In One Pocket, Out the Other
One Friday, a Jew approached me in the street near my home and asked for a donation. Since I did not have my wallet with me, I asked him to wait a moment. Within a short time, I promised, I would give him five hundred shekels.
I went upstairs and got my wallet. But I was disappointed to find only three hundred shekels in it. After searching my house, I came up with another hundred shekel bill. But I still needed one more hundred in order to fulfill my pledge. I could not find one anywhere. What should I do? With no other choice, I asked the man to wait until my wife returned from her shopping. Maybe she had another hundred shekels to give him.
For some reason, I decided to immerse in the mikveh early that Friday. For the past few decades, I have had the custom to immerse one hour before the onset of Shabbat. It was now a full six hours before Shabbat would come in. But I had an urge to immerse earlier. Immediately afterward, I dressed in my Shabbat finery. I instinctively put my hand in my pocket to ensure there was no muktzeh or any item which is forbidden to be carried on Shabbat. This is in line with the Rambam’s words in Hilchot Shabbat (19:26), “One is obligated to check his clothing on Erev Shabbat, toward evening, lest he find something forbidden in it.”
Suddenly, I felt a bill in the pocket of my Shabbat suit. To my surprise, I pulled out a hundred shekel bill. How did I find the exact amount I needed, and in my Shabbat suit, to boot? I handed over the entire sum of five hundred shekels to the man and wished him a Shabbat Shalom. Immediately afterward, another person came to tell me the good news that his wife had given birth to twins, easily and naturally. Then I remembered that the past Motza’ei Shabbat, he had visited me and given me one hundred shekels so that I would bless his wife with an easy birth. Of course, I blessed him warmly. Without paying attention, I placed the bill in the pocket of the suit I was wearing, my Shabbat one. And then I forgot about the whole thing.
This incident was a manifestation of Divine Providence. Hashem knew that a Jew in need would approach me on Friday for a donation. He also knew that I would be one hundred shekels short of the entire sum. Therefore, one week earlier, He arranged for someone else to donate the remaining amount. And I went to the mikveh earlier in order to find the money in time.
Hashem manages the world in a most wonderful way and provides for everyone who has faith in Him. After internalizing this marvelous message, I spent a most uplifting Shabbat basking in the closeness of Hashem, our merciful Father, Who provides a solution for every situation. Fortunate are His holy messengers.
