It's Happening



You likely remember that we had a minyan a few weeks ago for a fellow to say kaddish for his father. After he left town, this nice fellow offered to sponsor Jewish books for our new synagogue in memory of his father.

My first response was kindly to decline the donation. We have a building to build, and we don’t yet have the money in hand! How can I buy books for it!? Where will I store them?

Just a few hours later, the most bizarre thing happened. A friend of mine called me up and asked me to buy a set of Artscroll Talmud for our new synagogue, as his father is moving cross country and can’t take them. Artscroll Talmud is a 73 volume Rolls Royce set of Jewish books. I can’t remember the last time that someone offered to sell me used books, let alone a very nice set like this.

Again, my first response was to kindly decline. “I don’t yet have the money to pay for this building, and I’m getting overwhelmed thinking about buying books for a building that isn’t built yet.”

And then it hit me. There’s a lesson G-d is trying to teach me, and this might just be the opportunity to learn it.

Everything we’ve done in Temecula so far I can at least convince myself to take credit for. Maybe I’m smart. Maybe I’m talented. Maybe…

When it comes to this building, though, the arrogance game stops. I know that there’s no way my smarts, talents or abilities can accomplish this. It is too big for me.

The message I got coming out of the Ohel was “bitachon”- trust in G-d, and I was given two opportunities to express my trust that G-d wants this building built: (1) someone offers to buy books for the shul (2) someone offers to sell books for the shul, both things that have never happened before!

Boy do I need to learn a lesson.

Bitachon doesn’t mean trusting when you see how you can manage without G-d. Bitachon means that you are so sure G-d will make it happen, that you’ll buy books for a building that you still don’t have the money to build!

Of course, I called up the first fellow and accepted his offer to sponsor books, and told my friend that we’ll buy the books for a shul that absolutely will be built.

I can’t wait to share the next chapter in the story with you. Hopefully soon…

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