We have been discussing the concept that one who has Bitachon is helped by Hashem in non-conventional ways. Whereas the alchemist needs materials, the Baal Bitachon can have his needs met in the oddest of fashions.
To illustrate, the Hovot HaLevavot, gives another example from Eliyahu HaNavi, who at one point was cared for by a widow who gave him cookies and water during a famine.
, ועם האשה האלמנה ועוגת רצפים וצפחת המים
The Navi tells us that Hashem told Eliyahu “I will command a woman to to take care of you” and she does. .
The commentaries ask: What does it mean that Hashem commanded her? She wasn’t a prophet. Hashem never spoke to her or told her to feed him. The answer is that Hashem commands our actions and our ideas and even though G-d didn’t verbally tell her to feed Eliyahu, He commanded her nonetheless.
Hashem did so in ancient history, and continues to do so with us every day of our lives. Hashem directs our actions all the time. It’s important to see that this can and does happen in the present day and age, as the following personal experience illustrates.
Ten years ago my father decided to visit his elder sister who lived in Milan, Italy. It would be a short 2 day trip and I came along. After our two days there, my father thought that since we were so close to Eretz Yisrael, and it being Thursday, we should go to Israel for Shabbat. When Shabbat was over we decided to go to Bnei Barak and visit the Gadol Hador, Rav Michel Yehuda Leftkowitz, for berachot. My father was introduced to the rabbi as a doctor. When asked what kind, he replied that he was a skin doctor.
The Gabbai then said that the rabbi had been suffering from a rash on his face that had been bothering him for a few days. My father examined the Rabbi and explained that he required a liquid form of cortisone, as the cream he’d been using was ineffective due to the Rabbi’s beard. The liquid was not available in Israel, but when we got home the next day, my father prepared the medicine, found someone heading to Israel and sent the medication to the rabbi. The rabbi received the package within 24 hours and was very grateful.
We thought that it was all us, our ideas, when we decided to visit my aunt, to spend Shabbat in Israel, to visit the rabbi. In reality, the Hovot HaLevavot tells us, we got it all wrong. It was Hashem commanding our actions, who took us all the way to Israel in order to help the rabbi get the medicine he needed.
The Hav HaLevavot says that we have to realize it’s G-d who tells the widow to care for Eliyahu and it’s G-d who is guiding our actions as well. People have ideas but they don’t realize its Hashem directing their ideas.
Another story about Rav Michel Yehuda further exemplifies this concept. The rabbi was a young man in yeshiva many years ago, in a strange land, feeling down. His father had just passed away, he was only 18-19 years old and was feeling dejected. Then, as he walked out of mincha, he received a warm and friendly hello from someone, and it gave him a tremendous boost. The rabbi relates that he might have left yeshiva if not for that hello, which gave him the boost he really needed at a difficult time.
That man was sent by Hashem.
The story goes further. I was once introduced to speak somewhere but was not well prepared. I told the aforementioned story about how that warm hello to Rabbi Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz had such an impact and then, having recognized an old friend in the audience, I added a similar experience. When I was young I had transferred to a new school and didn’t know anyone. The teacher introduced me to a Zalman Shapiro (this was the man I had spotted in the audience). Zalman had greeted me warmly and made me feel comfortable, just as that man had done long ago with Rav Michel. So I thanked Zalman before the crowd.
Shockingly, Mr. Zalman Shapiro stood up and said that it was actually his father Rav Zaruch Shapiro that gave the hello to Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz all those years ago!
What Hashgacha Pratit! I had just decided to speak about this occurrence and thank Mr Shapiro, and it was his father that I had mentioned in the story, who had done the very same thing for the rabbi!
And so we see that Hashem sends people to do what has to be done in the most non-conventional ways. Whether it’s a warm hello or a trip around the world to deliver a medicine, G-d has His messengers and they’re there to help us. These are the small miracles we can all witness in our lives.