On the Erev Purim, I passed by the tailor’s shop to pick up a garment that had been sent for repair in advance. When I arrived, I saw that the shop had closed earlier than expected. I turned to head home, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walking in the opposite direction who looked like the tailor. Knowing how important the garment was to the Rebbetzin, I quickened my pace to catch up with him.
As I got closer and was about to call out to him, I realized that it wasn’t the tailor at all—my mind had simply imagined the resemblance. I thanked Hashem and turned back toward home.
On my way back, I once again passed by the tailor’s shop, and to my surprise, I saw the tailor returning and unlocking the door. I was overjoyed and thanked Hashem.
I said to the tailor, “I thought you had closed early and wouldn’t be coming back, but now I see that Baruch Hashem you only stepped out for a few minutes.”
The tailor replied, “I really had closed and hadn’t planned on returning, but I forgot my phone in the shop, so I had no choice but to come back and get it—I’m in a hurry!”
At that moment, I understood the depth of hashgacha pratis at play. HaKadosh Baruch Hu had performed a great kindness for me—by mistakenly chasing after the wrong person, I delayed my return home and ended up passing by the shop just as the real tailor came back for his phone. And surely, this too was prepared by Hashem in advance, as a remedy before the challenge, so that I would be able to retrieve the garment and spare the Rebbetzin any distress.
Moreinu HaRav shlita
