The Miraculous Rescue

I received this email from NS of New York, New York, with this incredible story about how when we rely on Hashem and ask for His help, He can help us even find a needle in a haystack, especially when a life is at stake: 

It was on a cold night in December. I had just finished work at the group home which I supervise for people with special needs. 

I was traveling back to my home in New Jersey when I received a phone call from my staff. They were at a restaurant in Manhattan. When they arrived, one of my clients wandered away from the group. This client is not able to take care of himself – he isn’t even able to cross the street properly, let alone manage in such cold weather. For him to be by himself, lost on the cold busy streets of Manhattan,  was extremely dangerous. 

I immediately contacted Hatzalah and explained the situation. They told me that they would call me right back. I also contacted my supervisor who told me he was going to drive directly to where my clients were in order to assist my staff. As I continued driving toward New Jersey,  Hatzalah  called  me  back. They said they couldn’t get anybody to go to help out in Manhattan because all of the Hatzalah units had just finished working in Manhattan and were on their way into Brooklyn, and due to the holiday season and rush hour they wouldn’t be able to get any of their units there for a very long time. After hearing this terrible news my heart sank. The situation just got a whole lot more dangerous. 

I changed the direction I was driving and started heading towards the Lincoln tunnel/Manhattan to help find my client. While I started driving towards Manhattan,  I  encountered a ton of traffic and I was very worried for the safety of my client.  

I suddenly remembered a story I had read about the Holy Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov was once walking on a road on foot in a deserted area with some of his students. One of the students said, “Rebbe I really need to stop and have a drink of water.” The Baal Shem Tov didn’t respond and they continued walking. After a few minutes, the student again said, “Rebbe I can’t keep going. I’m going to pass out if I don‘t have some water.” 

The Baal Shem Tov turned to his student and asked, “Do you have full emuna that Hashem foresaw from the beginning of time before He created the world your predicament now and has prepared a way to help you right now?” The student stopped and contemplated and thought for a second about this question before responding “Yes.” The Baal Shem Tov then urged the student to go on a little further and after going a drop further they suddenly saw a man carrying water (a water carrier). The Baal Shem Tov asked the man what he was doing here in the middle of nowhere with the water. The man answered that he usually carries water to sell to people, and today his boss got angry with him and sent him in this direction and told him to just keep walking in this direction. The Baal Shem Tov paid the man for the water and gave it to the student. 

With this story in mind, I continued traveling toward towards the Lincoln Tunnel leading into Manhattan and I encountered a lot a lot of traffic. So, I started saying tehillim to Hashem while having in mind the lesson from the Baal Shem Tov story to only have full emuna in Hashem. I also prayed that my client was okay. By now, almost an hour had passed and my client could be anywhere by now. When I got to the toll booths, I explained the situation and asked the clerk at the booth if he could please get me a police escort. Unfortunately, he said no, so I continued going at a very slow pace in traffic. 

Finally, I emerged from the tunnel – by this  time  it  was  approximately  2  hours after the client had gone missing.  I  continued  talking to Hashem and asking  Him for help, and strengthening my emuna that a solution had already been formulated by Hashem before the predicament even came to me.  

As I exited the tunnel there were four entrances into Manhattan, so I chose the one with the least traffic. As soon as I drove through the entrance way, I said to myself, “Maybe, just maybe – just keep your eyes open. Who knows  maybe,  maybe I will see him on the street somewhere on my way to the restaurant where he got lost. Suddenly, as I was driving I spotted him! He was walking right towards me! 

I immediately stopped the car and he came to me. I radioed my supervisor to tell him the incredible news that I got him safe and sound. The response I got was, “Come again?!” – in utter disbelief. 

It was a huge miracle. Huge. 

***  

If you also have a “Say Thank You and See Miracles” story you would like to share, please send it to us! Stories may be posted on our website anonymously and sent to Rabbi Arush.  

 
Please email rachel.avrahami@breslev.co.il  with your story.