Operation Inspiration
I’m not sure if it’s a widespread practice or not, but in my family, when we see someone or something familiar in an unusual or unexpected place, we’ll take a picture and send it to each other, with the caption: “Spotted!”
For example, if we’re driving on the highway and we see a cousin in another car, we’ll snap the picture and send it to the family, appropriately marked. This way, they know how cute it was that we happened to see our cousin. Or when my daughter was in Yerushalayim and saw one of my books at a seforim store, she sent me a pic of it on the shelf and said, “spotted!”
I’m not sure the origins of the ritual, but if I had to venture a guess, I’d think it was a recognition of Hashgacha Pratis, or as my daughter calls it (and I’ve told you this before) – HP.
I think it’s based on the understanding that Hashem orchestrated events so that this meeting occurred. Whether it was the traffic patterns and similar destinations or the fact that the booksellers bought the book and my daughter “happened” to be in that section so she saw it and let me know, we recognize that Hashem set these things in motion.
Recently at shul, I had another insight into this phenomenon and I thought, “Hey, that would make a great article!” So I used some memory triggers so I didn’t forget the idea, and now I’m writing it.
It was a Shabbos when the shul was extremely crowded. There was a simcha so there were guests both local and from out of town. There were also a number of people whose married children were visiting, some regulars had their parents-in-law with them, and seats were at a premium. Ok, who am I kidding? It was standing room only.
Anyway, I had arrived on time and took my regular seat, with my shtender right in front of me. A visiting father and son came in and I motioned them to two empty seats next to me. I don’t think they were sold on the idea, but they did take those seats, and I think they were glad they did. As the morning wore on, more people arrived and the crush was on. People kept looking for a place to sit or stand. They’d walk in, look left and right, and try to spot a place for themselves. But not me. Though chaos ensued around me, I was in a place of calm. It struck me how this was such a metaphor for life.
Often, we find ourselves in situations we’re not so sure of. They may be difficult places, with challenges and hardships, or they may be calm places where things just seem to be going smoothly. We may not have planned those circumstances, but Hashem did.
Hashem has a specific place for each of us at every moment. Let’s call it “Hashem’s Place,” or HP. It’s where we are supposed to wind up and we don’t need to be running around trying to find another place. He’s already assigned it to us, even if it’s at the back, sharing half a chair with someone else. As they say, “Wherever you go, there you are!”
I’m not sure that that means either, but I take it to mean that you will always find yourself right where He wants you. Whether it’s a physical location or a station in life, you are right where you need to be. It may not be the most comfortable place, like my seat in shul that day, but it is the right place for you.
The posuk says, “Haboteach BaShem, Chesed Yesovevenhu,” One who trusts in Hashem is surrounded by kindness. That doesn’t mean nothing “bad” will ever happen to him, but rather that one who understands that everything comes from Hashem for a purpose will see whatever happens to him as kindness. It may encircle him like a shiver of sharks (nope, they’re not called a school, maybe because that’s what happens when someone is surrounded by sharks – he gets a shiver) but it’s kindness surrounding him. Maybe because he needs to be scared for some reason at that moment in time.
So the next time you’re wondering, “How did I get myself into this mess?” remind yourself that you may have had less to do with it than you might think. It could very well be that this is where Hashem put you and said, “Wait here for Me.”
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