Feb 03 2025
When we show compassion to others and go out of our way to help people, it awakens Hashem's mercy upon us. While our motivation for helping others should never be for the reward, like all mitzvot, Hashem rewards every effort we make in doing His will. Often, we don't realize how a small act of chesed can have a profound impact on someone's life. A 21-year-old woman shared her story: She struggled socially throughout high school. Being extremely shy, she had no close friends. Last year, she mustered the emotional strength and courage to attend the wedding of a classmate—someone she would occasionally speak to when that classmate wasn't with her usual group of friends. She entered the wedding hall, silently asking Hashem to help her maintain her dignity. As she walked in, she noticed a group of girls sitting near the entrance. To her surprise, one of the girls—together with her friends—called her name and greeted her warmly, as if she was their closest friend whom they had been waiting all night to see. She recalled: "I'm crying as I write this. They all smiled at me and invited me to sit in the one empty seat left at their table. We spoke as if we were old friends. It was the first time I had ever been treated this way. It was truly something special." She concluded that although she wasn't on the level to understand Hashem's hashgacha, she did notice something remarkable—the three girls who made her feel special that night all got married this same year, in that exact month, two of them in the very same wedding hall. Another young woman shared her experience: One night this past year, a younger friend gave her a ride home from a weekly class they both attended. During the drive, her friend confided that she felt bad about forgetting to pray daily and truly wanted to grow religiously. Without thinking much of it, the young woman offered, "Would you like me to send you a text message every morning to remind you to pray?" In her mind, she assumed this would last for about a week. Her friend responded, "If it wouldn't be a burden for you, I would love that." The next morning, she sent the first message: "Don't forget to pray today. Hashem loves you." Her friend replied with an enthusiastic, "Thank you!" This continued for months. Even on her off days, she set an alarm to ensure she would be up in time to send the text. No matter where her friend traveled—including different time zones like Alaska—she remained committed to sending the daily reminder. There were times when she received no response for weeks. Feeling foolish, she debated whether she should stop. But just as she had those thoughts, Hashem made it that her friend would reply with something like, "Oh, this is so helpful! Love you." At the end of the summer, she was still faithfully sending the reminders. Then, Baruch Hashem, she got engaged. She called her friend to share the news. To her amazement, her friend replied, "Wow! I can't believe it—I also just got engaged!" Then her friend said, "I was praying for you every single day to get married. I'm so happy for you!" The young woman reflected, "I thought I was doing her a favor by pushing myself to send those reminders every day. But in reality, I was simply reminding her to pray for me." Baruch Hashem, her friend got married, and now her husband reminds her to pray every day. She concluded, "I had the zechut to bring one of Hashem's children closer to Him, and in turn, Hashem blessed me with the zivug I had been waiting for." When we have compassion for others, Hashem shows extra compassion for us.