One day the phone rang at the Bloom home and Rabbi Bloom, Shifra's father and a Rosh Yeshiva, picked up. It was the shadchan. "I'm REALLY sorry but Chananel decided that he doesn't want to continue. He feels really terrible and is very, very sorry for any pain he may cause. He was broken about the whole thing. He didn't say why but he said he couldn't go on."
Shifra was crushed. She sat in her room for 2 hours crying and crying. She asked Hashem why this had to happen. She was SURE that Chananel was her true zivug and now this... Finally she took the phone and called her best friend Esther and poured her heart out. Esther was very sympathetic to her friend's plight. She assured her that one day soon she would find her zivug and forget about Chananel but Shifra wasn't sure.
Ten months later Shifra received a wedding invitation. She couldn't believe her eyes. Chananel was marrying .... her best friend Esther. She started to cry and the old wound opened up. She felt that Esther stabbed her in the back. How can she take the boy that Shifra had so yearned to marry.
Nevertheless she decided to attend the wedding. But is was so painful she didn't stay past the Chuppah. As she walked out of the wedding hall the lively dancing had started and she said "Ribbono Shel Olam! Please make sure that they never have children". A curse! Shifra knew in her heart of hearts that the curse would be fulfilled.
---------------------------
25 years later. Shifra Freidman [now married - hence the different last name. Some woman still take their husbands name...:-)] is in shul one Shabbos and in walks a woman with a familiar face. Her old friend Esther! She was surrounded by three sweet little girls holding their little "pekelach" [bags of candy].
"Hi, Shifra'le! How are you?! It's sooo nice to see you."
"It is nice to see you too Esther! Who are these adorable little girls?"
"My grandchildren. It is such a good thing that we got married early so that while we are still young we can enjoy our grandchildren."
Shifra walked out of shul that day and she said with tears in her eyes. "Ribbono Shel Olam, it is Erev Rosh Hashana and I ask for forgiveness for cursing my friend. I am so happy for her that she had childrern. Thank you for not listening to me and giving her children. Now I understand why I never had children. A curse is uttered and sometimes it must come true. My curse was fulfilled. On me."
Sweet friends - let us be careful what we say. We can effect reality.
