Sunday, August 16, 2009

Real Hiatus and Lost Items

Alright- here's the actual hiatus post. Until we get Internet hooked up in our new apartment, I'm offline. I should get it soon, but as the phone company won't actually install our phone line until Wednesday, Internet access doesn't seem likely for at least 2 weeks.
So, I'll miss the J-blogosphere- and I hope to be back really soon.

I'll leave you with a parting anecdote.

In the scurry and hurry of moving, moving again, really moving this time, and actually moving, our belongings have been transferred through so many boxes and suitcases we barely know what is what.

So, it wasn't surprising that today, we couldn't find our passports. Now that's really scary, since we are not Olim yet (new immigrants), and our passport is the only means of identification accepted in this country. We wouldn't be able to use the bank, or deal with any of our new apartment issues, or sign anything, or drive anything. So, we looked. And looked. And looked again. Nothing.

I started to panic, thinking we might have taken them with us somewhere and lost them, and they weren't even in the suitcases at all. Mr. NMF was searching our new apartment, while I was searching our old one, and both of us were worrying.

So what did I do? I donated money to the Kupa of R' Meir Baal Haness.

For those who don't know, R' Meir Baal Haness was a figure in the Gemara who is famous nowadays for saying that whoever calls out to Hashem in his name and gives charity in his merit will get what they are asking for. He's buried in Teveria (Tiberias) and I've visited his grave several times. His wife was the famous Bruria, a brilliant and wise woman in the Gemara.

Some people, including me, whenever they lose an object that is precious to them, donate money in R' Meir Baal Haness's name, and say this:

"Amar Rabi Binyomin, Hakol Bcheskas Sumin Ad sheHakadosh Boruch Hu Meir es Aynayhem." "Min Hacha? 'Vatifkach HaShem es Ayneha, Vataylech Vatimaleh es Hachaymes."

This means:

"So says Rabbi Binyomin: All is hidden from the eye until Hashem opens our eyes. How do we know? [because it says] 'And Hashem opened her [Hagar's] eyes, and she went and she filled her pitcher.'"

Then, the loshon continues:

"Eloka D'meir Anayni" - "May the God of Rabbi Meir [Baal Haness] answer me"- said three times.

"B'zchus Hatzedoka she'ani Nodayv L'ilui Nishmas Rabi Meir Baal HaNes, Zechuso Yogen Olaynu, L'mtzo es haAvayda sheAvaditi "

"In the zechus of the tzedaka that I will give in the merit of the soul of R' Meir Baal Haness, may his merit last forever, to find the item that I have lost."

So. I gave tzedaka, recited the formula, and the phone rang. Literally just then. I picked up, and Mr. NMF's first words to me were "I found it." Turns out that the passports were hiding in another suitcase, underneath some sefarim.

Anyone else believe in miracles?!

I've had this happen to me many times. I've lost earrings, car keys, cell phones- you name it, I've lost it- and I've found it, usually after giving tzedaka.
Hocus pocus? I highly doubt it. In the zechus of doing a mitzva in R' Meir's name, Hashem opens your eyes to find the object.

So, if you're stuck, try this. I believe it has to be done with a full heart- not just to find your lost object- but I know of many stories like this one. G-d controls everything in this world, down to what we see and what we don't see.

I once asked a teacher of mine that if the world has been explored, every last inch of it, how come we don't know where the Sambatyon river is (the famous river that throws stones except on Shabbos- the one that the 10 lost tribes are hidden behind.)

She answered that G-d doesn't want us to find it, and as such, our eyes are not opened to find it. Only G-d can let us see or not see, even if it is right under our noses.

Has anyone else out there tried this method?

Anyway. Take care, have a good week, and a good rest of the summer. May Hashem open all our eyes to always see and recognize the truth of all things.

5 comments:

itsagift said...

Oh - I can tell you loads of stories of how this helped, again and again! In the zechus of R' Meir Ba'al Hanes, I have found soo many things that I have lost!

corner point said...

Yeah, I've lost many things and I can't remember any that I didn't find after pledging some money to kupat R' Meir. Sometimes it doesn't show up right away...but it's amazing how it really works....

itsagift said...

Last week, I lost ONE SHOE! Now, this is sooo not my type because I always put my shoes away - together! Anyway, last night, when I needed the second shoe, I thought of you when I just said to Hashem, "Please help me find my shoe in the zechus of R' Meir ba'al Hanes." Within a minute, I was holding the shoe in my hand - it was under the couch! I didn't even get to say the real tefillah and it was found!
(I think it's important to talk to Hashem in your own language but that's another story!)
Of course, I put some $$$$ in the pushka!

Anonymous said...

When I lived in Jerusalem, I had a diamond necklace that I loved. It went missing, and I was beside myself. I had read about R' Meir Ba'al Hanes in a book by Rebbetzin Esther Jungareis. So I swung by one Shabbat and dropped off some tzedakah. Later that night, I was getting ready for bed when the necklace fell out of my book. I definitely believe in miracles!

nmf #7 said...

Itsagift- Awesome no? It really works.

Corner Point- Totally agree!

Itsagift- It's funny because I just read that the worst thing one can do to a person is hide one shoe- not two. Because if one shoe is lost, we will continue searching for it, but if both are lost, we give up hope.
Sometimes I do what you did- ask Hashem for help in my own way when I can't remember the tefillah. I used to have a fridge magnet with the tefillah, but I can't find it. Hmm.

Anonymous- Totally awesome story! And I am a major Reb. Jungreis fan- her book, Life is a Test- so cool.