A Letter from a Loyal Reader
Iggeres Emunim
A Letter from a Loyal Reader
To the Nasi and patron of Bney Emunim, Rav Yaakov Dov Marmurstein, shlita
On the second yahrtzeit of your mother, a"h, which took place on 17 Teves 5785, you delivered a moving shmuess in our yeshivah in which you related, among other things, the marvelous Hashgachah pratis you merited to see on the day of her passing. You related that six days before she passed away, you came unexpectedly to Israel, and were with her. Before you left to return home to New York, you parted from her and received her brachah. You then went to the airport and prepared to board your flight, but then your friend who brought you to the airport called you and told you that he had just heard that your mother had suddenly collapsed. You returned at the last minute, and hurried to your mother’s house. About ten minutes after your arrival, she passed away, at a ripe old age, with a minyan of descendants – you included – at her side, crying Shema Yisrael.
Indeed, marvelous Hashgachah pratis. Because what are the chances that a resident of New York would merit to be at the bedside of his mother in Israel when she passed away suddenly?
But there is no chiddush here, because reason says that one who is strict to answer amen – the basis of emunah – merits to see how the Eye of Hashem is upon him with special Hashgachah pratis, in the fulfillment of "Ein Hashem el yerei’av" (Tehillim 33:18) – and the acronym of those words is numerically equivalent to amen.
I thought to bring a beautiful remez about this concept that one who is strict to answer amen merits to see Hashgachah pratis in his travels.
In the travels and camping of Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar it says (Bamidbar 9:18): "Al Pi Hashem yisu Bnei Yisrael v’al Pi Hashem yachanu." In this passuk the word amen is alluded to, both at the beginning and the end! At the beginning it says יסעו בני ישראל‘על פי ה - and the acronym of the final letters of each word is numerically equivalent to amen. Likewise, at the end יחנו‘ בני ישראל ועל פי ה– also has the final letters numerically equivalent to amen! This teaches us that one who is strict to answer amen merits to see Hashgachah pratis in his travels and his camping, like the members of the Dor Hamidbar.
In admiration, S.R.
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