Saved From Death in the Merit of Bitachon:
The Magid, Rav Yaakov Galinsky zt”l, related a story about a poor man who lived in the city of Vienna. The man decided to move to America to find a better source of livelihood and even purchased a boat ticket. Several of his friends advised him that before he left, he should consult with Rav Yisroel of Tchortkov zy”a. When he entered the Rebbe’s room, Rav Yisroel lifted his eyes, looked at him and said, “You’re going to America? I will give you a segulah for protection. I will make you a shliach mitzvah and it is known that a shliach mitzvah cannot be harmed.”
The man said he would happily do whatever shlichus the Rebbe asked of him. The Rebbe then said, “Give my regards to the ‘G-d of America’.”
The man didn’t understand and he asked, “Rebbe, doesn’t America have the same G-d as Vienna?”
The Rebbe replied, “If that is true, why are you traveling to America? Can’t Hashem help you here?”
The man took the Rebbe’s words to heart and he cancelled his trip, deciding to instead have bitachon that Hashem would help him. Not long thereafter, he saw how his bitachon saved his life, as the ship he was scheduled to travel on sank!
