Alternate Route We thank Hashem every morning in the Birkot Hashachar for preparing the steps of man - ????? ????? ???. The simple explanation is that we're thanking Hashem for the countless miracles that must take place inside our bodies for us to be able to walk. Many commentaries, including the Midrash Shmuel and the Chatam Sofer, explain that we're also thanking Hashem for guiding our every step to the places we need to be, to fulfill our purpose each day. The average person takes about six thousand steps a day. Many times, we end up in places we weren't planning to be. It's all part of Hashem's plan for us. There is no such a thing as a wrong turn; every step has a purpose. One day, in the 1970's, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson was being taken by her driver, Chesed Halberstam, and his little son Ari z"l, to a park in Long Island for her daily walk. But on this day, their regular route was closed due to road work, so they took a parallel street instead. As they drove along that street, they heard the sound of a woman screaming in Russian. When they stopped at the next traffic light, the Rebbetzin asked if they could go back to see what the screaming was all about. They drove back and saw a woman crying by the curb while workers were carrying furniture and household items from the house behind her onto a truck belonging to the court martial. They found out the woman was being evicted for not paying her rent for so many months. The Rebbetzin then asked Mr. Halberstam to find out from the martial how much money this woman owed, and if he would accept a personal check. He came back and told the Rebbetzin that the total amount owed is $6,700, and if he confirms with the bank that it's covered, he'll accept a personal check, and then he'll order the workmen to bring everything back inside. On the spot, the Rebbetzin took out her checkbook and wrote a check for the full amount and gave it to Mr. Halberstam to give to the martial. The martial called the bank and then instructed his workmen to take everything back into the house. The Rebbetzin then urged Mr. Halberstam to quickly drive away before the woman realized what happened. Mr. Halberstam was so amazed by what had just taken place. Later, at the park, he asked the Rebbetzin what had prompted her to give such a large amount to a total stranger. The Rebbetzin replied, "Once, when I was young, my father took me for a walk in the park and sat me down on a bench and started explaining to me about Hashgachah Pratit. He told me, 'All of our footsteps are divinely inspired, and when something causes us to deviate from our normal routine, there's a reason for it, and we have to be in tune with that.' Today," continued the Rebbetzin, "When I saw us taking a detour, I remembered my father's words and started looking for a reason as to why Hashem would lead us through this alternate route. When I heard the woman crying, I said maybe that's the reason; so I helped her." When a person knows he's always being guided by Hashem, he has a different attitude when he makes a wrong turn. He's calmer when there's traffic; he's less aggravated when he's lost. I was in a taxi cab in Israel and the driver was telling me about how much he sees Hashem in his daily life being a driver. He looked like a reputable man, and I needed to go to the airport that night, so I asked him if he was available later to take me. His eyes lit up; it was a big job for him, as the airport was an hour away. He gave me a price and he said, "I'll be back ready and waiting fifteen minutes before you need to go." While we were on the way to the airport, he took out a wallet from his glove compartment and asked me if I could read the name on the credit card in English and tell him who it belongs to. It had cash inside. The man told me, "I found this today in my cab, and I told Hashem that I'm going to return all of it. When I picked you up before, I was having a very slow day, and I was about to go home for the night. And then you gave me this airport job, which turned my day into a great one. I'm making more money now, with this job, than I would have made keeping the money in the wallet." Hashem leads everyone to the exact places He wants them to be in. We have to appreciate how fortunate we are to have Hashem with us all the time.
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