A prominent rosh kollel in a night kollel in Beis Medrash Govoha shared with me an incredible story that recently took place:
Whenever Mrs. Baumen, a dedicated housewife, needed alterations, she would go only to her long-time friend, Mrs. Greensprung, who always returned her garments fixed to perfection. The latter was a young seamstress who had endured more than most could imagine. Besides losing her husband several years earlier, two of her young children required professional care, meaning that money was always tight.
Because of that, despite having many closer and more convenient tailors, Mrs. Baumen always chose to support her friend.
On Tuesday morning of Parshas Toldos, 5786, Mrs. Baumen arrived with another alteration in hand. She had recently suffered a blood clot near her lungs, leaving her with far less koach than usual, yet she refused to pass up the chance to support and encourage her dear friend.
Working on the repair, the seamstress allowed herself to unravel, sharing the heavy challenges weighing her down. Mrs. Baumen — warm, empathetic, and full of chizuk — listened closely.
Then the seamstress recounted what had happened earlier that morning:
“I was backing out of my driveway to do carpool for my beloved son,” she said, her voice trembling. “And while pulling out of the spot, I crashed right into a tree.”
She shook her head. “This is what I need right now? I can’t even see any good in this.”
Mrs. Baumen listened quietly. At that moment, there wasn’t much she could say.
But then the seamstress continued. “Let me tell you something else incredible that happened today — something that blew my mind and gave me chizuk. A woman came into my shop. She was flustered, overwhelmed, and visibly shaken.
“I asked her, ‘Something seems to be weighing on you. Is everything OK?’
‘To tell you the truth,’ she answered, ‘no. My husband — an experienced driver — was backing up and accidentally hit the foot of a young woman. She’s now in the Trauma Center at Jersey Shore undergoing tests. My husband is home saying Tehillim. He can’t come to terms with it...and neither can I.’”
After repeating this fresh episode that so closely mirrored her own mishap, the seamstress said softly, “It made me realize that maybe Hashem was sending me a message. I should appreciate the challenge I was given. It could have been so much worse. Who knows what Hashem was sparing me from?”
After hearing her out, Mrs. Baumen shared something that made the seamstress gasp.
“Do you know who that woman was? That woman in Jersey Shore...is my sister-in-law.”
In an instant, the events of that day — the crash, the frustration, the tears — all aligned with a purpose, offering clarity and comfort to someone who had felt she was drowning.
Sometimes the good is hidden behind a tree we never expected to hit.
And sometimes, Hashem weaves moments together... so a person can finally see the good that was there all along.
