102 Stories That Changed People's Lives - Volume 2

The doctor spoke for a long time, but Rachel didn't catch a word of it. She stared out the window, at a bird perched on the windowsill happily chirping. A breeze blew, rustling the leaves. A horn honked and people passed by under the open window chattering loudly. And her baby, her sweet little Elchanan, couldn't hear any of it. She felt like heart would crack in two at any moment. What kind of life was her son destined to have? One tear dared to fall, but Rachel held it back. When she got home, she could give free rein to tears. She could cry over the life that her child would face. But not yet. Not now. Now she needed to get out of here. She felt like she was suffocating. When they finally left, Dovid ordered a taxi, and she heard him direct the driver to an unfamiliar address. Where were they going? She just wanted to go home. She didn't want to see anyone, to talk to anyone. "Where are we?" she asked when the taxi stopped. "We're going to see Rav Chaim Kanievsky," Dovid said. His answer was curt, his eyes focused on some point in the horizon, as if he was afraid that if he said too much, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from breaking into sobs. "A tzaddik decrees and Hashem heeds the decree," he quoted. "Only he can help us now." 102: The Gematria of Emunah Rabbi Tzvi Nakar, is a contemporary maggid and the author of Emunah Shleimah-Bar Mitzvah and Tefillin, Meant To Be, and 24/7. His powerful lessons on emunah and gripping tales of hashgachah pratis, all drawn from modern times, enthuse and inspire, drawing the reader's heart to yearn for a deeper connection to Hashem.