The Friday I Chose Silence—and Hashem Sent a Miracle

The book Barchi Nafshi includes a heartfelt letter from a Jewish man in Haifa, who shared the following personal story:

“One Friday, we had planned to travel to my wife’s parents in Rechasim for Shabbat. At 12:00 noon, we ordered a taxi to come at 4:00 PM to take us there.

As we were preparing, a neighbor—knowing we’d be away—asked my wife if her relatives could stay in our apartment for Shabbat. True to her kind nature, my wife immediately agreed.

The timing, however, was not ideal. The request came at 3:15 PM, just as we were beginning to pack. But my wife, who is not only kind-hearted but also very meticulous, couldn’t imagine leaving the house anything less than spotless for our guests.

Without thinking twice, she began scrubbing, mopping, dusting—cleaning the apartment from top to bottom. She even started polishing furniture.

The clock was ticking. Twenty minutes before the taxi was due to arrive, she was still at it—working with focus and care, not noticing the time at all.

I was at a loss. I knew that if I said something, it could lead to tension, and that’s the last thing I wanted before Shabbat. I stood there, debating whether to say anything—and then I made a decision.

No matter what, I won’t say a word.

Sure enough, 4:00 PM arrived. The taxi downstairs began honking. My wife was still cleaning. My frustration began to rise—this was the perfect setup for an argument.

But I remembered my decision. With Hashem’s help, I stayed quiet.

Even as the driver kept honking, I didn’t say a thing. I went downstairs, explained that we wouldn’t be taking the ride, and asked him how much he wanted for the cancellation. He named a price, and I paid him in full.

The driver was happy—he earned money and had time for another customer. But I was even happier. I felt like I had passed a major test. I genuinely felt that in holding back, I was building something sacred. Not because I wanted reward, but because I knew it was the right thing to do.

When I returned home, my wife was still tidying up. Only at 4:20 PM did she finish. We packed quickly, called another taxi, and finally made our way to Rechasim.

That Shabbat was different. I felt a deep spiritual elevation. The kind that’s described in so many sefarim (Jewish books)—that when a person truly overcomes their negative impulses, they refine their soul and grow closer to Hashem.

But what happened after Shabbat is what really changed our lives.

Without going into too much detail, I’ll say this: for years, we had not been blessed with children. In our frum (religious) community, surrounded by families with many children, this pain was especially heavy.

We waited for salvation. And Hashem, perhaps, waited for us to make ourselves worthy of it.

Not long after that Friday—after that one moment of restraint—we were blessed. My wife became pregnant.

The joy in our home was indescribable. The feeling of Hashem’s mercy pouring into our lives was something we will never forget.

I’m not saying this to take credit or to draw conclusions. I’m simply sharing what happened, in the exact order it happened.

First came the test—and with Hashem’s help, I passed it. And then came the salvation.”