A poor Jew from Bnei Brak once found himself in a desperate situation. With seven kids all crammed into a minute three bedroom apartment, he urgently needed to relocate to a bigger property. The problem was that after selling his current apartment, he’d be short $150,000. Not knowing where else to turn, he made his way to the Kotel where he poured out his heart to G-d. After spending two hours reciting the entire book of Tehillim, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turns out a wealthy American Jew took an interest in the man’s sorry plight, and after hearing his tearful story, promptly wrote out a check for the required amount.
A month later, the satisfied Jew sat by the Kiddush in shul and related his miraculous story to a friend. This friend happened to be in an even worse situation, and decided to try the trick himself. He went to the Kotel and began reciting Tehillim. He cried to G-d to help him, tears pouring down his face. All the while, he couldn’t help looking over his shoulder, wondering when the American Jew would finally notice him. After he’d completed the whole Tehillim with no results, he had no choice but to start over. And over. And over. Eventually he left, totally disappointed. He went straight to his rabbi’s house to discuss the issue. “G-d knows I need the house more than my friend, so why didn’t He send me an American Jew as well?” The wise rabbi replied, “Your friend went to the Kotel searching for G-d, so G-d answered him. You, on the other hand, went to the Kotel searching for an American Jew...”
Living in a competitive, expensive world, the daily quest to earn a living is not foreign to us. Each of us, no matter how much we earn, finds ourselves dependent on some force or another. The question, however, is the attitude behind the pursuit—when we seek sustenance, do we turn to G-d for help or do we place our trust in an obscure American Jew? When we make a killing off the stock market, do we bask in the brilliance of our move, or do we attribute the success to the hand of G-d?
Hashem’s Sanctuary is constructed in this week’s Torah portion of Pekudei. The actual edifice of the mishkan sends a clear message to man - G-d does not merely reside in the heavens; He is here among us in a physical address. No matter how lowly and mundane our affairs may seem, there’s always place for G-d. So next time you want to go for the jackpot, get a new perspective - invite G-d to choose the numbers, who knows, He may just pick the right ones.