The Gemara says that it is as difficult for Hashem to mate men and women as it was for Him to split the Sea of Reeds. This passage seems very strange indeed. First of all, what is the comparison between shiduchim and splitting the Sea? And most hard to understand is since when is anything difficult for Hashem?

The answer I heard from Rabbi Warshavchik zt"l is that Hashem created the world and set up all of the rules of Nature. Hashem prefers that the world be run in this natural way and does not like to perform miracles which are supernatural. If the occasion arises that a miracle is needed to save the Jews, His precious children, then He defies Nature hesitantly. But even then, Hashem tries to do it as covertly as possible.

However, the Rabbis teach us that when Hashem split the Sea, all of the waters in the entire world split simultaneously; so that everyone would recognize Hashem's greatness. Performing a miracle which was obvious to all is what the Sages call "difficult" for Hashem because it is not what He usually chooses to do.

Similarly, said Rav Warshavchik, when it comes to matching suitable partners, the Hashgachah Peratis (Divine Intervention) is so obvious to all that it can be compared to the splitting of the Sea!

Everyone who has married off a child can contest to the truth of his words. People try and try to find the right one, and then he or she comes along out of some totally unexpected source. Or, someone we happened to meet "by chance" suggests the perfect match. Every parent has a story to tell and I have many, baruch Hashem.

A few weeks ago, my youngest daughter Tehillah got engaged to a wonderful boy, Natan. As usual, the Hashgachah Peratis was amazing. We had been speaking with many shadchanim (matchmakers) and Tehillah had met with several very fine boys; but it just wasn't what she was looking for.

My wife, Rivky, goes to shul every Shabbos morning. There is another lady in another part of the neighborhood who never comes to this shul. As a matter of fact, the two of them met perhaps three times in the last twenty years. One Shabbos morning, there was a simchah (celebration) in this shul and that woman came to say mazel tov. When she saw my wife at the kiddush she asked if she would like to hear about an excellent boy who was suggested for her own daughter. He isn't just right for her but perhaps he may be perfect for Tehillah.

My wife and I are always on the alert for Hashgachah Peratis and so she instantly paid close attention to what this woman had to say. The more she spoke the more it sounded like exactly what Tehillah was looking for. After Shabbos we made some more inquiries and before long they met.

And a few weeks ago, they were engaged to be wed baruch Hashem.

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