So much so that Tzaddikim were able to catch on from the slightest things that Hashem wanted something from them and was sending a message.
This insight will help us understand the following story. Rabbi Shalom Shavazi, one of the greatest Jewish poets and known as the Yemenite poet, lost his father at the age of fifteen.
He left his home town Najd Al-Walid and went to the capital Sanaa to try and find a job to support his mother and family.
He applied to be an apprentice of a weaver. His first employer asked him how long is he willing to stay as he doesn't want to invest in an employee for nothing. Rabbi Shalom replied, "until the weaving machine falls out of my hand." His boss laughed at him and said, "the machine falls down a few times every day." Rabbi Shalom replied, "not by me." His boss gave him a try and saw to his great amazement that he was right, the machine never fell down.
This enabled him to work so fast that his employer couldn't keep up supplying him with the thread he needed. So his employer recommended him to a wealthy man who could provide him with the material he needed. His first employer told the new employer that he is a unique worker and the machine never falls down. So when Rabbi Shalom gave the same answer to his new boss that he will work till the machine falls, he was accepted thanks to his old employer’s recommendation.
Every month Rabbi Shalom would send his earnings to his mother. This went on for two years until one day the machine fell. He immediately stopped working and told his employer he is leaving. "Where to," asked the man? "To Najd Al-Walid. My heart tells me that my mother passed away and I want to make it to her Levaya." His employer offered him a donkey but he refused. He started his journey of six days and arrived home the same day. After the seven day period of mourning he returned to his work.
We can't know how Rabbi Shalom connected the two. One thing we do know that he understood that even something so unimportant doesn't happen for nothing and if it does it is a message.
But let us remember that the Passuk in this week's Parsha is telling us another message. If we understand from Hashem's small messages that He wants something and if we understand that it isn't coincidental then Hashem won't need to send us bigger, stronger and more painful messages to remind us. Hashem isn't looking to punish us, He is trying to bring us awareness. If we catch on from the small inconveniences we will save ourselves from the big ones.
