in Crown Heights, which is pretty big, for this Shomrim member to just happen to walk by our son and literally saving him is very extraordinary.”
The whole Shabbos we couldn’t stop kissing our son and were extremely appreciative of this special miracle that happened to us.
We are infinitely grateful of the incredible protection that Hashem send us in the form of an angel from Shomrim, who selflessly was strolling in the wee hours of Shabbos night while the majority of Crown Heights were fast asleep (except for our 2 year-old son!)
Thank you Hashem. Thank you Shomrim. Thank you Yossi Fraenkel (The musician, JewishSinger.com) the angel that saved our son.
Sincerely,
Rabbi Bentzion E.and Family
this happened in texas too one of the little kids in teh community was lost for a little and someone picked him up BH
thank you H’ for always watching !
thank you Shomrim for a wonderful job,again !!
Very true what this little kid’s mom said – never underestimate a little toddler. When my kid was 2 she also figured out how to unlock the front door!!! Parents – make sure you have locks high up, and out of reach of your children. They sure can surprise you!! May we always here good news.
i had tears rolling down my cheeks reading this incredible story. Thank you hashem! thank you yossi F! And thank you for making all parents aware of this possible danger.
p.s. i am so impressed with the ahavas yisroel of all the commentators–bh positive and encouraging comments! bli ayin hara!
moshiach now
yossi is amazing! always happy and ready to help!
Yossi is definitely an ish chesed who has done lots of good for the community. Most of it goes unnoticed. It’s nice to see him recognized.
boruch hashem boruch hashem boruch hashem its a amzing to hear such a story just shows on miracles these days
My son was 2 and he used his little tikes truck to climb up to unlock the doors…..It took 2 minutes of non supervision and someone brought him home from a very busy street… My son is now B”H 26.
We had a locksmith add another lock way up and too high…for his truck…
my brother would put his then-toddlers outside the apartment while getting ready to leave. they would walk around and maybe climb up a flight or two of stairs. once he put them outside and then couldnt find them; they were wandering around on the roof!
YOU can always put on those special door handles!!!
WE have them all over the house & my 31/2 can’t even open the doors on her own including the FRONT DOOR!!!!
Exactly 22 years ago(I don’t recall if it was Shabbos/Tisha B’av), my lil’ bro who was then 2 1/2 walked out of shul in CALIFORNIA, & was brought to the police station………B”H he was later brought back to us(which is a Nes itself)…Gotta be very careful!!!!!!!!
Yes, we have to get the word out there – two-year-olds CAN and WILL unlock your doors!!! Put a top lock or chain that is too high for them to reach even with a chair!!!
im sorry to hear u think this is funny its funny at all!
guys please put a lock on top of the door please be prevntive “think a head”
wow!!! BARUCH HASHEM, He was saved!
Shomrim keep up the great work!! may we merit to see Moshiach in our days! amen ,
we should also always put double locks all over our doors. etc… very freaky this story but amazing how he got him back! BH! MOSHIACH NOWWWWWW!
Never Underestimate The Powers Of A 2 Year Old!!!
we should all learn from the family to show hakaras hatov to those who deserve it!
my 2 yr old put on his coat, walked out of the apt door, took elevator down to main floor and started walking out the front door of the building b4 he was found!
Thank you very much Yossi Fraenkel.
(People: sign your names on the comments. If you sign your names it’s stronger proof that real people care and are involved. There’s nothing to fear.)
For an 11 year old to write like that , you must be an amazing kid !!!
What school do you attend ?
Hatzlacha !
That is very freaky but Thx to Shomrim and Yossi! Also, as a tip, maybe u should lock ur doors for the safety of robbery AND FOR UR SON!!!!!!
Because you brought a shidduch together, May you be blessed with a shidduch….. thanks alot.
this is simply amazing . I won’t say this is true because I am just an 11 year old boy, but in a story I read similar to this they said that the hero/savior of that child was good enough to be said a helper of the mezuza. and in my opinion so is Yossi Frankel!!!!!!!!!!!
His parents are the most amazing people….they brought up their children in a home full of chessed…the apple doesnt fall far from the tree!
what a story ….. well done yossi!!!
baruch hashem for the saying:
and they lived hapily ever after
really is one heck of an ish chessed!
oh…btw its such fun to wander out at night…but i guess for a liitle kid night-life aint so amazing…..oh well…funny story…
Everything is AL PI HaSH-EM but Yossi was the shliach. The Roshei Teivos of PI is Yossy Fraenkel.
baruch hashem. a miracle. im so glad to see happy-ending stories on collive.com
that is such amazing story
many years ago as we were getting ready for shabbos our two children ages 2 and 3 walked out of the house and onto a very busy street into traffic. only with Hashems help were they safe. the housekeeper left and didnt bother closing the door or gate properly and they followed after her. we have since put a swimming pool latch and a spring onto the gate so that it closes regardless. also, if your kids like to swing on the gate as ours do, you must get it adjusted from time to time so that it operates properly.
Yossi is a tzadik.A few weeks ago I had a problem and he solved it directly.
Thank G-d for the gratefulness among some people which gives hope for the rest of the world!
shomrim again
A 2 year old opened all the doors and wandered outside?? That is plain freaky!!!!!!!!