Three doses of inspiration to lift the spirit and soul

Job of a Lifetime: Stories to Inspire

As told to Roizy Baum

BY

the time we stood on the threshold of graduation, most of us seminary graduate freshies equally wished to land the perfect teaching job and pursue a job of a lifetime. But I had zero interest in teaching. I beseeched Hashem to guide me toward a career that works well for me.

“You’re a born teacher!” one friend tried to convince me.

“I think you’re making a grave mistake,” said another.

Even my mother believed I should give it a shot. “You’re totally cut out for it,” she said.

I did have a fiery passion when relaying a lesson, I loved children, and had a plethora of knowledge. Still, the thought of preparing lessons, marking test papers, and dealing with mothers didn’t appeal.

Then a friend called me up. “Faigy, I need a huge favor. As you know, my wedding is coming up soon. The substitute I arranged has two days when she is unavailable. Would you do it for me?”

Once the worries of lesson preparation were assuaged, I agreed.

To say that I was like a fish in water in that classroom would be an understatement! I found every facet of teaching enthralling and mesmerized my students from when I entered the classroom until I heard the groans emitted by my students (!) with the dismissal bell.

I was summoned to the principal’s office. “Can you sign a contract now?” she asked. “I know this sounds unprofessional, but such catches like you are few and far between.”

“I’m flattered,” I stammered, “but the teaching field wasn’t something I considered. I only subbed as a favor for Miss Weissfeld.”

“I can’t see a girl like you wilt away behind a computer screen from nine to five every day. You have loads to impart to your students. Why waste your talent?”

“Okay.” I sighed. “I’ll sleep on your offer.”

I ended up accepting the job. Hashem had answered my prayers and revealed to me what career I should take.

One fruitful year followed the next. Two years into my career, a tempting shidduch was suggested. “Don’t get your hopes up,” the shadchan warned my parents, “the mother of this boy is ultra-picky.”

We were now a family in waiting. Waiting to hear from “the other side.”

Unbeknownst to us, a niece of Mrs. Ultra-Picky Mechuteneste was a teacher in the school where I taught. She knew me well enough to melt all doubts. The shidduch moved ahead speedily.

A job of a lifetime, indeed.

Acceptance and Emunah

When in Pain: Guidance from Piaseczna

By Rabbi Meir Kahane

I

was approached by a young woman who’d been advised by her therapist to work on her mindset of acceptance. Acceptance is a technique for lessening the intensity of emotional pain through accepting your pain as your reality for now, as opposed to resenting or denying it. This allows a person to face the circumstance for what it is, reducing the added layer of distress that comes from being frustrated by it.

The young woman was averse to the idea of acceptance because she felt that it conflicts with the concept of tefillah and hishtadlus. How can you accept your circumstances for what they are yet hope they will change?

In Aish Kodesh (Zachor 5702) the Piaseczner Rebbe discusses the mindset of acceptance as a strategy for managing pain. He explains that not only does acceptance not conflict with the concepts of tefillah and hishtadlus, it complements them. Acceptance is about this moment. Tefillah and hishtadlus are about the next moment. Acceptance doesn't mean you want things to stay this way. Acceptance means that you don't resist the fact that this moment is this way. You can fully accept your present circumstances, yet still daven for and work toward a better tomorrow.

Of course, there's acceptance with regard to tefillah as well. While you can accept your reality today, and daven for a better tomorrow, you can accept that things, still, may not change tomorrow. And if that is the reality tomorrow, you can accept that, as well, even though you're davening today for it to change.

The Piaseczner actually sees acceptance as an indication of well-developed emunah. He frames acceptance as the attitude of appreciating that your pain isn’t a mishap or mistake, but the way Hashem wants your life to be at this moment and an expression of His love and plan for you, as hard as that may be to fathom. The Piaseczner sees acceptance as the ability to embrace the value of what’s happening now and the opportunity for growth it provides. Accepting one’s pain as the way this moment should be makes the moment valuable. Indeed, acceptance gives purpose to the pain.

Rabbi Kahane is the menahel of Chedvas Bais Yaakov and a world-renowned educator and lecturer. He is the author of A Fire in the Darkness: Guidance for Growth When Life Hurts.

Far from the Tree

In Real Time

By Esther Kurtz

I

saw a spot across the street from my in-laws’ house and was about to parallel park in it when my brother-in-law pointed out that there was another spot right in front with more room. I don’t know why I listened to him, but I went to the second spot. As a Brooklyn native, I’m very proud of my parallel parking skills.

Later that night we heard a weird sort of rumbling, a cross between a car crash and thunder. We bolted to the window and were met with a sight. A huge root-like branch had cracked off from the tree across the street. The branch reached across the entire street, shattering windshields, and crushing the trunks of cars in its path.

The worst damage was to the second car parked in the spot I’d almost parked in.

“Baruch Hashem” was said all around. (Of course, I felt terrible for the cars that were damaged.)

But then I had a moment to think about it.

It wasn’t a close call.

It wasn’t supposed to be my car. I was never meant to be in any danger at all. It was just a reminder from Hashem — He still (and always will) has my back. He let me glimpse Him just for a moment.

So am I 100 percent grateful to be alive and well with an intact rental car? Yes! But I also have no anxiety about parking next to large trees. And I no longer play “what if” games. Being able to access that menuchas hanefesh, regardless of what’s going on around, is the gift that bitachon gives.

Esther Kurtz is the creator of Emunah for Non-Rebbetzins, an audio series teaching Shaar Habitachon in two-minute clips.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 957)