More Shared Divine Providence

Everything is foreseen, yet free will is granted…the mystical side of Judaism and life

Commentor R. Halevy shared this “story”…

MORE ON HASHGACHAH PERATIT:

A Jew flew back home to Brazil from a business trip to Japan, on an Emirates flight. The plane landed in Dubai, where the passenger stopped for 3 and a half hours before boarding another plane.

The day was already dawning, and the Jew was thinking how to do the mitzvah of putting on his tefillin. He wondered where he could find a safe place, walking up and down with his kippa on the head, in the middle of all those strangers who stared at him with an ice-cold look.

Roaming through the huge airport, in the middle of nowhere, suddenly he almost literally bumped into a man walking in the opposite direction — a bearded man with black suit, black hat and tzitzit!! The Jew looked around, a bit stunned, and noticed the crowd of hostile looking, turban-wearing men quickly passing by him and the black-hatted guy.

The chassid asked him in English “— Are you Jewish?”. He answered affirmatively. They introduced themselves: the chassid was a Rabbi from Manchester, UK, flying back home from Dubai. He had been there for a few days, in order to perform the brit milah of the newborn son of a businessman on a temporary work assignment.

The Rabbi asked “— Have you donned tefillin today?” The Jew answered “— Well, no… but… I don’t feel safe here, I think it may not be a good idea, you know — life risk?”

The Rabbi told him “— Come with me! I know a 100% safe place to daven, right here!!”

Not very happy with the idea, the Jew followed the Rabbi until he opened the door to the… entrance hall before the airport mosque!! There was a room with wooden benches and open cabinets to leave the luggage and shoes, where the muslim worshippers keep their belongings to go to the place where they wash their feet before entering the mosque itself.

The Jew got chills down the spine. Meanwhile the Rabbi opened calmly his bag, removed the tallit, tefillin and prayer book, just as if he were in a synagogue or any “normal” place. The perplexed Jew did the same. Both put on their tefillin and began to pray according to their respective books.

Suddenly, a tough-looking security guard came in, with an impeccable uniform and scary moustache, and asked the Rabbi “— Are you muslim???” The Rabbi softly answered “— No, we’re Jewish. May we pray here?” The security guard, somewhat surprised, thought for a few seconds and then said, with an imperative voice “— You may as well pray, but stay here, do not enter the mosque!”. The Rabbi agreed, and expressed his gratitude with a slight nod of his head.

The Rabbi and the other Jew prayed in a low voice, while several tall men went in, wearing turbans and tunics. They took their shoes off, stared shortly at the Jews and proceeded to the feet-washing facilities.

The Jew occasionally caught a glimpse of the Rabbi, who calmly prayed with his eyes closed, a slight smile on his face.

When finished, both began to put their tefillin back into their bags. Then the Rabbi opened up another small bag and… produced his “Rabbeinu Tam” tefillin, said the proper berachot, and after completing his mission he carefully and precisely wrapped the stripes around the small tefillin and stored them into the suitcase.
Upon leaving the mosque, the Jew closed the door after them and released a sigh of relief.

The Rabbi shook the Jew’s hand warmly and, before parting ways, told him “— Do you see? When a Jew decides to do his Creator’s will, nothing stands in his way!!”

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Now for an important detail: the guy who experienced this story… it’s me!! And the Rabbi who helped me do the mitzvah is Rabbi Yoel Niasoff from Manchester, UK Beit Chabad.

For me, this was just one more unmistakable proof of the Divine Providence, which seems to conspire in all possible ways in order to guide me through pleasant journeys — that is, whenever I make the right choices.

Shalom!!
R. Halevy.