The Torah reminds us constantly that Hashem is in control, running the world, creating intricate, knotted webs that come together to make miraculous stories. Rabbi Yoel Gold told an inspiring story in his video series, The Wait, about a woman who never lost emunah that Hashem would bring her naseeb—match.
At 64 years old, Laurie Fogel had been in shidduchim for over 40 years. Her mom, constantly filled with emunah, supported Laurie through her many years of dating by saying Tehillim and assuring Laurie that Hashem runs the world and that He will send her a match at the right time.
One day, Laurie’s mom suddenly had a heart attack. The doctors worked on her tirelessly in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and managed to get her stable, B’H. On May 25th, at around 6:00 PM, Laurie’s mom was ready to be discharged. The doctor removed a tube, and something went very wrong. The words “Code Blue, Code Blue” rang around the sixth floor of the hospital while the doctors and nurses struggled to bring Mrs. Fogel back to life.
After a half-hour, they miraculously succeeded, and Laurie’s mom would be okay. She was discharged a few days later, and Laurie and her mom went home together.
Two months later, Laurie was set up with a man named Ron Hass. They ended up at a coffee shop on Beverly Boulevard for their first date. Things were going great; the conversation was flowing! Laurie noticed Ron kept looking across the street at Cedars-Sinai, so she asked him, “Is everything okay?”
Ron pointed to the hospital and said, “Sitting here reminds me of what a miracle it is that I’m alive. Just a couple of months ago, I was in that building. I had a heart attack.” His eyes welled up, and he said, “I was actively dying. They called my family to say goodbye. My loved ones even started organizing a funeral for me for the next morning. The doctors took me off life support, and it was a miracle from Hashem. I started to cough and then breathe on my own.”
Laurie said, “Wow! That’s incredible!!” With the emunah instilled in her from her mother, her first thought was, THIS is Hashem. This is meant to be. “When was this?” Laurie asked. Ron said, “May 25th around 6:00 in the evening.” Laurie was flabbergasted. That was the same date her mother had her near-death experience as well! After some more questions, she found out that both Ron and her mother were on the sixth floor and had the same doctors and staff working on them simultaneously.
As Laurie told the story with Rabbi Yoel Gold, she said, “This is my theory. My mom and Ron were on their way up to shamayim on May 25th, and my mom must have looked at him and said, ‘Wait a second, you’re going back down. I have a daughter for you!’ And I think Ron looked at her and said, ‘Okay, but you’re coming with me.’ And they both came back together at the same time. Hashem wasn’t ready for his angels just yet.”
Shortly after, Laurie introduced Ron to her mom, perhaps for the second time. Soon after, Ron popped the question, and Laurie said, “YES!” The morning after her daughter got engaged, Laurie’s mom passed away peacefully. It was as if she and Hashem brought Laurie’s match home from the Gates of Heaven, and she returned once he was delivered safely.
Reprinted from the Parashat Eikev 5785 email of Jack E. Rahmey based on the Torah teachings of Rabbi Amram Sananes.
