Divinely Enclosed
A Jewish philanthropist donated the sum of 8,500 francs to our institutions. He placed the money in an envelope and sent it to me. I was in a terrible hurry just then, so I placed the envelope inside a sefer and forgot the entire matter.
Some time later, the man met me and asked if I had received the donation. Of course, I thanked him profusely for his charitable act. In order not to cause him anguish, I did not recount that I had no recollection of where I had placed the money.
Six years passed. All of my sefarim were transferred to the yeshiva office. The yeshiva was undergoing renovations, and an electrician had been called in. At the end of the day, the electrician came into the office and asked for his payment, which was 8,500 francs.
I was the only one in the office. The secretary who was supposed to pay this worker had already left. I did not have that amount of money, and was at a loss as to what to do. I asked the man to return the next day for payment, but he said it could not wait.
My mind worked feverishly, as I tried thinking of how to come up with the money. Suddenly, with siyata di’Shemaya, R’ Yehudah Chadad appeared. He excitedly related that while the workers were arranging the sefarim, one of my holy books had fallen down. As they picked it up, they found an envelope stuck in it, containing a large amount of cash. He hurried to bring it to me.
Suddenly the events of six years ago came flooding back to me. To my delight, there lay the exact amount of 8,500 francs, patiently waiting to be handed to the electrician.
I was astounded at this amazing turnabout of hashgachah pratit. Just when I needed the funds, the exact amount was discovered. I also realized why I had to forget about the money all these years, which is unusual for me. And why I placed the envelope in a sefer, which I never do. Hashem is the grand Orchestrator, Who arranges all events.
