Book of Psalms miraculously saves man’s life in recent Jerusalem bombing

The bomb was remotely detonated at a bus station near the entrance of Jerusalem, killing two

As the proverb says: “She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are those who hold on to her.”

A small Book of Psalms being held by a 62-year-old man in last week’s pair of terrorist bombings in the Jerusalem area potentially saved his life.

Debris from one of the bus stop bombs struck the cover of a small Book of Psalms, nearly penetrating all the way through before stopping, quite appropriately, on a verse in Psalm 124: “Our soul is like a bird that escaped from a box of hardships.”

The bomb exploded at a bus station near the entrance of Jerusalem, killing two – 16-year-old Aryeh Shechopek and a 50-year-old father of six Tadasa Tashume Ben Ma’ada – and wounding 18.

The owner of the holy book arrived at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in serious condition and had to be treated for many other shrapnel wounds. Following the operation, his visitors were amazed to find the pierced Book of Psalms that he had been carrying.

After word about the alleged miracle circulated throughout the hospital, the man received a set of noteworthy visitors: hospital CEO Ofer Marin, Chief Rabbi of the HaGaon Gadol Hospital Rabbi Asher Weiss Shalita and Shaare Zedek Medical Center Rabbi Moshe Peleg.

Though the man allowed photographs of the pierced book, he asked to remain anonymous. On the day Shaare Zedek published the photos, another victim from the same bombing site, 16-year-old Elhanan Biton, was released from the hospital.

Biton, reportedly a close friend of Shechopek, was sitting next to him when the bomb was remotely detonated, causing an explosion of nuts, bolts and small pellets. While Biton suffered serious injuries, Shechopek took the brunt of the impact and was killed.

Biton later told his father that, just prior to the explosion, he saw a man on a motor scooter photographing the people at the bus stop.

While the investigation is ongoing, sources believe the two bombing attacks in the Jerusalem area are linked.