As first reported here on Matzav.com, a remarkable simcha was celebrated this week in Modiin Illit, where a well-known local family welcomed their 21st child. The birth has drawn widespread attention not only because of the extraordinary number, but also because all 21 children were born in separate births, without a single set of twins.

In a special interview with Menachem Toker on the Kol Chai program Zman Avir, the father revealed a remarkable story about a bracha he received years ago from Maran Sar HaTorah Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l.

The father recalled that when the family had only four or five children, he once received a brocha from the revered gadol that would ultimately shape his life.

“This is a bracha, by the way, from Rav Chaim Kanievsky. I was very close to him,” the father said. “I cannot go into the details, but he told me explicitly: you will have twenty children. I knew that when he says something, that’s how it will be.”

The father explained that Rav Chaim continued to follow the family’s growth over the years and repeatedly reaffirmed the blessing.

“When there were eight children, I came to tell him. He had served as sandek a few times. He said to me: ‘Nu, there will be another eight,’ and he smiled. He kept repeating the bracha. He was consistent the entire time.”

The family’s strong emunah chachamim has also been tested during the current war, as missile sirens and the tense security situation have disrupted daily life. Despite the circumstances, the family once again chose to give birth at the Mayanei HaYeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak.

“I still believe his bracha remains,” the father said. “So even with all the discomfort because of the war conditions, we specifically went there. He told me several times: I told you, Mayanei HaYeshua.”

During the interview, the father also spoke emotionally about the family’s eldest son, who lives with a disability. He said that Rav Chaim gave them chizuk at a time when doctors were offering discouraging predictions.

“You really have to know that behind this stands Rav Chaim Kanievsky,” he said. “Even with the disabled son, when doctors said various things, Rav Chaim dismissed it with a wave of his hand. He told me: don’t worry, don’t worry. He is the firstborn, he is the oldest.”

Asked by Toker how parents can give individual attention to so many children, the father offered a heartfelt approach to chinuch that resonated deeply with listeners.

“If you see every child as a world unto himself, it’s possible,” he explained. “If each child is just another number, another box, then it cannot work. But if you believe every child has his own strengths, his uniqueness, his needs, and his goodness, then what does one have to do with the other? You see each one as one.”

On the practical side of managing such a large household, the father noted that several years ago the family expanded their home in order to better accommodate their son with special needs.

“We made some changes and expanded the house,” he said. “You can manage even with fewer rooms — people would be surprised.”

He added that Shabbos meals are held around a large table, with an additional smaller table added when needed, and that the home operates with a strong sense of simcha and faith.

Moved by the story, Toker announced live on air that he would present the family with a gift package that includes new suits and hats for the seven sons currently learning in yeshiva, as well as a shopping voucher for the new mother.

The father expressed heartfelt gratitude and concluded simply: “I truly appreciate the generous heart.”

Next week the family will celebrate the baby’s bris. The father revealed that the sandek will be Rav Shimon Galai. Toker predicted that the newborn will likely be named after Rav Chaim Kanievsky.