A Shot of Security
The following tale took place in Miami, when I stayed at the home of Mr. Ben-Chamou, the son of R’ Amram Ben-Chamou, a”h.
A man and his wife came to see me. The wife began by reminding me that the previous year, I had blessed them that they merit having a son. Baruch Hashem, they had been blessed with a beautiful baby boy. Afterward, they had another child. They had now come in order to thank me for my blessing. As a token of their appreciation, they gave me a bottle of whiskey.
This bottle reminded me that I had intended to purchase whiskey in honor of Shabbat. Now I was spared the extra effort involved. I thanked the couple for their generous gift. For some unknown reason, I added, “You are shortly returning to your home in Paris. Do me a favor; take the bottle with you. When I arrive in Paris, you will give it to me.”
The couple looked at each other baffled, but did as I instructed. In their hearts, they figured that they would be messengers of a mitzvah on behalf of Rabbi David, as they were transporting an item in honor of Shabbat. As they boarded the plane, the woman told her husband, “In the merit of the mitzvah, we should have a safe, uneventful journey.”
After two hours, there was plane trouble. The plane lost altitude and nearly crashed. Many passengers were injured. Some even lost consciousness as a result of the lack of oxygen. Fear and panic gripped everyone.
The couple with the bottle of whiskey, though, remained calm throughout, remembering that “messengers for a mitzvah are saved from harm.”
After a few moments of turbulence, the pilot regained control of the plane and stabilized it. Once again, it gained altitude, soaring into the blue beyond. With the help of Hashem, the couple reached their destination in peace.
The next day, when I was at the airport en route to Paris, I instructed my escort to purchase a bottle of whiskey in honor of Shabbat. “Why did I tell the couple to take back the bottle?” I wondered. “I won’t be seeing them until after Shabbat.”
Upon arriving at Paris, I heard about the miracles which they had experienced. I immediately understood that it was the merit of the mitzvah that stood in their defense and protected them from all harm. Heaven ordained that I should leave the bottle with them, as protection.
