A Portentous Read
One evening, before retiring, I perused a sefer kodesh, as is my custom, so that my sleep would be imbued with Torah thoughts. I opened to a section describing the Navi, Ido (Melachim I, 13). Pesukim 1-5 describe a miracle he did by the word of Hashem. Pesukim 7-24 relate Hashem’s order to him not to eat, drink, or go home the way he had come. But he met a false prophet on the way who convinced him to eat. Since Ido transgressed Hashem’s word, he was killed by a lion.
The next morning, a man called me up and told me that his wife had given birth to a baby boy eight days earlier. Today was the brit, but he could not decide on a name. He said he was wavering between two names. One of the names was Ido, which he was more inclined to give.
I asked why he had chosen this name. He replied that he had been enamored of the good qualities of Ido Hanavi, who performed miracles. I liked what I heard and encouraged him to give that name.
I felt that Hashem had led me to respond appropriately to this man by having me read about Ido Hanavi the night before.
