When Heaven Intervened: The Miracle of Zaragoza

It is told that in the city of Zaragoza, Spain, during the reign of King Sargosanus, the Jewish community enjoyed a respectful relationship with the king. The Jews honored him, and he in turn treated them with dignity. Whenever the king visited the city, the Jews would go out to greet him in a special ceremony, bringing Torah scrolls from the twelve synagogues of Zaragoza and offering a blessing in his honor.

A Difficult Decision

Over time, however, the rabbis and sages of Zaragoza began to question this custom. They feared that bringing the Torah scrolls out to honor a mortal king showed a lack of proper reverence for the sanctity of the Torah. After careful deliberation, they decided that during the king’s next visit, they would carry out the Torah cases wrapped in their embroidered mantles but leave the scrolls themselves safely inside the synagogues.

Betrayal from Within

A Jewish man named Marcus, who had abandoned the ways of his people, learned of this decision and chose to betray the community. He went to King Sargosanus and accused the Jews of dishonoring him by pretending to bring out the Torah scrolls while actually leaving them behind.

The king was furious. He decreed that he would travel to Zaragoza to inspect the Torah cases himself. If Marcus’s claim proved true, he would destroy the entire Jewish community along with their homes and synagogues.

A Heavenly Warning

On the 18th of Shevat, the king set out for Zaragoza with a large armed delegation, accompanied by Marcus. That night, a miracle occurred. The prophet Elijah appeared in a dream to the shamashim of all twelve synagogues and instructed them to return the Torah scrolls to their cases before morning.

They immediately obeyed.

The Miracle Revealed

The next day, when the king arrived, the entire Jewish community came out to greet him, carrying the Torah cases as usual. The king ordered that all the cases be opened in front of him. Trembling, the Jews complied.

To everyone’s astonishment, every single case contained a Torah scroll.

The king realized that Marcus had lied. Enraged by the betrayal, he ordered Marcus to be executed. The Jewish community of Zaragoza was spared, and the city was filled with light, joy, gladness, and honor.

The Legacy of the Miracle

In gratitude for their salvation, the Jews of Zaragoza established the 18th of Shevat as a festive day. Each year, they would read a special scroll known as Megilat Zaragoza, recounting the miracle. Whenever the name of the wicked Marcus was mentioned, the congregation would make noise with rattles and strike the floor, much like the custom observed on Purim.