Seven Good Years
I was receiving the public in the Beit Hakeneset Saban in Argentina. The wife of the rabbi of the congregation approached me and enthusiastically related that her husband and son had been miraculously saved from a horrifying car crash. Besides for some minor scratches, they emerged unscathed. In order to demonstrate the tremendous miracle, she had pictures of the car after the accident. It was nothing but a piece of scrap metal. It was very hard to believe that anyone came out alive.
The woman removed a piece of paper from her handbag. Seven years earlier, I had written a blessing for the success of her family on it. On the other side, I had written the word Bamidbar, underlining it twice for emphasis. It was during the week of parashat Acharei Mot.
I was very moved by the sight of this paper. When I had written this word, I did not understand the meaning behind this gesture. Now, everything fit into place. It was a hint to the car accident, which took place during the week of parashat Bamidbar. The two lines under the word indicated that there would be two survivors, the father and the son.
The woman added an interesting postscript. This piece of paper had been missing all these years. Now, after the accident, she found it in a most surprising way. She also took note of the fact that the accident occurred near the Beit Hakeneset Saban, where the blessing had been written seven years earlier!
Hashem’s ways are hidden from us. How wonderful is His intervention. He arranged that the father and son should be blessed seven years in advance, thereby being saved from certain death.
