This story took place about twenty years ago. At the time, Reb Aharon Eisenstein, not yet Torah observant, had taken a diving course, and engaged in diving as a relaxing hobby. On the occasion of this story, Aharon had traveled with a friend to the Tiran Straits in the Sinai Peninsula, to the coast of the Red Sea, which he had heard was an exceptionally beautiful diving site. Getting there was a big deal, but the effort was worth it. At the depths of the sea, which is only penetrated by a few rays of the sun that lend it a mysterious bluish tinge, Aharon and his friend enjoyed every minute. They took photos next to huge sharks, and studied rare fish from close up, as they floated among the magnificent coral reefs.
Aharon and his friend had equipped themselves with an oxygen tank that would provide them with enough oxygen for about half an hour under the water. When the indicator dial showed them that they had just eight minutes of oxygen remaining, they began to head for the surface. But as they were on the way up, Aharon noticed an opening in one of the rocks to one side of him, which seemed to invite him to peek inside...
Aharon left his friend for a moment, and when he peeked through the opening, he was surprised to discover that there was an enchanting cave, which was open on both ends. On the spur of the moment, he decided to swim into the cave. It was about ten meters long, which an experienced diver could cover in less than a minute, and Aharon entered through the opening with the intention of coming out on the other side.
As he was swimming through, Aharon noticed the amazing creations that dwelled in the cave, including sea urchins, corals, oysters, and other colorful little fish that swam rapidly from one side of the cave to the other. Aharon swam quickly to the other side, but just before he exited, his breath caught in fright. On the edge of the cave, just near the exit opening, was a huge fish, called a Gulf torpedo, which belongs to the electric ray family. Its fins were spread wide open across the entire width of the cave in a way that didn’t allow passage without touching it.
This is the place to explain that this fish is one of the Torpedinidae family, which includes 22 species of electric rays or torpedoes, flat cartilaginous fishes that produce electricity as a defense and feeding mechanism. They are slow-moving bottom-dwellers. Hashem gave the ability to administer an electric shock to their prey, and those shocks can be as strong as six hundred watts, if not more. The Gulf torpedo is one of the more lethal fish in this family, and touching it could be very dangerous.
Aharon felt panicked and helpless. He tried to go back where he had come from, but the cumbersome diving equipment made it difficult to swim backwards in the narrow cavity of the cave.
Like Bnei Yisrael when standing on the banks of the Yam Suf, without the ability to move forward or backward, Aharon was now in the depths of the Red Sea, with danger on all sides. He was gripped by paralyzing fear, deathly fear. At the time, the oxygen tank had enough air for just four more minutes. The thought that he was going to end his life here, in this cave, where it was doubtful his body would ever be found, shook him to the core, and awakened deeply buried memories.
In this desperate moment, Aharon realized that tefillah was the only thing that could save him. But because he had not had an observant upbringing, he didn’t know how to daven. He feverishly wracked his memory, and he suddenly had a dim memory of his childhood. It was one of the few times that he had accompanied his grandfather to daven n shul. As a child, he had looked curiously at the large heichal, and his gaze had lingered on the illuminated sign over the chazzan’s amud bearing the words: “Shivisi Hashem lenegdi samid.” Now these words lit up in front of his eyes, and the cry seemed to emerge from the deepest part of his soul:
“Shivisi Hashem lenegdi samid!” Aharon cried silently. “Hashem! I know that You are here with me, I am sure that You know the danger I am in, and I believe that You can get me out of here in one minute...”
Aharon prayed from the depths of his broken heart, and the unbelievable happened. Suddenly, the Gulf torpedo decided to move from the entrance of the cave, and the passage became clear. Aharon quickly swam forward and out of the cave.
When he emerged, Aharon glanced at the oxygen gauge, and was horrified to see that there were only thirty seconds of air remaining. That was too short of a time to rise forty meters to the surface. Again, he was in serious danger, and Aharon repeated the holy words. Suddenly, he was stunned when his lost friend appeared at his side.
He quickly signaled that his oxygen was running out, but unfortunately, his friend’s oxygen situation was the same. They communicated with hand motions, and decided to unite on their way up to the surface. Each one, at his turn, would take two breaths from the remaining tank.
The skilled friends operated according to emergency directions, in order to conserve energy that would require additional oxygen. They advanced relatively slowly, and from time to time, they took two breaths from the emptying tank. Towards the end, they had to just hold their breaths, but bechasdei Shamayim, they reached the surface healthy, safe and so very grateful...
Only after they were on firm ground was Aharon able to release his tears. Only now could he release a sigh of relief and offer his emotional gratitude to the Creator Whom he had rediscovered in the depths of the sea, for giving him his life as a gift, and for unearthing the treasure of emunah that had been so deeply buried in his heart.
Now, after the tefillah had opened a miraculous path to spare his life, his path to emunah was also opened, and that opening later helped him totally transform his life.
