No one imagined that the news would create such an upheaval. No one thought that over the course of seven years, the Hashgachah Pratis phone line would turn into a part of life, that Yidden would relate to the phone line as if it had always been there, that they would draw so much strength from it, so much hope, encouragement and comfort.
No one thought back then that this phone line would be the gift that keeps on giving, and that the ideas expressed would be expounded upon more and more. And now we see that this line was sent to us from Shamayim to infuse us with strength and to give us true chizuk in emunah peshutah, powerful bitachon, and a connection to the Creator of all worlds.
The phone line was launched on Thursday, 10 Iyar 5778. The story of Tova Shachor a”h had reached its happy ending, and we grabbed hold of the hisorerus that abounded, and subsequently we have been aroused with additional hisorerus each morning anew.
Those in the know said that if the phone line would last three months, it would be a miracle. Logically, they were right. Phone lines that exist only for our Torah communities seldom function for very long, but as Torah leaders testify, this line does not belong to one person; it is the phone line of all of Klal Yisrael.
A Yid told me that when he was in the airport, waiting in a long line, another Yid came over to him and gave him the Hashgachah Pratis biweekly newsletter. “This is a custom I’ve adopted for myself,” the man told him. “Whenever I travel abroad I take along a pack of these newsletters to strengthen Yidden in emunah and bitachon wherever they may be.” Yidden feel a personal connection to the newsletter, because it belongs to all of Klal Yisrael. It is the phone line of Am Yisrael, the special light that Hakadosh Baruch Hu brought down into the world in order to illuminate this generation.
Now that it has been seven full years since the opening of the phone line, I am using these lines to thank Hashem yisbarach in the name of all of Am Yisrael, to thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu for giving me the zechus to be part of this great mission. As the Alshich declares in Parshas Vayishlach, one should not be ungrateful. The way of Hashem is that if someone is ungrateful for the good that Hashem granted him, then Hashem does not continue to give it. So it is a zechus and an obligation for me to thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the past seven years, whereby:
- Close to a million stories were heard on the phone line, from all corners of the world.
- Over 20 million newsletters were printed in three languages.
- A wellspring of faith and joy entered the homes of Am Yisrael, and it influences the entire family.
- The monthly magazine was launched.
- For seven years, people’s lives have been transformed for the good in the zechus of the Hashgachah Pratis initiative.
- For seven years, people received the gift of living with the feeling that they have a loving Father, Who provides total support.
Ribbono shel Olam, we thank You for all the good that You have showered on Am Yisrael, and we are asking You to enable us to be zocheh to continue strengthening Am Yisrael, to enliven their hearts with pure emunah and closeness to You, to implant hope and to bring the joy of being a ma’amin, and the serenity of being a boteiach, to every Yid.
!לנצח אלוקינו ‘ה תטשנו ואל ,רחמיך עזרונו הנה עד
Gut Shabbat
Pinchas Shefer
Parshas Emor - Behar 5784 ■ Issue 163
ד"בס
