Witnessing Providence: "The Bored Man on the Street Was the Messenger for a Great Salvation"

Sometimes, it is precisely the unpleasant things that happen to us that lead to Hashem's salvation. Rabbi Daniel Shitrit from Rechasim, who works in outreach, shared this in the 'Divine Providence' bulletin: "For the past two months, we have been working around the clock registering children for religious education. We reach out to families who have strengthened their Jewish values, realizing that only through Judaism will their children become good people, and we encourage them to take the significant step of transferring their children to religious schools. As part of our efforts, we traveled specifically to a family residing in Kiryat Ata, hoping to persuade them to make this step.

"A child opened the door for us and said that the parents were not at home. I didn't believe him because the voices coming from inside made me think the parents were indeed inside. I couldn't verify this since the voices could have been of an older brother and sister, but at that moment, I assumed it was the parents' instruction not to let us in, and I became disheartened. I said: 'Master of the Universe, I've done my part. We spoke with this family, we made the effort to come here, and we did everything we could. From here on, only You, Hashem, can continue.' Thus, I turned to leave the building.

"As I exited the building, a man who apparently suffers from an overdose of boredom stopped me in the street. He started interrogating me with countless questions - who are you, where did you come from, what are you doing here, why here and not in other cities? His questions flowed like a gushing spring, and my patience was nearly exhausted. After seven long minutes of questions and answers, a taxi stopped next to us, and out came none other than the owner of the house I had knocked on earlier. 'It's good you came,' she said, 'I wanted to register the kids for religious education, but I lost the number. Can you register them now?'. We went up to her house, completed the registration, and *baruch Hashem*, another two children of Israel were added to institutions that will reveal what the Creator desires from them. It turns out the annoying man from the street was the messenger to delay us, to fulfill the plan," concludes Rabbi Shitrit.

This may be a small story, but it carries a vast message. Sometimes we go through difficult times, receive a puncture in the wheel of life, life doesn't go according to plan. But then reality surpasses all imagination, and precisely through difficulty, we receive great gifts later on.

The Torah teaches us this message through the story of the sale of Yosef the Righteous. Yosef's brothers sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites, and thus he became a slave in Egypt for twenty-two years. However, ultimately it was through this that he became the viceroy of Egypt, thanks to which the entire family of Yaakov and his descendants could descend to Egypt during the famine and be saved from starvation. That is, through darkness and pain, salvation and life for the Jewish nation ensued.

And so Yosef the Righteous says to his brothers, "And now, do not be sad and do not be angry in your eyes that you sold me here, for Hashem sent me before you to preserve life" (Genesis 45:5), and the Rashbam explains there, "Hashem did all this for your benefit." Of course, the Torah is a Torah of life, and here lies a message for each and every one of us. Sometimes we grieve over events in our lives, but here the Torah comes and tells us, 'Do not be sad, for Hashem does all this for your benefit.'

Even when it's dark, and the light doesn't seem on the horizon, Hashem can turn everything around and bring us 'venahapoch hu', and it is precisely from the difficulty that blessing and salvation will emerge.

The world is full of trials, and inexplicable things happen before our eyes, but we must always remember that there is someone managing the world, meticulously arranging everything for our eternal benefit. Rabbi Chaim Zaid with a particularly strengthening talk. Watch:

Is it hard for you with your wife/husband? Are you having difficulties with the children? Want to change your apartment? Change neighbors? Move jobs? Everything is under meticulous providence. Watch an amazing talk by Rabbi Chaim Zaid on Divine Providence: