By Rabbi David Ashear
Michal*, a Sephardic girl from Canada, had been trying to find a shidduch for quite a few years. Her mother, who was not as religious as her daughter, kept telling Michal that the reason she was not getting married was because she was dressing too modestly, and no one was noticing her. On one occasion, her mother pushed so hard that Michal finally caved and went to a wedding dressed immodestly.
When she arrived, she checked her coat and was left feeling very uncomfortable, insecure, and out of place in her immodest attire. She turned around to go to the reception – and there was her rabbi, who had just walked in! She flushed with shame and immediately spun around to retrieve her coat. Red-faced, she exited the wedding hall at a run.
She could not bear to remain there for another second dressed as she was. An hour and a half later, Michal returned to the wedding proudly dressed in her usual modest attire. She felt dignified, like a princess, and spent the rest of the night with a huge smile on her face, proud to be a bas Yisrael. She felt an inner joy knowing she had just passed a test and done the will of Hashem.
The very next morning, Michal received a phone call from a shadchanis. “Were you at the Rosenberg* wedding last night?” she asked. When Michal replied affirmatively, the shadchanis said, “A woman there noticed you. She said that your smile was so radiant and you were walking with such confidence. You looked so happy. She’s asking about you for her son. Are you interested in hearing more?”
Michael thought to herself, “This is very funny. I originally went to the wedding last night dressed a certain way, thinking that would get me a shidduch. Turns out, what got me noticed was my happiness from going home to change and dressing the way Hashem wants me to dress.”
Michael agreed to meet the suggested young man. Shortly thereafter, they were engaged. (Excerpted from the ArtScroll book- “Living Emunah on Shidduchim”)
Reprinted from Parshas Vayeishev 5785 email of The Weekly Vort.
