A Mourner’s Promise Kept at a Wedding in Miron Tragedy’s Wake

Last week at Maor Asraf’s wedding, a deeply personal promise made years earlier was fulfilled when Rabbi Menachem Mendel Engelard, who lost his two sons, Moshe and Yehoshua, in the Mount Meron disaster, came to the chuppah and blessed the groom. The emotional scene grew out of a condolence visit that Asraf and his close friend Yakar Asraf made to the Engelard family during the shiva after the tragedy.

Yakar Asraf said he and Maor went to the family home out of a sense that “this disaster belongs to all of us.” He said they had little familiarity with Haredi society, but still traveled to the Hasidic neighborhood to comfort the bereaved family. They were welcomed warmly, seated near Rabbi Engelard, and heard him tell them, “I am very happy to see you here, you strengthen me.”

The rabbi then added, “Just as you came to comfort me, I want to be at your celebrations. Don’t forget to invite me.” The two left the visit moved and promised themselves they would invite him to their future simchas. This week, that promise was carried out, with Rabbi Engelard and his wife attending the wedding and the rabbi blessing under the chuppah.

During the event, Yakar Asraf retold the story to the guests, and many later approached the rabbi to shake his hand emotionally. He wrote, “The moment has arrived,” describing Maor standing under the chuppah alongside Rabbi and Rebbetzin Engelard, who were blessing him, rejoicing with him, and dancing around him. He ended with the words the rabbi had said during the condolence visit, “Who is like Your people, Israel.”