Living Emunah

Chazal tell us that in the future, all korbanot will be nullified except for one—the Korban Toda. We know that a Todah is brought when someone is saved from a dangerous situation. But after Mashiach comes, when there will no longer be any danger, why would we need to bring a Korban Todah? The Belzer Rebbe explained that in the future, Hashem will reveal to us all of the miracles He performed for us every single day of our lives—miracles we never even realized were happening. For those, we bring korbanot to Hashem in gratitude. The pasuk states, " כימי צאתך מארץ מצרים אראנו נפלאות "—"As in the days when you left Egypt, I will show you wonders." The Meshech Chochma quotes the midrash, which explains that in the future, we will see miracles beyond anything we could have ever imagined. What kind of miracles could possibly surpass Kriyat Yam Suf and the Ten Plagues? He answers that the greatest revelation will be when we see how every moment in history—even the darkest times—was truly a manifestation of Hashem's infinite love. This realization will be the greatest novelty to us. A perfect example is Megillat Esther. Even though Bneh Yisrael had already seen Kriyat Yam Suf, the Megillah was a completely new revelation for them. Why? Because in Megillat Esther, we witnessed how Hashem controls everything within nature. The story unfolded over more than ten years, yet every detail was orchestrated precisely by Hashem. This was the chidush—that Hashem can control everything while remaining completely hidden, without anyone realizing it. Rabbi Menashe Reizman gave a mashal: Imagine someone trying to enter a king's palace while guards stand at their posts. One way to get inside is to eliminate the guards and then walk in. A much harder way is to sneak through while the guards remain in place. In the same way, Hashem controls everything—down to the finest details—while we are there, without disrupting the normal order of the world. In the future, all of this will be revealed. We will see Hashem's hand in every part of our lives, and we will experience overwhelming joy. We will run to bring korbanot to Hashem for all the chesed He has done for us that we never even knew about. A young man from London recently shared his story with me. He is married to a girl from Brooklyn. When I asked how their shidduch came about, he explained that his wife had gone to seminary in Israel, where she made some friends from London. Before returning to America, she stopped in London to visit these friends. One night, as she arrived at their apartment, she discovered that the door was locked, and she couldn't get in. She called another friend, who invited her to stay at her house. While she was there, she met her friend's mother, who immediately thought she would be the perfect match for her son. And that's how they got married. Look at how Hashem brings couples together in ways that seem so natural, yet are completely miraculous. How does a girl from Brooklyn end up meeting her zivug in London? Hashem arranged for her to become close friends with someone from London, orchestrated her stopover in the city, and then—at just the right moment—caused her to get locked out of her friend's apartment. These kinds of stories happen to hundreds of people every single day, yet most of the time, we don't even recognize Hashem's involvement. Recently, we witnessed an open miracle that Hashem performed through the natural way of the world: Terrorists had planned to detonate bombs on five buses in Israel during the morning rush hour at 9 a.m., when the buses would be packed with people. Rachmana litzlan, had their plan succeeded, the casualties would have been devastating. But instead, the bombs went off at 9 p.m. the night before—when the buses were empty, parked in a lot. How could such a sophisticated, carefully planned attack have failed so drastically? How did they make the exact same timing mistake on every single bomb? To the world, it looked like human error. But we know the truth. This was nothing less than the Yad Hashem to save His children, hidden within the natural order. It is up to us to look for Hashem's hand in everything, to find it as often as we can, and to appreciate—even now—the endless kindness that Hashem does for us every single day.

In this week's parasha , Mishpatim , the Torah teaches us how careful we must be not to cause harm to another person or his property. Right after Matan Torah , the first mitzvot that Bnei Yisrael were taught were the civil laws governing interpersonal relationships. We must take to heart that the same Hashem who commanded us to observe Shabbat , Kashrut , and Taharot HaMishpacha also commanded us to compensate others if we cause them damage. The same kedusha that we receive by fulfilling mitzvot between us and Hashem is present when we fulfill mitzvot ben adam l'chavero . Just as a person understands that he cannot possibly know the halachot of Shabbat without learning them, he must also understand that he cannot possibly know the halachot of monetary law without studying them or consulting a rav . Those who are truly yirei shamayim are extremely careful when it comes to monetary halachot . Just as they would not take a chance with consuming something that is not kosher , they are equally meticulous about not violating laws related to theft or withholding payments owed to others. Rabbi Shlomo Levenstein told the following story: A young rabbi in Bet Shemesh had been learning in kollel for years but was not satisfied with the upcoming sugyot they were scheduled to study. He began searching for a kollel that was learning the topics he was most passionate about, but after months of searching, he was unable to find what he was looking for. Meanwhile, his household expenses continued to mount, and he had no source of income to cover them. One day, his wife went to the grocery store. After checking out, she met someone she knew outside and began talking. In the middle of their conversation, her shopping wagon slipped away unnoticed. Suddenly, someone shouted, alerting her that the wagon was rolling straight toward the street. She ran to catch up with it, managing to grab it just before it entered the road. However, on its way, the wagon had hit a parked car, leaving a scratch. She returned home and told her husband what had happened. He immediately jumped out of his chair and exclaimed, "Oh no! We damaged someone's property and didn't pay for it. We owe him money! We must find him at once." Without hesitation, they hurried out of the house and ran back to the grocery store. When they arrived, the woman pointed out the car that had been scratched, and they saw that the driver was just pulling out of the parking spot. The young rabbi motioned for the driver to stop so he could speak with him. He explained that his wife had accidentally scratched the car with her shopping wagon. The driver responded that he had seen the scratch and was very upset that someone had damaged his brand-new car without leaving a note. He said, "If the car had been old, it wouldn't have bothered me so much. But I just got this car two days ago. It really upset me." The young rabbi apologized profusely, gave the driver his phone number, and told him, "No matter what it costs, we will pay the full price." As the rabbi and his wife walked home, he began to wonder how he would possibly pay for the damages. It was never a question of whether he would pay—only a question of how . A minute later, as they continued walking, he bumped into a friend who asked how he was doing. He mentioned that he had been searching for a new kollel but had not been able to find the right one. The friend responded, "I actually just opened a kollel that is learning exactly what you're looking for. We have nine avreichim and one spot left." Not only that, but the stipend they were paying was significantly higher than what he had been receiving in his previous kollel . The rabbi immediately told his friend, "I would love to join." Afterward, he reflected on what had happened. "Paying for damages when you don't have the money is difficult. But when Hashem saw that I was willing to do the right thing, He gave me the greatest gift—the kollel I had been searching for—as well as the ability to pay for the damages." Every mitzva is precious. Just because monetary laws involve other people and seem like mundane matters does not mean they have any less kedusha than mitzvot between us and Hashem. Hashem wants us to be complete in all mitzvot . And those that involve parting with money—especially when it is difficult—are even greater in His eyes. Shabbat Shalom.

When people hear of a great new segula, they're very eager to try it, in many cases, even if it would cost them a lot of money or entail traveling. We have the greatest segula of all available to us at any time, free of charge. When a person prays to Hashem with real belief in His power and control, and a true feeling that He could easily help despite the hurdles that need to be overcome, that can produce the greatest salvations. When person A approaches person B for help, it can easily be detected if A really believes person B will help, or he's just going through the motions of asking. When a person really believes that Hashem is his best and only option, his approach will be different than when he thinks he has other options. A man told that both of his parents died young from heart conditions, רחמנא ליצלן . After he himself experienced certain sensations and symptoms in his heart , h e went to a doctor who determined that something was very wrong. He had a rare defect in his heart muscle, and to fix it, he would need to undergo a complex surgery by a world-renowned specialist, the only expert known for that type of issue. All of the people he spoke to told him the same thing. "If you value your life, make sure to do the surgery." This man lived in Israel, and would need to travel to Minnesota for the operation. He would have to rent an apartment near the hospital, then go for the surgery, and after recovery, go back to stay in that apartment. He would need to periodically go for checkups for up to six months after the surgery. In his mind, this meant a half a year in exile. What would be with his children? His wife would have to come along to take care of him. What would he do about minyan, about his shi'urim in Torah? What would become of his business? And where would he get hold of the astronomical sums needed for the surgery? He tried to get advice from anyone he knew in the medical field. He was advised to consult with a senior advisor who perhaps could find an alternate solution. He made the meeting and the advisor said, there is no other choice. "You must go to Minnesota as quickly as possible. Don't waste any more time. Your life is on the line." The man left there in a state of panic. He then went to shul to pray Arbit and heard the chazan saying, ה' צבאות עמנו משגב לנו - Hashem is with us and He supports us. At that moment, he was overcome with a feeling of bitachon in Hashem. The chazan continued, אשרי אדם בוטח בך. ה' הושיע המלך יעננו ביום קראנו - Hashem, save us, the King who answers us on the day we call out to Him. What a treasure. He had been saying those words all of his life but never fully appreciated them like he did at that moment. Hashem is the King of the entire world. With all of the doctors and all of the refuot, He is the only One who saves us. That Arbit was like Ne'ila on Yom Kippur for him. In fact, it was even more intense. He understood with all of his senses and bones that he is dependent only on the Chesed Hashem and that He is the only One with any say. He begged Hashem to heal him and spare him from six months in exile. After that, he still had to prepare in case he had to go. His wife was trying to work out the finances with his insurance company as well as all the other logistics of the trip to Minnesota. Meanwhile, he was becoming weaker and weaker. His heart was giving more and more warning signs. The surgery was scheduled for three weeks later in Minnesota and he continued to pray that Hashem give him a Refua Shelema right there in Israel. About ten days before the surgery, he received a call from his local hospital telling him the most amazing news. A very wealthy man with the same condition as him paid a huge sum of money to fly in the surgeon from Minnesota. He would be in the hospital there for 24 hours and they were hoping he would do his surgery as well. The hospital itself wanted all of their surgeons present to watch and learn from this man. The day came and the surgeon operated on him as well. It took only six hours instead of the eight that was expected. The surgeon told him it went extremely well. The man only had to be in the hospital for one week. He never had to leave his children or his minyan or his learning. Now, its 25 years later, and his heart continues to beat with tremendous gratitude to Hakadosh Baruch Hu for orchestrating those events the way he did. There is no segula like believing in the power of Hashem.

Living Emunah 2717 In the Blink of an Eye Believing in Hashem's ability to bring salvation in the blink of an eye is an invaluable avoda . It is also something that is expected of every Jew to fully internalize. This is not always easy—especially after years of hoping and waiting without seeing salvation. A year ago, I met a rabbi who told me that he was davening for his 34-year-old daughter, who was still waiting to find her zivug . Recently, I met this man again, and this time he told me, "Mazal Tov!" His daughter, now 35, had just gotten married a few weeks earlier, and they couldn't be happier with the shidduch . We must never give up hope, no matter how long it takes. At the recent A Time Shasathon , a family shared their painful yet inspiring journey through infertility. A man explained that when his daughter was 14 years old, doctors discovered that she did not have a uterus. Naturally, this meant she would face a very difficult road ahead. Wanting to protect her, the family chose not to tell her right away. However, when she was 18 and in seminary , she found out. She understood the enormous challenge she was facing, and of course, she was distraught. Then, when it came time to begin shidduchim , the question loomed: How could she possibly get married under such circumstances? It was during COVID, and she met someone over Zoom. Their conversations went well, and they continued meeting virtually several more times. After about a month, she felt it was time to tell him everything. She explained her medical condition, and the young man immediately grasped the gravity of what she was saying. But at that moment, something remarkable happened—he thought of his grandfather. His grandfather had been engaged when he was told that his kallah was ill and had only six months to live. Instead of walking away, his grandfather said, "I believe in Hashem. Only He determines a person's time in this world." He went ahead with the marriage, and in the end, his wife lived for 22 more years. They had three beautiful children and many grandchildren—including this young man. Hashem had already trained him with the emunah and perspective he would need to marry this girl. He consulted with rabbanim and expressed his desire to stand by her side through life's journey. He received their beracha , and the wedding took place. Later, the couple began exploring the possibility of a uterus transplant. After extensive research, they were approved for a program at a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. They had to move there indefinitely and wait for a match. Every day there felt like an eternity. They were alone in a foreign place, unable to travel for Shabbat or Yom Tov , since they had to remain on-call at all times, but they knew Hashem was with them. Then, on Shabbat Parashat Lech Lecha , while her husband was in shul , the hospital left a message—their match had arrived. Early Monday morning, she underwent surgery. It was during the week of Parashat Vayera , the very parasha that contains the words: " וה' פקד את שרה " —Hashem granted Sarah a uterus at an advanced age so she could conceive. That week, this woman was also given a uterus, and b'ezrat Hashem , she would one day be able to have children. In that same parasha , we read the words: " היפלא מה' דבר ?" —Is anything beyond Hashem's power? This was the beginning of the miraculous road that Hashem paved for them. Baruch Hashem , this past year, they were blessed with their first child. Everything is possible with emunah . The Rishonim discuss why there is a mitzvah to eat on Erev Yom Kippur . Many say that it is to provide strength for the fast the next day. This raises a question: If someone is ill and unable to fast, does he still have the mitzva to eat on Erev Yom Kippur ? The Sdeh Chemed writes that he absolutely does. Why? Because Hashem can heal a person in an instant, and by the time Yom Kippur arrives, he may very well be able to fast. The Sdeh Chemed uses the phrases: " ישועת ה' כהרף עין " and " היפלא מה' דבר ?" —principles that are so fundamental they even influence halacha . It is up to us to develop our emunah to the point that no matter what we are going through, we know—Hashem can always help us in an instant.

The Sefer Mishpat Tzedek , which has a haskama from Rabbi Akiva Eiger, brings down from Sefer Immanuel that many people enjoy the highest delights in Gan Eden . Yet, when they arrive, they see individuals who, in this world, may have appeared to be resha'im . It is a wonder to them—how could these people possibly be in the same elevated place in Gan Eden ? When they ask how they attained such a high level, the response is astonishing: "Whenever we faced difficulties or afflictions in life, we accepted them with love. We said with a full heart, 'We know we deserve this. We have sins that require atonement, and we fully accept what Hashem has decreed upon us.'" That zechut alone enabled them to reach the loftiest portions of Gan Eden . This is an eye-opening chiddush . We know that accepting hardships with love is a noble trait, but here we see that it is not just good —it has the power to elevate a person to the highest levels of eternity. However, this is easier said than done. A person must truly believe that Hashem is helping him through suffering, to the point that he feels it deeply in his heart. The natural reaction to hardship is to complain, to feel that we are being treated unfairly—especially when we see others around us receiving what they want, even those who may not be as observant as we are. It is incredibly difficult to say, "I know I deserve what is happening to me. I know Hashem is doing this for my ultimate good." A person might experience a crushing disappointment and think, "Why did Hashem do this to me? Everything was going so well—I was about to get engaged, about to have a child, about to get a job, about to be healed. Why did Hashem raise my hopes, only to let me down?" These moments are among the hardest challenges a person can endure. But precisely because they are so difficult, they hold immeasurable value. A person might feel desperate, willing to do anything to receive salvation. The Mishpat Tzedek brings from Chazal that if a person accepts their hardships with love and declares, "Hashem, I know You have given me exactly what I deserve," this zechut can open the gates of mercy, bringing about salvation . Of course, nothing is guaranteed—there may be other factors delaying a person's salvation. But if there are segulot that help unlock divine mercy, this is certainly one of them. And if a person has already faced disappointment after disappointment, that only makes the next act of acceptance even greater. This world is fleeting. It is a world of toil. We are here to work—day and night—diligently accumulating mitzvot , amassing a fortune to earn our place in the next world. And this avoda of accepting suffering with love is so great that it can accomplish what would normally take years of spiritual effort to accomplish. The next time we are tempted to complain or feel down about our situation, we should stop ourselves and recognize the golden opportunity before us. We can turn to Hashem and say: "I know You want only my best. I know You are acting with absolute righteousness." And if we can not only say these words, but truly feel them in our hearts, we will merit the highest levels in Olam Haba .

A man told me he believes Hashem runs the world, but sometimes he has a problem fully internalizing it. It's especially challenging when he sees what appears to his mind to be a direct contradiction to that belief. He then told me about an incident that he once experienced. He owns an apartment building and at one time he was having difficulty with some of the tenants paying rent. They refused to pay and they refused to leave. The legal proceedings for something like that would drag on while he wanted them out immediately. Someone suggested to him that he pay people to occupy the units next to the people who weren't paying and have them make it very uncomfortable for those tenants. They would make loud noise at night and bring scary pit bulls into the hallway. The owner said that two wrongs don't make a right and refused to stoop to such levels. In the end, others who tried that method were very successful in achieving the results they were looking for. This man on the other hand did not get his tenants out for another three years. He then said to me, "It seems like nice guys finish last. I asked Hashem to help me get them out in a normal way, but it took three years. I'm sure if I would have used that other method, it would have happened much sooner." I told this man, "It could be that if you did what those people told you to do, you would have gotten them out earlier. Hashem works through the natural way of the world. However, that does not mean that you would have earned even one extra dollar over those last three years or saved yourself from even one minute of aggravation. Hashem has infinite ways of making people gain or lose money and infinite ways of people experiencing difficult situations. Everybody always gets exactly what's coming to them. "If the person who nastily removed those tenants was meant to have a circumstance like that in his life, then something else would come up. And if he wasn't meant to have it, then a simple hishtadlut would have removed the tenants." The man was so relieved when he heard this. This information was able to strengthen him to a higher level of emunah. This concept applies in all areas of life. I read a story in the book Marriage by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin that was told to the author by a certain individual, and this is what he said: "I wasn't satisfied with my marriage. I kept thinking that if only I had married someone else, my entire life would have been much smoother. This thought came to me often and was a constant source of distress. "One sentence that I heard from somebody helped me discard this thought. I was told by an elderly rabbi who I respect greatly, 'If you were married to someone else, you would also have problems.' The saintly scholar elaborated on this theme. 'Many people think that if they had only married a different person, they would be free from all of their present problems, but that is not the way that Hashem runs the world. ' If you wouldn't have had the problems you presently have, you would have an equal number of different problems. Someone might marry a person who is perfectly compatible with him, but if he is meant to have problems, they can come in the form of illness, poverty, or some other life test that can come their way. Whatever number of problems was destined for you will come your way in one form or another. Your task in life is to grow from each challenge.'" What had been a long-standing obsession was erased with this one insight from this elderly rabbi. So many internal struggles in emunah that people go through can be instantly erased with the proper guidance. When we do have the proper emunah, we will be able to overcome our challenges much easier.

In this week's parasha , Yitro exclaimed, " Now I see how great Hashem is, ' כי בדבר אשר זדו עליהם '" Rashi explains that Yitro recognized how Hashem made the Egyptians suffer in the very same way they had tormented the Jewish people. He knew that the Egyptians had drowned Jewish babies, and now, at the miracle of Kriyat Yam Suf , they perished through drowning as well. It had been 80 years since they threw those infants into the river. By this time, many had already forgotten that painful period—but Hashem never forgets. Yitro was amazed at the precision of divine justice. Every action a person takes is accounted for. This world is not a free for all. Though the world may appear as if people can commit terrible deeds without consequence, that is an illusion. Nothing goes unnoticed by Hashem. However, if reward and punishment were too obvious, free will would no longer exist. Hashem, in His infinite wisdom, ensures that every action is repaid—whether for good or for bad—but in a way that does not remove our ability to choose. A person may receive a reward for something he did 20 years earlier, just as we see the Egyptians being punished 80 years after their crimes. Of course, we know that the ultimate reward for any mitzva is reserved for the Next World. However, Hashem often grants dividends in this world as well. At times, Hashem allows us to see clear connections between our actions and their outcomes, knowing that these isolated cases will not disrupt free will. When we do recognize these connections, it strengthens our emunah and reminds us how much Hashem values and records every deed. Last year, a group of people traveled to Israel with the goal of giving chizuk to soldiers. While there, they met a soldier who had been injured in battle. As he spoke with them, he shared his struggle—he was trying to get married but had no way of affording a wedding. He had no relatives who could help, and the financial burden seemed impossible to overcome. Two generous individuals on the trip immediately took it upon themselves to cover the entire cost of his wedding. They gave enough for a beautiful celebration, and they had the zechut of establishing a home in Klal Yisrael. The rabbi leading the group was deeply moved by their generosity. He also knew that both of these men had daughters they were trying to marry off. He told them, "Be'ezrat Hashem, in the zechut of helping another Jew get married, may Hashem bless you to marry off your own daughters." Fast forward one year—just last week—and both of these men celebrated the weddings of their daughters. Not only did both daughters get married, but their weddings took place on the exact same night, down the block from each other. Had their weddings been even months apart, it would have been enough to see Hashem's hashgacha rewarding them for their act of kindness. But the fact that their weddings happened at the same time, practically next door to each other, was a clear hashgacha peratit that Hashem was paying them the dividends for their generosity. So many things in our lives happen as a direct result of our deeds, but most of the time, we do not recognize the connections. As we see, sometimes the results of an action take place 80 years later, and sometimes just one year later. Sometimes they happen instantly, and sometimes not until the Next World. Either way, it is enough for us to know that everything we do matters. Hashem loves us and wants only the best for us. The more good we do in this world, the greater our eternal happiness will be. Shabbat Shalom.

After theeighth makah , Pharaoh told Moshe that the Jewish People could go,but they had to leave back their animals. Moshe replied they were going to goand take everything with them, because לא נדע מה נעבוד את ה' עד בואנו שמה– hesaid we will not know what we need to serve Hashem until we get there. Someexplain this pasuk homiletically as saying, we don't know which serviceis more precious to Hashem עד בואנו שמה – until we will see with our owneyes in the Next World. Sometimespeople feel down about themselves, seeing that they aren't accomplishing asmuch as others in avodat Hashem and that could completely break theirdesire to continue trying to grow. Sometimes a person compares his children tohis neighbor's children and wonders why they are so much more successful intheir learning than his, while he is putting in much more effort in hischildren than they are in theirs. We must constantly remind ourselves, we haveno idea which person's avodah gives more nachat ruach(satisfaction) to Hashem. Hashem does not reward based on results, He rewards based onefforts. Every single person has a different job to do and if he does his jobto the best of his ability, he will be amongst the greatest rabbis of all timein the Next World. Just like every person has different physicalcharacteristics, different shoe sizes, different clothing sizes, so too everyperson is given different spiritual strengths, depending on what his job inthis world is to do. If he is notas "tall" as someone else with his spiritual capabilities, that just means hisjob is different and he doesn't need to accomplish what the other personhas to. If a person doesn't know this, he could easily miss out on the life he issupposed to live. If someone is feeling low, he needs to pray to Hashem to givehim chizuk to continue trying to do his job to the best of hisability. The sefer Ki Ata Imadi repeated a story that was told by Rabbi MoshePluchok, one of the Maggideh Shiur in Yeshivat Derech Chaim in America.Their yeshiva moved locations for a couple of months and in that new location,the Rabbi saw a man who looked like he had just started his path in Judaism. Hewas sitting in front of an Artscroll Gemara and learning with suchenthusiasm, swaying back and forth. When he had a question, he would go and askone of the rabbis learning there. Rabbi Pluchok was very impressed and he wentover to introduce himself. The man told him he was diagnosed with a terminalillness and was told by the doctors that he had just months to live. RabbiPluchok then asked him how he was able to learn with such diligence with thaton his mind. The man explained that just in the past couple of years hediscovered Torah and mitzvot and that is the only thing that gives him peace ofmind. A few weekslater, the Rabbi saw that man learning in his usual place, but he seemed to bedisturbed and much less enthusiastic. The Rabbi immediately went over to himand asked if everything was okay. The man said he was feeling very low. Here hesees outstanding Torah scholars all around him learning at the highest levelsfor twelve hours a day. He started to think to himself, I know Hashem getsso much satisfaction from them, but what about me? What does He need me tolearn for if He has all of these great scholars? " I spend a few hours a daytrying to learn and even with that I only get a few lines of Gemaraaccomplished, and I don't even fully understand them. I'm feeling completelyunnecessary." Rabbi Pluchokproceeded to give the man a fiery speech about how every single person has adifferent, unique job to fulfill and that no one else in the world could dowhat he has to do. And how much pleasure Hashem gets from every word of Gemara he attempts to learn. The man felt renewed strength and energy and continuedhappily learning. The followingyear, the Rabbi saw this man's son and asked him about his father. The boy saidhis father passed away, "but until the end, he went happily to learn every singleday and quoted what you said about how important his job is and how muchsatisfaction Hashem got from him." A few words of chizuk can goa very long way. Every single person has a very lofty mission to fulfill. Wewill not see the value of everyone's avodah, עד בואנו שמה – until theNext World – but we can be confident that everyone's avodah is extremelyvaluable and they should never let up, no matter what anyone else is doingaround them.

Living Emunah 2712 The Depth of Hashgacha Everything that happens in this world is precisely calculated and orchestrated by Hashem. Even the simplest interactions in our daily lives—those that seem to follow the natural course of events—are, in reality, entirely governed by hashgachat Hashem . There is nothing "natural" about what happens in our lives. Everything is connected to our purpose in this world and to our deeds. If we are approved or denied for something, it is not because administrators made the decision, but because Hashem directed them based on what is truly best for us. Rabbi Gad Busquila from Congregation Netivot Yisrael in Brooklyn shared an incredible story that recently took place: Rabbi Busquila traveled to Israel at the beginning of Tevet for his father's yahrzeit . While there, he met an old congregant who had made aliyah in 2012. This man, whom we'll call Yehuda, had initially learned in kollel full-time after his marriage and later tried to enter the business world. But nothing worked out for him in the U.S., so he moved to Israel, where he became a highly successful real estate developer. This past year, before Rosh Hashanah , Yehudah purchased a large plot of land, planning to build major developments on it. He had a great relationship with his bank, so he assumed his building loan would be approved without issue. The bank told him they would finalize the loan after Sukkot but mentioned that interest rates had increased by 2% since his last loan, meaning he would have to pay the higher rate. Weeks passed with no response. Yehudah repeatedly contacted the bank, but they kept telling him they didn't know why there was a delay—it was stuck in upper management. By the time Chanukah arrived, he still had not been approved. The delay was costing him a significant amount of money, and he was growing increasingly anxious. Then one night, he had a dream in which he saw the Baba Sali . The Baba Sali told him that he had an outstanding debt towards him, and if he would pay it, everything would work out. Yehudah woke up shaken. He had only ever seen pictures of the Baba Sali but had no recollection of ever pledging money to one of his institutions. Three days later, while driving, Yehudah received a call from an American number. Normally, he wouldn't answer unknown calls, but for some reason, this time he did. It was the secretary from Netivot Yisrael in Brooklyn, informing him that he had an outstanding balance from two pledges he had made in 2012 at a hilula for the Baba Sali hosted by the shul. One pledge was for $180 for a candle, and the other was for $101 for besamim . Yehudah froze. Pulling his car over, he took out his credit card and immediately paid the balance in full. As the secretary thanked him and was about to hang up, he asked her to stay on the line until the transaction was confirmed. Only once he received confirmation did he end the call. Fifteen minutes later, Yehudah received another phone call—this time from the bank. His loan had been approved. Not only that, but the bank had decided to grant him the lower interest rate he had previously received—2% lower than the current rate. Stunned, Yehudah called Rabbi Busquila to share the incredible story. However, the call went straight to voicemail—Rabbi Busquila was on a flight to Israel at the time. When they finally met in person, Yehudah recounted the entire experience. Who could have imagined that a $281 pledge made 12 years earlier could have impacted his bank loan? Yehudah was a known ba'al tzedakah , yet this small, unpaid pledge had a significant effect on his business dealings. But in reality, this was a great chesed from Hashem. Had this situation never happened, Yehudah would have completely forgotten about that pledge and never fulfilled it. Nothing happens in this world without being decreed by Hashem first. How fortunate we are to recognize the depth of hashgacha pratit in every moment of our lives.

A man recently reached out to me for chizuk after receiving the devastating news that he had been diagnosed with a serious illness. That very same day, I had heard two incredible stories about people who had faced life-threatening illnesses and experienced miraculous recoveries. I immediately recalled yet another story that a rabbi had shared years ago. This rabbi had a student who had come to him seeking chizuk for two separate challenges—one regarding his struggling business and the other concerning his child's health. That same day, the rabbi happened to hear two stories addressing those exact concerns. He shared them with his student, along with the kabbalot those individuals had taken upon themselves as a merit for their yeshuot . Inspired by these stories, the student took on the same kabbalot . Baruch Hashem , he later experienced miraculous salvation in both areas of his life. So I told the man who had reached out to me, "I would like to share with you two stories I just heard. While the circumstances may not be exactly the same, the message is the same." The first story was from a rabbi who shared that when his child was born 15 years ago, doctors told him the baby had mental retardation. They also said he would have very limited mobility and would never be able to hear properly. The condition, they explained, was a result of an illness the mother had contracted during pregnancy. For the first seven months of the baby's life, he did not move at all and was unable to hear. Desperate for yeshua , the rabbi flew to Israel to seek a beracha from Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt"l . Rav Chaim told him, "If his mother prays three times a day, Shacharit, Mincha and Arbit, the baby will be fine." With complete emunat chachamim , the rabbi immediately called his wife and relayed the message. She happily accepted the commitment upon herself. Fifteen years later, as I was speaking to this rabbi, he called over that very child and introduced him to me. Baruch Hashem , he is completely healthy, with no sign of the condition he was once diagnosed with. In fact, he had become a gifted learner, having completed Masechet Tamid over 250 times. It was nothing short of an open miracle. The second story came from another rabbi whose baby would vomit everything it ate and cry throughout the night. This went on for months, and the parents were completely beside themselves. Doctors had no solution. This rabbi also went to Rav Chaim for a beracha . Rav Chaim advised him, "Dress the child modestly, and the problem will go away." The rabbi, surprised, responded , "But she's an infant." Rav Chaim acknowledged that, according to halacha , there was no requirement for an infant to dress modestly. "However," he explained , "doing something to enhance kedushah always brings yeshuot." The rabbi listened and followed the advice. Within a week, both issues disappeared. The baby was eating properly and sleeping peacefully through the night. I then told the man I was speaking to that we may not have someone today who can tell us exactly what Hashem wants from us. But when we face challenges like these, we know that improving in an area that needs strengthening is always a powerful zechut." Hashem loves us and wants us to reach our fullest potential. Sometimes, a person needs a gentle tap on the shoulder to remind them of what truly matters in life. Be'ezrat Hashem , when we answer that call, the challenges we face often disappear. We have seen countless stories proving beyond a doubt that Hashem is in full control of our health—and that He can take away an illness in the blink of an eye. This should inspire us to pray harder, strengthen our actions, and believe that our salvation comes solely from Hashem.