Personal Experiences

One thing I love is a good story. One of the things that often divide believers from skeptics is how we relate to our experiences. Where the believer will see the Hand of G-d, the skeptic will see coincidence. Where the believer will see Devine punishment the skeptic will see bad luck.

I wanted to share a personal story with everyone. I used to work in the city and as is common in cities parking is a big problem. So I used to rent a parking spot about a 5-10 minute walk from my office. In order not to waste the walking time, I used to bring a little Kehati Mishna and learn during my little walk. One day I was learning the Mishna in Middot (1:2) that describes the inspection of the guards in the Mikdash:

"The person in charge of the Temple Mount would inspect each and every guard post with lit torches. Any guard who was not standing and did not respond to 'Shalom Aleicha' would be recognized as sleeping and get tapped with a staff. [If the staff didn't work, then] he had permission to set [the Guard's] cloak on fire."

As I was reading this Mishna, a homeless man passed me on the street and said in a loud voice "Shalom Aleicha." I was floored. I have seen this man almost every day and he never said a word to me. To me the message was clear. Wake up and start paying more attention to the 'Mikdash' that is your life. Guard it and make sure that you continue to function in a spiritually healthy fashion.

I wanted to know if anyone else has personal stories they would like to share. I feel they strengthen the spirit and enrich life.