This week Shevy and I flew out to Atlanta for the wedding of our niece. It was scheduled to be a brief visit, a little less than 48 hours. Due to the historic snow storm, all flights back to New York had been cancelled. At first I was very upset and frustrated. I had meetings scheduled as well as deadlines to complete. Before I became extremely angry and really annoyed I recalled a teaching from the Baal Shem Tov.
Everything that happens to us in this world is by Divine Providence. Every incident, every event, every occurrence is backed by a purpose. Even if a leaf falls off a tree in a specific location this is Divinely ordained. Obviously there was a reason that our flight was delayed. As such, I embraced the situation and waited to learn why G-d had seen fit to extend our stay in Atlanta.
Each soul that descends into our world is tasked with a specific mission that none but he can accomplish. As such, the location and occupation of each person at every moment is orchestrated by a higher power. Hazardous weather conditions may indeed shift flight schedules, but somebody up there decides when and where disastrous weather strikes. I have friends living in our community who are from Israel. Many of them came to New York only for a couple of years to save enough money so that they can return to Israel with savings in their account. The real, mystical and kabbalistic reason that they end up here is because their souls have a unique mission to accomplish in New York and that’s why G-d orchestrates the events down here below to bring them to New York. Once their mission is completed they can return to Israel.
My own parents moved from Israel to South Africa nearly 40 years ago. Initially they agreed to go only for 2 years. They managed to build a beautiful community in Johannesburg and have touched the lives of hundreds of people. G-d caused a chain of events to happen so that they should find themselves in such a far place and accomplish their mission in the world.
The founder of Chassidism, the Baal Shem Tov, was an ardent follower of this concept. He would often exclaim, “A soul may descend into this world for seventy or perhaps eighty years with the sole purpose of doing a favour for a fellow Jew…” Who knows, perhaps G-d knew that the only way I’d write this article was if I’d stay in Atlanta an extra day?