Venezuela, the land of tropical rainforests and hurricanes. Countless accidents result from the frequent storms and avalanches. Homes and trees are entirely uprooted. Tornadoes rip apart anything in their way, wreaking complete destruction. It is life-threatening to be found in the eye of a storm. A man once related that he was miraculously spared twice from such storms.
The first time, he was trapped in his car. The windows were shattered by the mere velocity of the gales. He was sure that within a few moments, he would meet his end. Suddenly, a mysterious hand opened his door and allowed him to escape certain death.
The second time, he was once again seated in his car, when a storm erupted. Mountains crumbled and boulders broke apart. By a miracle, he was thrown with his car into a ditch. This provided him with a shelter of sorts from the threatening winds, and saved his life.
When I heard the man’s tale of escape, I asked, “Do you wear tefillin daily?”
“For many years, I used to wear tefillin. But as of late, I have stopped.”
“You stopped wearing tefillin?” I was incredulous. “How dare you? Didn’t you see Hashem’s hand saving you twice from certain death? Don’t you consider this a signal that you must be more careful with mitzvot, specifically the mitzvah of tefillin? You surely repaired your wrecked car. But what about your spoiled soul?!”
The man was silent. I instructed him to undertake to be more stringent concerning the mitzvah of tefillin, as well as other mitzvot. In this manner, he would merit constant Divine protection.
