A person's time to die is decreed before he is born. Sometimes he encounters incidents in life when it seems that the end is near. But if it is not his time to die yet, then Hashem will save him; sometimes even in the strangest ways. Our Sages go so far as to say, "Even if a sharp sword is against one's throat, he should not despair from Mercy." In other words, even when the situation seems hopeless, he should always continue to believe that Hashem may yet save him and he should continue praying to Him for salvation.

Some people think that this expression of the Sages is merely an exaggeration encouraging people never to give up hope. But it can't be taken literally. After all, when a sharp sword is already at one's throat, how could he be saved? But in Aleynu Leshabeach, Rabbi Zilberstein tells a remarkable story about someone who was seemingly a lost case, yet Hashem saved him in a most unexpected way.

Rabbi Ehrenberg was on the selection line of the Nazis y.sh., and he was quickly classified as one who cannot work or be productive in any way. Therefore, he was sent to the line from which no one returned. Anyone witnessing that scene would surely have given up all hope for the Rabbi.

But suddenly, the unbelievable happened. A Nazi officer appeared on the scene and commanded the men to move Rabbi Ehrenberg to the other line. When asked for an explanation, the officer said that his deceased father had appeared to him in a dream the night before, and had described to him exactly how Rabbi Ehrenberg looked, and had instructed him to save his life. The officer had no understanding why he should be saved, but he was intent upon obeying his father's command.

Rabbi Ehrenberg eventually survived the war, came to Israel and became a prominent Rabbi in Tel Aviv where he raised his family in the way of the Torah.

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