A Rav in England had a friend who was a lawyer, and who knew very little about Yiddishkeit. Once, this lawyer approached the Rav with a very serious dilemma. He was currently defending a non-Jew who had become involved in criminal activities. This man was extremely cunning and deceitful, and the judge who saw right through his lies, decided to prosecute his lawyer as well. It is common practice in England that the judges can implicate the lawyers, to ensure that they do not become tainted by their clients' wrongdoings. This lawyer was in great danger of not only of losing his right to practice his profession, but of also of receiving a heavy punishment and fine. The Rav said to him, "Listen, my friend, the best advice I can give you is to do what all of Klal Yisroel does. Simply daven to the Ribbono shel Olom, and He'll save you from this tzara." The lawyer replied, "I should ask Hashem? It's not possible, and I'll tell you why. Once I already asked for help from Him, and I promised that I wouldn't ask for anything else."
The lawyer explained that a few years prior, he traveled to Australia for work, and stayed there for six months. While in Australia, his only daughter, who was then seven years old, suddenly became critically ill. The distraught father decided immediately to find a shul. Despite his ignorance of Yiddishkeit, he remembered that when he became Bar Mitzvah, his father took him to shul. He searched for a shul, and eventually found one, which was unlocked. It was the middle of the day, and the shul was empty. He burst out crying and continued crying without a stop for two hours. Amidst his tears he said, "Hashem, I need to ask You something, and I promise You that I'll never ask for anything else. I ask of You that my beloved daughter remain alive." Eventually, the lawyer felt a sense of relief, and returned to the hospital. He was greeted at the hospital with miraculous news - his daughter had opened her eyes. She began improving little by little, and eventually fully recovered. In fact, her new medical exams showed full recovery, and even the doctors admitted that it was a complete miracle. The lawyer concluded: "I promised Hashem never to ask for anything else. How can I break my promise?" The Rav said, "Your promise is not valid! Hashem is not a person. You can continue to request whatever you need from Him." The lawyer followed his advice, and was declared innocent. [source: Revach L’neshama]
