Count on prayer

A rabbi, a priest and a minister were talking one day. The priest told of an occasion when he was caught in a snowstorm so terrible that he couldn’t see a foot in front of him. He was completely confused, unsure even of which direction he needed to walk. He prayed to God, and miraculously, while the storm continued for miles in every direction, he could clearly see his home 20 feet away.

The minister told a similar story. He had been out on a small boat when a heavy storm struck. There were 20-foot-high waves, and the boat was sure to capsize. He prayed to God, and, while the storm continued all around, for several feet in each direction the sea calmed, and the minister was able to return safely to port.

The rabbi, too, had such a story. One Shabbat morning on the way home from his shul, he saw a very thick wad of $20 bills in the gutter. Of course, since it was Shabbat, the rabbi wasn’t able to touch the money. So he prayed to God, and everywhere, for miles in every direction, it was still Shabbat, but for 10 feet around him, it was Thursday.

© david minkoff

The centenarian

Arnold had reached the age of 105 and suddenly stopped going to synagogue.

Worried by Arnold’s absence after so many years of faithful attendance, his rabbi went to see him. He found him in excellent health, so the rabbi asked, “How come after all these years we don’t see you at services anymore?”

Arnold looked around and lowered his voice. “I’ll tell you, rabbi,” he whispered. “When I got to be 90, I expected God to take me any day. But then I got to be 95, then 100, then 105. So I figured that God is very busy and must have forgotten about me and I don’t want to remind him.”

© david minkoff