Baruch Hashem, I generally find it easy to connect through tefillah, and I’m drawn to davening even when I have no energy. It’s a gift I don’t take for granted, and while I certainly have my ups and downs, often I’m up, and I really make serious efforts to maximize that time.

Besides tefillah, another thing I’m drawn to is visiting kevarim. I decided that the segulah of davening on Monday-Thursday-Monday at the Zvehiller Rebbe’s kever was a very worthwhile hishtadlus. I did this several times over the course of the year, while also davening my heart out every morning and afternoon and evening and at candlelighting and in the car. Please, please, Hashem, help us out of this.

We tried to throw money at the debt, using our tax refund, our birthday money, work bonuses. We put any unexpected cash toward getting ourselves out of the red. But it still seemed like an insurmountable sum, and I often despaired of ever reaching our goal.

One day while at work, I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize. It had the area code of my hometown, and I immediately remembered that my old high school was running their yearly fundraiser. I was a bit annoyed — I’d already donated my one raffle ticket for $18 and I felt like it was either nudgy or unorganized that they were calling me again.

On the chance it wasn’t the school, I decided to pick up and make it quick. I answered — probably a bit too gruffly — “Hello?” I really wasn’t supposed to be on the phone at work, and I wanted to make it clear that I had no time to listen to the whole “We turn to our alumni” speech.

“Hi, is this Chavi?”

“Yeah, listen, I can’t really ta—”

“Chavi, we’re thrilled to inform you—”

“Yeah, I know, I know. You’re having your biggest fundraiser, I already—”

“Chavi, Chavi, Chavi, wait! You won.”

“What?”

Was this a prank call?

At this point, I stepped outside the office.

“You won the grand prize. Twenty-five thousand dollars.”

I definitely was dreaming.

“It’s a mistake. I only donated one raffle entry.”

“Chavi Katzman? Maiden name Levine? You live on Sorotzkin, married Chaim from Chicago and you graduated in 2005?”

“Yeah. That’s me.”

I’m not sure why I was so surprised. I’d been davening all year for this. And someone had to win, so I guess that someone was me. But it just seemed so… unnatural.

“Well, you won. You’ll be getting a check in the mail in the next three to five business days. Mazel tov!”

The next few hours were completely surreal. I’m not even sure what I did or said or who I called, though I know I had to sit down and process for a few moments before I called my husband. He took it coolly and calmly, but was clearly very happy. We went to the Kosel that night to thank Hashem, and got ice cream afterward as a mini seudas hoda’ah.

I was in a daze, going through the motions, but not sure it was real. But what I did consciously take away was this: Hashem has our backs.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 817)