A Productive Investment

A few days before I was scheduled to travel to the States, my trusted secretary and escort’s wife called me up. She complained of recent extreme exhaustion. The family was also in the midst of moving. The tension of not feeling well, coupled with the frenzy of the move, caused her house to become one huge pressure cooker, a recipe for discomfort and discord. She asked for my blessing.

I felt bad for this woman. She was sacrificing so much to allow her husband to accompany me on my upcoming trip. I offered a silent prayer that Hashem put the proper words in my mouth to encourage her and bring her a measure of hope.

This is what I said, “It is true that you are undergoing a difficult time right now. You are forced to contend with various hardships, from within and without. But you should know that your difficulties are miniscule in comparison to those of others. There are countless women who plead for children. Homeless individuals die of hunger. Terrible illnesses kill people. A woman was just here, asking for a blessing, for her doctors had discovered a malignant growth on her neck, rachmana litzlan. Your troubles are cause for distress, but they can be resolved. They shrink in proportion to those of others, less fortunate than you.”

I continued in this vein, constantly returning to the case of the woman with the growth on her neck. She had eventually calmed down and went home.

A few days later, as my secretary and I were making our way to the plane, I noticed that he looked disturbed. I asked what was bothering him.

“Two days ago, my wife suddenly felt a bulge in her neck. Very much afraid, she rushed to the doctor. The doctor, more worried than she, sent her to take a series of tests. I am afraid of the results.”

I calmed him down and said that his wife had no neck problem whatsoever. He was appeased and the shadow of smile appeared on his lips.

The time for our flight arrived. With calm hearts, we boarded the plane. At that very time, his wife was taking the tests she had been prescribed. A biopsy was taken in order to ascertain the status of the growth. With the help of Heaven, everything came back clear. Her fears allayed, the woman was sent home, in perfect health.

She immediately phoned her husband and emotionally told him that she was well.

Of course, I shared their happiness, and I told my secretary, “This is in the merit of those who support Torah. When one upholds the tree of life, he enjoys the fruits of his labors.”