Every Step in Hashem’s Hands

Shlomo HaMelech said that a person's legs are like guarantors, ensuring he is brought to the places Hashem wants him to be. When a person reflects on the days of his life, he begins to see countless stories of Hashem's hashgachah unfolding in his path. He can recognize how Hashem directed his steps—bringing him to certain places and keeping him away from others. He notices how precise and exacting Hashem's guidance is, how, in mere seconds, the course of events can shift from one possible outcome to a completely different one. He sees how Hashem orchestrated encounters with the people he needed to meet, and prevented encounters with those he was not meant to meet. The more one reflects, the more awe arises, and with that awe comes chizuk in emunah. Sometimes our direction changes suddenly. Sometimes we find ourselves unexpectedly in a different place. Sometimes we meet a person without understanding why, only to see the full purpose revealed years later. And sometimes, it is clear immediately that Hashem was guiding us to be in the exact place we needed at the exact time. A man shared with me this morning how he was at home when his children's bus arrived. Normally, he is never home at that time; his wife usually sends them out on their own. But on this morning, for some inexplicable reason, he felt an urge to go downstairs and watch them onto the bus. He ran down the steps, called out to them, and wished them a nice day. As the children crossed the street toward the bus, he noticed a car speeding and about to ignore the stop sign. He yelled for his children to stop. Seconds later, the car sped past—another moment could have meant tragedy. It was completely reckless to run a stop sign, and in this case Hashem had guided this man's legs to the precise spot to prevent a disaster. Hashem directs us in everything, from the greatest matters to the smallest, because for Him, everything matters. Another man told me his air conditioning unit had broken, and replacing it would cost $5,000—a steep price for someone learning in a kollel. He was given a repairman's number and called him, even knowing the unit could not be repaired. When the repairman arrived, he examined it and said it was in good condition, except for the main part. Then he realized that he had an identical unit on his truck from a previous job, and the part needed was still working. The repairman replaced the part, charging only a small labor fee. Hashem had caused this man to call the exact person who already had the exact part he needed. These are reminders that Hashem's hashgachah is everywhere. The more we look for it, the more we see it. Every step we take, every encounter we have, and every turn in our path is guided with infinite wisdom and care.