Miracles Happen

In the Haggadah for Pesach we read, "Avodim hayenu l'paroh b'mitzraim." We were slaves to pharaoh in Egypt. "Veyotzaynu Hashem elokeynu mee shom byad chazakah o-bzroya netuya." Our Hashem Yisborech brought us out from there with a strong hand and an outstretched arm.

The Chassidic rabbis tell us that when we read the Haggadah we must remember not only the past Mitzraim and the nissim, but we also must remember our personal Mitzraim and the nissim that Hashem performs for us in these times.

Let me share a true story that happened to me a few years ago. Two days after Pesach I went to perform the mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim, visiting the sick, at a Catholic hospital.  As I worked through my list of patients I came to a room in the hospital that had a medical caution sign on the door warning of an infectious disease.

I put on a gown and mask and entered the room with much trepidation. There I saw a man named Morris looking very sick. After introducing myself as a Chabad chaplain I was amazed to hear the following.

"Do you believe in Eliyahu Hanavi?" Asked the man.  Without waiting for my answer he told me, "I have seen him."

He had been sick for three years, spending most of his time going in and out of the hospital for treatment. During his illness his wife had died and since he had no family he had no visitors. The only person besides the doctors and nurses that would come to  visit him was the Catholic priest. Father McCormick would make it his duty to visit at least twice a week.

Lately Father McCormick began speaking to him about death and salvation. Morris would never listen to the salvation part, but he really enjoyed speaking to the religious man as he had no other visitors.

One day the priest, in good faith, asked Morris if he wanted to be saved. "You are dying. No one even comes to see you except me. Why don't you accept salvation?"

This time Morris was greatly depressed. He told the priest to visit him the next day and he would give him an answer. That night Morris could not sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed. Should I give up my Yiddishkeit?  After all nobody else comes to see me."

Finally he made up his mind. If Hashem wants him to remain Jewish then Hashem should give him a sign that he cares. If the goyishe religion is correct, then let the goyishe religion give him a sign.

In the middle of the night, at 12:30 a.m., Morris woke up in his bed. He was sweaty and cold all over. The moon light was shining into his room. The he looked up and there on the wall was a little crucifix from the other religion. Each hospital room has this icon hanging on the wall. Strangely the light from the moon shown directly over his bed unto the wall. It created a little circle, a halo, around the crucifix.

Very frightened, he felt that the other religion had won. This must be a direct sign to give up Yiddishkeit and receive the goyishe salvation.  Morris couldn't sleep. He just was so excited that he had received a direct answer. He couldn't wait to tell the priest of his extraordinary miracle. However, in his heart he still felt that it was wrong. He made a new deal with Hashem. If he was to remain as a Jew until his last breath, then it was up to Hashem to perform a miracle, to show him a sign and to prove the other sign wrong!

The next morning was Erev Pesach. At 8:00 a.m. there was a knock at the door. A man came in saying the following, "I realize that you may be in the hospital this Seder night. Here is some hand-made shmurah matzoh for your mitzvah. I can't really speak to you as I barely have enough time to see the many other patients. But let me wish you a refuah sheleima - a full recovery." And with that the man left.

Can you imagine the nes, the miracle, this man had. He thought he saw Eliyahu Hanavi. What he really saw was a Chabad rabbi, visiting as many hospitals as possible to share the shmurah matzah - the "Meychal De-Hemnusa," Bread of Faith, as called by the Zohar Hakodesh.

"Ve He She'amda Lavoseynu....... Ve Hakodesh Boruch Hu Matzelenu Meyodom" This promise has stood by our fathers and us. The Holy One, Blessed Be He,  rescues us from their hand.

What Morris forgot to notice was that the hospital rooms on the north side always had the moonlight shining in. As the Jewish month increases, the moonlight becomes brighter. This happens every month and the crucifix gets lit up by the moon's light. So there is no miracle.

It's very rare, indeed, to have a Chabad rabbi bring matzoh to you on the day you want to give up your Yiddishkeit. Now that's a miracle! Our sages declared: "The person to whom the miracle happens does not realize that a miracle has taken place."

A Happy Passover to you!