The 26th Lap

It was a normal routine for my dad. He had worked at least 26 hours straight already at the hospital. He had performed at least two or three caesarian sections during the night and hadn’t gotten any sleep. He was being called all night long to tend to the sick patients and deliver babies. This has been his routine for 20-plus years as a high risk obstetrician. Most people after working this many hours would collapse, but my dad almost always hits the gym right after to swim a mile and pound the weights. On one particular situation he got a call, but it wasn’t from the nurses, rather a call from above.
 
He was so happy to be in the water and exercising, swimming his usual mile. On his 26^th lap, out of nowhere, he collided head-on with another swimmer. This person began to hurl insults and curses at my father to no end. My father was in shock and shaken up at the lack of response by the life guard or management of the facility.  As he left the pool early, something was beginning to happen in his mind. “Why did this happen to me?”
 
When my father was telling me the story, how he got insulted publicly and cursed at, I knew in the back of my mind it was all for the good. I listened to what he had to say and then asked, “Abba! What lap were you on?”
 
He said to me “26!”
 
I said, “It all makes sense, Dad. That is the Hebrew numerical value of Hashem’s name! You are getting a sign from above!”
 
Although I had been talking to my Dad about Emuna for already a few weeks prior to this, I never expected him to react the way he did to the incident. He took it with faith and a sign that maybe indeed Hashem was trying to tell him something. After some contemplation, my father decided to leave this gym and join his local Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. This move brought him many blessings. Now he was in an environment he liked, with fellow Jews who cared about Israel, not with a bunch of meat-heads who only cared about their tans.
 
Since then he has been listening to Rav Shalom Arush CDs in English translated and narrated by Rav Lazer Brody, while taking on a more observant lifestyle. Shabbat, Tefillin, keeping kosher, and regular Torah study with an Orthodox rabbi. It’s beautiful, and it all came about through something ‘bad.’
 
The really amazing point is when my father was offered a speaking opportunity in Alaska for doctors all over the country. Being a nature fanatic, he was so excited to book the trip. After all, he would be getting paid, plus a free hotel and travel expenses, so why not? That was until he saw the date of the trip.
 
The returning ticket would be getting back to Phoenix six hours after Rosh HaShana would be starting. This was a huge test to someone new to Emuna. The rationalizing began, “It’s for a good purpose, I’ll do a great job educating others,” or “When will I ever get to Alaska again? I’ll make it to services in the morning!” The debate went over and over in his head. That was, until he drew the line.
 
It says in The Ethics of Our Fathers: “Treat His will as if it were your own will, so that He should treat your will as if it were His will. Nullify your will before His will, so that He should nullify the will of others before your will.” He wrote the email to the coordinators declining the invitation and referred them to some other doctors who would also do a great job. He told them that he needed to be in Phoenix for Rosh HaShana and didn’t want to violate the holiday.
 
Two days passed until he got three emails from lawyers asking for his medical advice about different lawsuits they were taking care of. In summary, he ended up getting paid 8 times as much money as he would have been paid going to Alaska, and he didn’t even need to leave his home to do the work. A true example of “Treating His will as if it were your own will, so that He should treat your will as if it were His will.“
 
In each person’s climb up the spiritual ladder there comes a time when you are challenged with doing what’s comfortable for you, and what seems to be your soul telling you to do otherwise. Those fortunate enough to strengthen themselves in Emuna choose doing the right thing despite the momentary pain felt by putting one’s own desires aside.