I was in Singapore, attending a rabbinical conference of the Shluchim of Asia and was running a few minutes late to the opening session.
Or so I thought.
As I rushed through the security booth of the 150-year-old Maghain Aboth Synagogue on Waterloo St., I noticed a couple waiting to be admitted by the security guard. The wife Francine asked me in New York accented English if I was the rabbi from Thailand. I answered in the affirmative, wondering how she knew who I was.
Francine told me the following story:
‘We were touring Asia from NY nearly ten years ago. We had an unfortunate incident in Cambodia when my husband’s valuables were stolen. It put a damper on our spirits, and we were contemplating cutting our trip short and going home. The next leg of our journey took us through Bangkok, and we came to visit the shul. Your wife gave us a bowl of homemade soup, you helped my husband put on Tefillin, and we discussed the special mitzvahs that women are privileged to fulfill like the mitzvah of Mikva – family purity. Our spirits lifted, we continued with our trip as planned’.
‘Fast forward nearly ten years, we are now back in Asia for a tour, this time of Singapore region. How fortuitous it is to bump into you as we visit the local Synagogue’.
We all stood there full of amazement at the incredible Divine Providence of meeting each other again.
It was so special to get the ‘hug’ from Heaven and the confirmation that we were in the right place at the right time. Being in Singapore, ‘running late’ to the meeting was exactly ‘on time’ for the rendezvous that G-d had planned for me.
Here is another incredible detail.
On Sunday of this week – the day that this meeting took place - we read the first portion of the Parsha of Ki Tavo.
The Torah instructs about the mitzvah of bringing the first fruits of one’s field to declare and proclaim thanks to G-d. The verse describes where the venue for bringing the ‘bikkurim’ (first fruits) was.
‘You will go to the place that Hashem has chosen to rest His name there’. I.e. the Bet Hamikdash in Jerusalem.
The Baal Shem Tov gave the following interpretation to this verse.
"You shall go to the place the Eternal your G-d will choose" - a Jew must know that when he goes from one place to another, he is not going on his own, but is being directed from Above. And the intention and purpose in this is...
"...to cause His Name to dwell there" - that is, to make G-d known in his (that Jew's) locale
The Baal Shem Tov’s interpretation of this verse is broad and wide sweeping.
Wherever we go, be it to reside there or just visit there, it is all programmed by Hashem.
The message is so relevant to us all, especially in our day and age where travel is so prevalent. Although we hop from city to city, country to country and continent to continent much more than we have ever done in history, the inspiring message of the Torah is still authentic and current.
We don’t just happen to land up somewhere as a random coincidence.
Rather we believe that we have a Divine mission in the place that we have been ‘sent’ to.
True, we may think we know why we have chosen to go to a particular locale. Perhaps for business. Or sightseeing. But there is really a deeper narrative. A Divine purpose that is at the heart of our journey.
The purpose is to spread awareness of G-d. To do another mitzvah. To do a favor for a fellow (which is the greatest mitzvah of all), or to make a blessing of thanksgiving to G-d for a food or drink that you are blessed to enjoy.
Click here for an inspirational thought on this.
How uplifting it was, on that very day when we read that Torah portion, to have an experience that matched the teaching so precisely.
Indeed, we met and talked about getting more connected to G-d. About mitzvahs that we could add.
Picking up on our discussion about Mikva from nearly a decade ago, I was excited to share a new angle about Mikva.
I had just been listening to the Rebbe’s public talks in 1975 exactly 50 years ago, as he launched the family purity campaign.
The Rebbe addressed an often-overlooked demographic—older women who had already reached menopause. They too, he urged, should be encouraged to observe the laws of Taharat Hamishpachah.
When a woman is younger and experiencing her regular monthly cycle, the mitzvah of Mikvah becomes a consistent part of life — a rhythm of holiness that repeats month after month. But this isn’t just a ritual. It’s a powerful opportunity for renewal — in the marriage, in the emotional connection, and in the soul.
Each time a woman immerses in the Mikvah, she brings freshness and excitement into the relationship. It’s like hitting the “reset” button — not just physically, but spiritually. It’s no exaggeration to say that it allows husband and wife to feel like a bride and groom all over again, with that same spark, that same anticipation, and that same joy.
By observing the laws of Taharat HaMishpacha, the couple isn’t just following rules — they are inviting Hashem into their home, into their lives, and yes, even into their bedroom. That’s what makes a Jewish marriage not only loving, but holy. It transforms the physical into something divine. It brings G-dly light into the deepest places of the relationship.
Once menopause is reached immersion in the Mikva is done once after the last period. This one-time immersion sanctifies the rest of the couple’s marriage and is retroactively spiritually beneficial for her marriage and her children.
We made plans for Francine and Nechama to follow up to coordinate fulfilling this mitzvah.
Click here for more info, or click here to contact Nechama.
And with the husband, of course I wrapped tefillin.
Most of all we both ‘kvelled’ and reveled as we celebrated the Divinity of the moment.
Hey, where are you now?
Somewhere you want to be? Or do you have no idea why you landed up where you are.
Wherever it is you may be, know that Hashem has brought you there for reasons known to Him.
Best wishes to you to uncover that deeper reason.
Shana Tova Umetuka
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Yosef Kantor