A Mother's Promise, a Son's Miracle: How Faith Carried One Family Through a Life-Changing Accident

Three years have passed since the morning Yosef Ben Harush left home on his electric bicycle, but his mother, Nurit, remembers every detail as if it happened yesterday — the unexplainable feeling she had while standing in front of the mirror, the inner voice that told her something was about to happen, the phone call that changed her life forever, and the frantic drive to Ichilov Medical Center.

Nurit, 49, lives in Ramat Gan with her husband, Raphael, and their three sons. Yosef is the youngest. "Before the accident, our lives were simple and ordinary," she recalls. "We went to work, the children each had their own routines. We were traditional — we made Kiddush on Shabbat. I personally observed Shabbat, and although the rest of the family didn't, they respected me and didn't drive on Shabbat. I owned a successful facial treatment business, was surrounded by wonderful clients, and genuinely loved my everyday life."

Then came the morning that changed everything. "I remember Yosef, who had just started 11th grade, rushing out of the house. He slammed the door behind him and shouted, 'Bye!' I continued getting ready, and suddenly I had this overwhelming feeling that something terrible was about to happen to him. I tried to dismiss it because I'm naturally an anxious person, so I told myself I was imagining things. But deep inside I felt something I still can't explain. Then I suddenly heard an inner voice saying, 'Don't worry. Everything will be okay.'"

A short time later, at exactly 8:12 a.m., she experienced a sharp pain in her stomach. "I immediately thought, 'Something has happened.' I called Yosef, but he didn't answer. Soon afterward, one of his friends called from Yosef's phone and told me there had been an accident and that he had been taken to the hospital. I still didn't know how serious it was. But when the school principal called, I could hear it in his voice. I knew it was very bad." Yosef had been critically injured in an electric bicycle accident while riding without a helmet. "Ever since then," Nurit says, "the importance of wearing a helmet has become a message I share everywhere I go."

Nurit and Yosef before the accident

A Promise Made Outside the Operating Room

By the time Nurit arrived at the hospital, Yosef was already in surgery. "The doctors were fighting to save his life, but no one could tell us what lay ahead. There were no optimistic predictions. Time simply stopped for me. Raphael and I sat outside the operating room, and I spoke only to God. People tried talking to me, but I couldn't hear anyone. My entire being was focused on Him."

It was there, in what she describes as the darkest moment of her life, that she made a promise. "I said to God, 'My son's head has been injured. You will protect his head, and I will cover mine.'" Immediately afterward, she asked her mother to bring her a headscarf. "She brought me a simple triangular scarf, and somehow I tied it. It all happened that very morning."

Until that day, covering her hair had never crossed her mind. "My hair was the most beautiful thing about me. I loved it. I never imagined I would cover it. But something inside me knew this was the moment. I stood there, tied the scarf, and offered a blessing from the depths of my heart. I even made up my own blessing for tying the headscarf. It simply poured out of me." Those standing nearby answered "Amen" through tears. "I wanted to thank God, even though I still had no idea what Yosef's future would look like." Looking back, Nurit says the decision represented far more than an external change. "Something inside me changed."

From Coma to Countless Small Miracles

After surgery, the family entered a long and painful journey of waiting, prayer, and rehabilitation. Yosef remained in a coma, and every day was filled with uncertainty. Still, Nurit chose to focus on every small sign of hope. "There were moments that others probably wouldn't have noticed, but to me they meant everything. A tiny movement, a slight response — every small improvement was a miracle. Instead of focusing only on the hardship, I began collecting what I called 'points of light.'"

During that time, she started writing a notebook for Yosef that she called The Journal of Miracles. "I wrote down everything — every improvement, every answered prayer, every moment I felt that God was with us. I wanted him to read it one day and know how many people prayed for him and how many miracles accompanied his recovery."

Recovery came slowly. "Rehabilitation was long and incredibly complex. Yosef had to relearn the most basic skills and adjust to an entirely new reality, taking one small step at a time. We stayed by his side throughout the journey. There were days filled with tears and fear. But through it all, we also felt that we were never alone."

Nurit explains that she had always believed in God. "I didn't discover faith because of the accident. But this time it became personal. I found myself talking to Him, praying constantly, feeling His presence every moment. There were many occasions when difficult medical decisions had to be made, and we prayed intensely. I'm not saying I can explain everything, but there were moments when I truly felt there was something happening beyond what we could see. In situations like that, you realize how little control you really have. You can do everything humanly possible, but in the end, there are things that are completely beyond you."

A Family Transformed

Nurit's spiritual transformation soon spread throughout the family. Several weeks after the accident, Yosef opened his eyes. "At first there was no communication. Gradually, his gaze began to have meaning again." His eyesight had been affected, and his recovery remained slow. Meanwhile, the rest of the family also began growing spiritually. "Our oldest son started attending Torah classes. Our middle son began wearing tzitzit." Her husband also experienced his own journey. "For each of us it looked different. For Raphael, it was reflected in his faith and his outlook on life."

Months later, Yosef himself embraced mitzvot alongside his rehabilitation. "Today he wears tzitzit and puts on tefillin every day. Every time I see him putting on tefillin, I become emotional. I remember where we were, what the doctors told us, and I look at him and think, 'This is a miracle.'" She also recalls a deeply personal moment involving Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky. "There was a period when Yosef had a drain in his head. In my imagination I spoke to Rabbi Kanievsky and said, 'Do you remember cutting his first curls at his upsherin? Please protect my son's head.' When the drain suddenly started functioning differently, I saw it as another sign from Heaven." Eventually, Yosef was even able to return to work.

A New Mission in Life

Nurit eventually closed the successful business she had loved for years. "Many people ask me how I could walk away from everything I had built. But I don't feel like I gave anything up. I received a different mission."

After nine months of rehabilitation, including long days at Beit Levinstein Rehabilitation Center and continued treatment at Ichilov, she found herself sharing her family's story to inspire others.

"If God brought us through this journey, I believe there was a reason. Perhaps someone needs to hear this story. Perhaps because of it, another parent will protect their child."

Faith Even Without All the Answers

Today, three years after the accident, Nurit says the journey continues. "It isn't easy. There are still challenges, ongoing rehabilitation, and many prayers. I have never asked why this happened to us. For me, faith means accepting that I won't understand everything, while still believing that everything comes from God and is ultimately for the good. Even when life is painful, there is Someone guiding the bigger picture."

She continues praying for Yosef's recovery while also making sure to express gratitude. "I recited Mizmor LeTodah during the most frightening moments. I still pray for more miracles, but I've learned to appreciate the miracles we've already received. Sometimes we're so focused on what's still missing that we forget to thank God for how far we've already come."

People who knew Nurit before the accident were often surprised by her decision to wear a head covering. "For those who were with me on the day of the accident, it felt completely natural. My husband accepted it immediately because he understood what it meant. Today I wear a full head covering, and I'm completely at peace with it. Every day I grow a little more. My headscarf reminds me of the promise I made. It reminds me where I came from, what we've been through, and how much kindness God has shown us."

Yosef Today

Asked how Yosef is doing today, Nurit smiles. "First and foremost, he's functioning well, thank God." Before the accident, Yosef had been an outstanding student who excelled in science and mathematics. "Those things stopped mattering once everything changed." Today he continues to make progress at his own pace. "He's a wonderful, beloved young man. He has regained his ability to communicate and can now do things we never imagined possible."

After the accident, Yosef lost both his short-term and long-term memory. He no longer recognized his family and had to relearn how to eat, drink, and speak. Today, his condition has improved dramatically. He continues attending a day rehabilitation program and receives regular physical therapy. He still experiences weakness in his right arm and leg, walks with the aid of a brace and a cane, and has a permanent cranial drain that he will live with for the rest of his life. He also continues to cope with other medical limitations resulting from the brain injury.

Despite these ongoing challenges, both Yosef and his family begin each day with gratitude.

"We thank God every single day for every step he is able to take."