Recently, a car from a perpendicular street pulled into my lane. I swerved to avoid it. I believe I was driving the speed limit, but a person in a car flagged me down and said “I admit that that driver was wrong for pulling into your lane but… you should slow down.”

Did I take his message to heart?

Obviously not.

A little time after I was in a rush. I passed a person parking on a narrow road and they dented my car as they were pulling into a parking space. Had I waited, I would have avoided the dent. I realize I should have listened to the first message to “slow down.”

After the second message I try to take myself out of “rush mode” when driving even when rushed.

G-d is very close to each individual. If one notices, He guides your life for the good and also sends you messages daily. You just have to be able to pay attention and understand them. Knowing this is comforting in itself. You are never alone. Hash-m is always with you and guiding you for good. When you reach out He is there.

Another Message

The Mikve is a body of natural water – either from rain or an ocean, stream or lake – that purifies. A Jewish man or woman, who observes the Jewish laws of family purity, uses a Mikve for purification. A Gentile who wishes to convert to Judaism also dips there. It purifies one’s body and thoughts from the everyday.

I was in the Mikve to when a man mistook me for someone else.

He turned to me and said “Yitzhak. In case you didn’t notice the clock battery needs to be replaced.” Realizing his error he said “Oh! You are not Yitzhak.”

Most people would be amused for a moment and quickly forget the incident.

Me? Not.

Here is how I deciphered it.

For about three weeks a clock in my home needed a new battery. I took the message that I should replace my own clock battery.

More importantly, the man called me “Yitzhak.” and then said “You are not Yitzhak.”

I might be reading too much into things but here goes…

“Yitzhak” was one of the forefathers of the Jewish nation. He was on a tremendously high spiritual level. He would be learning Torah much of the day.

When he said “You are not Yitzhak”, I took it to mean – that I should reinforce my regular Torah learning.

Listening to G-d’s daily messages can be an important source of self-improvement.

“Shabbat Shalom Dave!” – a True Story:

After returning home from an inspirational trip to Israel, where he learned in Torah in a Yeshiva for the first time of his life, a young man named Dave was grappling with the idea of properly observing Shabbat. It was Friday night – the Night of Shabbat / the Sabbath – and he had a dilemma.:

Should he adhere to the laws of Shabbat or should he cave in to the pressures of those discouraging him?

So he prayed to G-d. “G-d please give me a sign that you want me to observe the Shabbat.” No answer.

“Please G-d give me a sign that you want me to observe your holy Shabbat day.” No sign.

David waited and prayed. Prayed and waited. No sign.

Close to midnight Dave decided to turn on the TV.

At that moment a Talk Show Host was interviewing a guest. He asked him to say something that he had learned on his trip to Israel before they break for a commercial.

Just when Dave turned on the the TV, the guest turned to the screen, and said “Shabbat Shalom Dave!”

He took the message to heart – returning to Israel three days later to continue his spiritual journey discovering life through Torah.