According to the opinion of R’ Eliezer (Succah 11b), the underlying reason we celebrate the Yom Tov of Succos is in commemoration of the Annanei HaKavod [Clouds of Glory] which surrounded the Jewish people throughout their travels in the desert. Yet, when considering this, the obvious question stands out. The Jews were not only privy to the miracle of the Annanei HaKavod in the desert. They also received the daily provisions of the mon and were supplied refreshing water from the Well of Miriam. Why in fact then do we not commemorate those miracles? Why didn’t Chazal enact a Yom Tov during which we would go swimming for seven days or turn on all the faucets in our house? Or why don’t we have a Yom Tov during which we eat food which incorporates a variety of flavors akin to the mon which tasted like anything you wished?
The truth is that there is very good reason to celebrate the miracle of the Annanei HaKavod even in our day and age. And that is because the purpose they served still lives on with us. And that is the concept of hashgacha pratis. The Annanei HaKavod represent that we are completely enclosed and watched over by the hand of Hashem. As it relates to the Well of Miriam and the mon, those were miracles only experienced at the time the Jews traversed the desert. They were limited to that generation. But Divine Providence exists quite clearly even today. Without question, Hashem has always been involved and will continue to be involved in the day to day running of the world.
Rabbi Dovid Kaplan relates the following story:
One day, a man phoned the Rosh Yeshiva of a particular yeshiva in Eretz Yisroel. Explaining that he had seen an ad for the yeshiva in the newspaper and was overly impressed, he asked if he could make a donation. While the Rosh Yeshiva assured the man that they had placed no ad in any newspaper, the man remained undeterred. “I will be down at the yeshiva a bit later today,” he said.
Sure enough, later that day, the man pulled up in front of the yeshiva in his fancy, expensive car. Entering inside, he went on to approach the Rosh Yeshiva. “Rabbi,” he said, “I am so taken aback by your ad. Would you mind if I take a look at the premises?” Gladly complying with his request, the Rosh Yeshiva went on to provide a tour of the building.
After doing so, the man said, “Rabbi, I initially had in mind of giving you $80,000. But I am in fact so impressed with your entire system of operations that I have decided to give you an even $100,000. Taken aback by this stranger’s beneficence, the Rosh Yeshiva gave it one last try. “Just tell me again, what brought you here?” “Don’t you know,” he said, “the ad you have in the newspaper...?” And with that, the man wrote out the check and walked back to his car.
Quite surprised to be the unexpected recipient of such largess, the Rosh Yeshiva called over Moshe, the yeshiva’s head of operations. “Did we submit an ad for any newspaper recently?” Without a moment’s thought, Moshe said, “Not that I am aware of.”
Without any explanation for how such a check ended up in their possession, the yeshiva went on to investigate the matter. And sure enough, the true story was uncovered.
Fifteen years earlier, a religious newspaper had just begun its publication in Eretz Yisroel. Desperately wishing to break into the market, they struggled to meet any significant success. After two weeks and two editions released, they were running out of funds. And so, they turned to various organizations for support to stabilize themselves. Asking even yeshivos if they would be willing to submit an ad into their paper in lieu of a donation, this particular yeshiva consented.
While nothing substantially materialized from the ad, the newspaper wound up in the local barber shop. And for fifteen years it did not move. The newspaper remained sitting in the same barber shop for fifteen years.
And then the day finally arrived. Fifteen years later, in walked a man to get a haircut, grabbing a newspaper as he took a seat. And what did he then see inside? The ad for this yeshiva.
And so, a decade and a half later, the ad the yeshiva submitted came through. Just imagine the likelihood of a newspaper sitting in the same spot for years and a man being motivated to donate thousands of dollars as he sits on a barber’s chair getting a haircut.
That is what it means to have hashgacha pratis in our day and age. When we sit in our succah and observe our surrounding enclosure, all we must remember is that Hashem does the exact same to us. He closely watches over us every moment of every day and every night. And even fifteen years later, He still watches over us...
