A Passover Miracle
A true story! She went into her room and talked to Hashem for 5 minutes while her children danced in their room and thanked Hashem for their old shoes and faded kippas...
I received this email just before Passover 5779 (2019):
I would like to share with you a story that just happened to my family, totally inspired by Rebbe Nachman via Rabbi Arush via you.
Today, I made a list of all the things I would like to buy my children for Passover. I looked at their shoes falling apart, their stained tzitzis, brown kippas (started out as black!) and didn’t know where the money would come from. It is only one day until Yom Tov and no solution was in sight, but I made the list anyway.
My children kept asking me “When are we going to buy A, B, and C….”
I finally said to them, “I didn’t talk to Hashem yet! I am going in my room, closing the door, and I am going to talk to Hashem. Each of you do the same. Go in a corner or under your blankets, whatever, and talk to Hashem.”
I sat by myself in my room and knew that I was supposed to say, “thank You.” I thanked Hashem for not giving me money for all the things that I listed and asked Him to reveal to me how it is for my own good. I said thank you for helping me get rid of my arrogance and for realizing that I can only rely on Hashem and no one else. I talked for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, my children were in the other room dancing and saying thank you to Hashem that they don’t have new shoes or new kippas.
My husband walked into their room and asked them why they were dancing. The answered that they are following the advice of Rabbi Arush and thanking Hashem for what they don’t have.
My husband said, “If yes, the salvation came.“
What happened? Someone called my husband and asked him if he has everything he needs for the holiday. He said almost, but he really wants to get some things for his children.
The man told my husband to make a list and let him know how much we need, and he will try to give us whatever amount it is. !!!!!!!!!!
I cried. My kids danced.
The end of the story is that he gave us 1,500 shekels. We got everything we needed and more.
I had to share this story with you.
Hashem is SOOOO BIG!
***
My comments on this story:
Note that she said that she talked to Hashem for only 5 minutes! The Evil Inclination often tricks us into thinking that we need to pray for some crazy amount of time in order to get the miracle we need. It’s not true! Even 5 minutes of sincere gratitude to Hashem in a time of trial can be enough!
This story also exemplifies Rabbi Arush’s rule about “Say Thank You and See Miracles” that there is a difference between miracles that someone needs on the spot, and general problems and issues in life.
In this story, she didn’t have time to thank Hashem for an hour – it was the night before Passover already! Probably the busiest day of the Jewish year. Moreover, there were no more days for her to thank Hashem every day for some length of time. As it was, she rushed to buy everything the morning before the holiday. She needed a miracle on the spot – and she got it in only 5 minutes.
However, sometimes people need miracles that are not specifically time dependent. As much as they want a miracle immediately, there is time. The holiday isn’t tomorrow, the person isn’t about to die in the next minute, the fire isn’t already burning in the hallway, etc. In these cases, it is important to be determined and not give up, even if the miracle doesn’t happen right away.
Furthermore, Hashem did not punish her for waiting all that time. Why didn’t she think of this idea before and thank Hashem every time her children asked her when they were buying basics in the days and weeks before? Maybe Hashem would be angry that she didn’t bother coming to Him before? Not so! Hashem loves us so much. Hashem didn’t give her the money before in some other way, specifically because He wanted her to have this emuna-strengthening experience! He wanted her to see that nothing would help her except Him, and except emuna. And when she turned to Hashem, He was right there with open arms, ready to help, no holds barred, no chips on His shoulder.
Hashem loves you and only wants you to turn to Him and strengthen your emuna.
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If you also have a “Say Thank You and See Miracles” story you would like to share, please send it to us! Please send by email (1,000 words maximum) to: rachel.avrahami@breslev.co.il.
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Rachel Avrahami grew up in Los Angeles, CA, USA in a far off valley where she was one of only a handful of Jews in a public high school of thousands. She found Hashem in the urban jungle of university. Rachel was privileged to read one of the first copies of The Garden of Emuna in English, and the rest, as they say, is history. She made Aliyah and immediately began working at Breslev Israel.
Rachel is now the Editor of Breslev Israel’s English website. She welcomes questions and comments to her email: rachel.avrahami@breslev.co.il.
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