Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, during a recent shiur, told a remarkable story of how a meeting between him and the head of the Mossad led to releasing an agunah, for the Mossad confirmed her husband was dead, murdered in Belgium.

According to an exclusive Kikar Shabbos News report, a meeting between a dayan selected by the Russian mafia led to the information, and the Mossad confirmed the man in question had indeed been murdered in Belgium, permitting the Chief Rabbi to release the agunah.

The Rishon L’Tzion explained, there was a young chareidi woman named Chana, who was in her 30s. Her husband, who was Bukharin, disappeared. The case was brought before former Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Eliyahu Bakshi-Doron during his tenure, but they were unable to resolve the case. Rav Yosef saw the “dusty case” which he realized as quite complicated.

Wishing to assist, Rav Yosef invited the chareidi woman who has been an agunah for over a decade, explaining how her husband simply vanished. When the rav asked what he did to earn a livelihood, she explained he was a money courier who transferred large sums of money from one place to another, receiving a percentage for his efforts. He worked around the world and she hasn’t a clue where he went.

The rav explained during the shiur that he decided to get in touch with the Mossad since the Shin Bet operates locally and the Mossad operates around the world. The head of the Mossad came to meet with him, and he presented the information in the case. He quotes the head of the Mossad saying, “The rav gave me an assignment and I will see to it that it is accomplished”.

Rav Yosef explains it was during their next meeting that the head of the Mossad provided his findings, a number of weeks after their first meeting. The rav was instructed to disconnect the computers and to remove them from the room where they were meeting, as well as all phones. They met privately.

“The head of the Mossad provided details regarding what happened to the man. It appears he was apprehended in Russia by the mafia there. He was killed there, in Russia. There was proof but a meeting with the mafia would be necessary to receive details.”

The rav explains he told the Mossad head he was willing to travel to Russia to meet with the mafia there, but the Mossad chief said, “Chas v’sholom Harav. You would not return from there. I will send my own shaliach. He sent his man, who was serving as a dayan! He met with the head of the Russian mafia”.

“That meeting with the mafia, was held in a forest, with the man arriving on a motorcycle and wearing sunglasses. ‘Here is his smashed phone’ he explained, ‘along with the telephone of the murdered man’. He also gave him his keys to his car, citing the location of the vehicle, and told the shaliach of the man’s burial location. He left immediately, afraid the police might arrive”.

“We then confirmed the information and it was learned that he had been killed, in Belgium. It was necessary to travel to Belgium to confirm this”.

“I phoned the woman at 6:00PM. You are no longer an agunah. You may marry’. She is a young woman in her 30s. ‘We have proof that your husband had been murdered. She was so happy, so happy [upon realizing she was no longer an agunah]”.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)