Capitalize on the Opportunities

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

Very often we see clearly how Hashem gives people the chizuk they need to overcome the test that He gives them. A woman told me that someone asked her to borrow a few hundred dollars. Her first reaction was to say no, because this woman did something to her in the past that ruined their relationship. She had been trying to forgive her, but it was very hard. She told the woman she did not have access to Quickpay at the moment, and she would call her back later and let her know about it. Deep down she felt this was a test from Hashem to completely forgive her friend, but it was very tough. That night she opened up a chizuk email that she had received on a different day that she hadn't gotten to yet. The lesson was about Hashem sending a person a test to give him a zechut that he needs, to access a beracha that he needs. She took this message to heart and immediately called that woman and told her she would be happy to lend her the money. The very next day she got a different chizuk email, and this time the lesson was all about Hashem giving people the chizuk they need to pass the tests that He gives them. She felt like Hashem was talking directly to her. A man told me, last Shabbat he prayed at a shul that he attends maybe once a year. On that particular Shabbat with no rhyme or reason, he decided this was the week he was going to that shul. Afterward, he felt very uplifted, enjoying the Rabbi’s devar torah there very much. It was all about Hashem sending a person an opportunity to get the zechut that he needs, to access the beracha that he needs. On Tuesday at work, this man was told by an extremely important customer that they were canceling an order that he already created the merchandise for. They were a little late in delivery, and so the company exercised its right to cancel. This was going to cost him somewhere in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. He couldn't think clearly the rest of the day. He finally left his office at 6 o'clock and was going to go straight to a shul in Brooklyn at 7:00 for Mincha. On the way home, he couldn't focus on listening to the Daf Yomi shiur as he usually did, so he put on a Jewish radio station instead. Towards the end of that ride, the host was talking about saying the phrase, Elaka d'Meir aneni , three times, and giving money to tzedakah when in need of a yeshua . The man decided to try it, and as he was getting close to shul, he said it three times, and had in mind he was going to give tzedakah right when he arrived. A minute later, his phone rang with an unknown caller. He was expecting a call, and so he picked it up. The person on the other line introduced himself, and then asked this man if he remembered him from years ago in Florida. The man had no recollection, and asked him what this call was about. The person started talking about his financial difficulties, and the man immediately realized where the conversation was heading. He had no patience for this at the moment, and he apologized and said he wouldn't be able to help and hung up the phone. As he walked into the shul, he recalled the rabbi's speech from the previous Shabbat about Hashem answering a person's prayers by sending him the zechut he needs to get the yeshua he needs. Here, he had just asked Hashem for help, and right away, he got this phone call, and he completely ignored it. Right after Mincha, he called that person back and apologized to him, and once again asked him what he could do to help him. He had a number in mind that he was willing to give, and amazingly, the person said he was exactly that amount short on his rent, which was due the next day. The man immediately sent him the money electronically, and the person heaped upon him blessing after blessing. Normally, he would interrupt such a thing, but this time, he said he needed all the blessings he could get, and so he let them continue coming. He then asked this person why he chose to call him. The person said he was just scrolling on his phone, and randomly selected him. The man thanked him and said, “Nothing is random. Hashem sent you.” He felt so much better after he hung up the phone. The next morning, when he came into his office at 9.30, the problem was resolved. The company said they would take the merchandise. Hashem gives us opportunities for zechuyot , and He even gives us the chizuk we need to capitalize on those opportunities.