At times, Hashem places a person in a difficult situation for one reason alone: so that he will turn to Him and seek His help.
When R' Avraham Englander was a young bochur, returning to America after spending more than two years learning in Eretz Yisrael, he was excited to begin the next chapter of his life in Lakewood.
Before leaving, he had done what many yeshivah students do: he visited sefarim stores throughout Eretz Yisrael and accumulated a sizable collection of sefarim.
Confident that everything would fit, he carefully packed his belongings and headed to the airport. His plan seemed simple enough. The sefarim would go into his carry-on bag, and he would board the plane with no issues.
But when he arrived at the check-in counter, the airline representative informed him that his carry-on exceeded the weight limit.
Avraham’s heart sank.
His checked luggage was already packed to capacity. There was no room to transfer even a single sefer. He stood there trying to think of a solution, but none existed. He was stuck.
Realizing there was nothing more he could do, Avraham silently turned to Hashem. He placed the problem entirely in His Hands and trusted that somehow a solution would emerge.
As he stood there, the representative began tapping on her keyboard. After a few moments, she looked up and asked, “Are you a student?”
“Yes,” Avraham replied.
A smile crossed her face. “In that case, you’re entitled to an additional piece of luggage. You can check your carry-on under the plane at no extra charge.”
Avraham could hardly believe what he was hearing. In no time, the problem that had seemed completely unsolvable disappeared.
Later, he mentioned the incident to his travel agent. The agent was puzzled.
“There is no such policy,” he told him. “El Al has never had a rule allowing students an extra suitcase free of charge.”
The more they investigated, the clearer it became that what had happened could not be explained through normal procedures.
At the very moment when Avraham found himself with nowhere to turn, he had turned only to Hashem. And Hashem responded.
Sometimes, Hashem creates the predicament solely so that we will recognize where our help truly comes from. When every natural avenue closes and a person places his trust entirely in Hashem, he often discovers that the One Who created the problem will create the solution.
