I have a dear son who does everything at the last minute. He has a good heart, but his stress begins when everything is already at its limit. I prayed to Hashem that I would be able to bring in the Succos holiday early, with the succah ready ahead of time. My dear son was in charge of building the succah and its decorations.
A few days before the holiday, I sat him down and pleaded with him in every possible way not to wait until the last minute as he does every year!
Indeed, the day before the holiday, he enthusiastically set up the succah and even got his younger siblings to help arrange tables and take care of everything needed for the succah. My wife called to update me that he had taken the initiative and leadership and was ensuring the succah would be ready early, just as we had asked him.
Toward the evening, my son called me, somewhat stressed, asking if I could buy some additional decorations for the succah on my way home. I told him I heard he was handling things well, and instead of going to look myself, I would come and take him to buy more decorations for the succah. He asked me to hurry and pick him up before the stores closed. I reassured him that stores wouldn’t close so early and that I would take him to buy the other items he wanted when I got home.
When I arrived home, I was surprised to see that my prayers had worked, and the succah was almost completely ready.
My energetic son urged me to drive quickly before the stores closed. I didn’t understand his rush and explained that no store would close its doors before 11 p.m. on the eve of the holiday, and it wasn’t even 6 p.m. yet!
My anxious son stopped and asked, “Wait, isn’t tonight the first night of the holiday?!” “Tomorrow night!!!” we all answered him in unison, me and my family. “Are you sure?!” he asked in shock.
“Absolutely sure!!!” we replied to him.
At that moment, it became clear—he thought that tonight was the start of the holiday and was experiencing his usual last-minute stress. He had even gone to the mikvah with all the intentions of accepting the sanctity of the holiday. From his perspective, he could not understand why I was so calm and seemingly indifferent to the holiday’s approach. Thanks to my prayers, Hashem had confused him, and we were able to welcome the holiday peacefully and calmly, with joy and a happy heart, and a beautifully prepared sukkah—not at the last minute.
Pray, and you will see miracles! ב.ש.
