A Torah scroll. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

I was driving from an event, late for Minyan. “If I just speed a little bit, I might make half of it.” My amazing wife was on the phone, trying to locate a Shul along my route where I could make it, but everything was saying I’d be late.

“It’s for a Mitzvah. All I have to do is speed up a little and I can beat the Waze ETA.”

In the heat of the moment, I had a decision to make. Drive a little faster and make it. Or drive the speed limit and miss an opportunity I can never get back.

And in that instant, the question I’ve been working on popped into my mind:

“What does Hashem want from me, at this moment?”

And the answer was clear. “Dina dMalchusa Dina” — “The law of the land (MUST BE KEPT AS SERIOUSLY) as the Law of Hashem.” (Bava Basra 54b, Teshuvos Chasam Sofer Yoreh Deah 314, Teshuvos Igros Moshe 2:29).

Driving safe is the Mitzvah I didn’t want to do, but needed to.

Thoughts of a recent WhatsApp chat group I’m a part of flashed through my mind. People warning and behooving and begging each other to be more careful, not to text while driving, not to race down residential neighborhoods, not to take corners too fast. Children have been hit. Lives have been lost. All from well-meaning, good people … doing the wrong thing.

I gritted my teeth and purposely slowed down. The ETA clicked another minute later. “At this point, would I even make it for Shkiayah?”

My wife hung up the phone. I began saying Tehillim (Psalms) and proceeded to do that which is even more holy than saying Tehilliim. I drove within the speed limit.

And then the miracle started to happen.

Green lights opening up.

Waze clicking back a minute, then two.

I pulled into the synagogue parking lot, with 120 seconds to spare. But I wasn’t the only one late. The lot was jammed packed.

“Maybe I can just double park by that hydrant and turn my blinkers on? Or just take the disabled spot, if only for a few minutes?”

“What does Hashem want from me in this moment?”

I drove past both openings and came to the end of the parking lot. And as the clock ticked to 60 seconds left, one solitary car pulled out … in front of me.

I took the spot.
Made it inside the Shul.
And not just davened with a Minyan. But davened with two.

And saw a friend (Yishai H) who spoke with me about the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe. And wished Mazal Tov to a Chattan who just got married. And answered Borchu three times.

But none of that was as holy as driving within the speed limit.

For prayer is not what you say, but how you live your life.

And driving within the speed limit, saves lives.

“…and for Your miracles which happen each and every day, with us.”

Levi Y. Welton is a rabbi, stand-up comedian, and Lubavitcher Chossid. He can be reached at rabbiwelton@gmail.com