Welcome to the daily chizuk (encouragement). The Boteach BaHashem (one who trusts in Hashem) is always happy. If things don’t go his way, he strengthens his emunah (faith) even more. The Boteach BaHashem doesn’t lose himself when his tefillot (prayers) are not being answered. He knows: Kaveh el Hashem (Hope in Hashem). And if you aren’t answered yet, chazak v'ya'ametz libecha—you have to strengthen yourself—v'kaveh el Hashem (and hope in Hashem), and ask Hashem again. The Boteach BaHashem has heard hundreds of stories in his lifetime about Yeshuat Hashem (Hashem’s salvation); he knows Hashem can help him in an instant, and he knows the value of a heartfelt tefillah.
I just heard a story the other day. There was a couple who were Ba'alei Teshuvah (returnees to observance) living in Israel. The husband’s name was Yaakov Kaplan, and his wife was Miriam. They were childless for 12 years. They tried everything imaginable, and the doctors couldn’t figure out the problem. So they mutually decided to get a divorce so that they might each have children with another spouse. But Yaakov’s friends tried to talk him out of it. They said, “Don’t do it; you’re a Kohen (priest). If you divorce her, you’ll never be able to take her back.” But he didn’t listen, and he gave her the get (Jewish divorce document). A couple of months later, it was discovered that his wife was pregnant. Yaakov couldn’t believe it after 12 years. You could imagine the agony. He can’t take his wife back now and raise their child together. What could he do?
He went to his rabbi, who looked over the get and said, “Maybe there’s a mistake, and it would be invalid.” But the rabbi couldn’t find the problem. It was totally kosher (valid). The rabbi told them, “Maybe bring the get to Rabbi Elyashiv, one of the Gedolei HaDor (great rabbis of the generation). Maybe he could find something wrong with it.” Rabbi Elyashiv also said, “It was totally kosher, and there’s nothing else that I could do.” He said, “I’ll advise you to go to the Kotel (Western Wall) and pour out your heart to Hashem. Hashem is the only one who could help you. And there have been many yeshuot (deliverances) at the Kotel. Go there now and pray.”
So Yaakov went, and he cried. He cried his eyes out there. Someone came over to him and told him, “You have to go see your father.” Yaakov started thinking. He knew he had a father in Dallas, Texas. They never had a good relationship. His father was aging now, but he had never bothered to go see him because they didn’t get along. So he ignored the guy and went back to praying. A few minutes later, the guy came back again and said, “I told you, you have to go see your father.” So he was thinking, “Who is this guy? I’m thinking about my father.” That night, he was really thinking about this. Should he go see his father? Shouldn’t he go see his father? He decided he was going to go see his father. He took a flight to Dallas. He came to his father. For the first time in his life, his father called him by his Hebrew name. His father said, “Yaakov, so nice to see you.” I always used to call him Jason. Then his father asked, “How’s everything? Did you bring your wife with you?” When Yaakov heard that, he broke down. He told his father everything that had happened and how he was stuck now. His father was quiet for a couple of minutes. And then he said, “There’s something I need to tell you. Your mother swore me to secrecy on this. But now I have to say, you aren’t really my son. We were childless. And your mother wanted a child very badly. And we managed to adopt you. But we never told a soul. Wherever we went, everyone thought you were our son. And you grew up thinking you’re a Kohen. But you really aren’t.” His father showed him the adoption papers, and he was able to go back and remarry his wife and raise a family with her.
Who was that guy at the Kotel? He was a Shaliach (emissary) from Hashem. This is the power of a heartfelt tefillah. So the Boteach BaHashem knows Hashem can help him in an instant. And if he hasn’t been answered yet, it must be that Hashem has a great reason. And he thanks Hashem because Hashem knows better than him. But he also knows that Hashem wants him to pray, and he always thinks maybe the yeshuah (salvation) will come with the next tefillah. Have a great day.