Daily Chizuk #1491

Although we may not always perceive the effects of our deeds, we can rest assured that every small action we take is immensely valuable and carries great weight in Shamayim. The way events unfold in the physical world depends on decisions first made in the spiritual realm in Shamayim. Our tefillot and mitzvot make all the difference; they have the power to alter even what has already been decreed.
In Parashat Toledot, the Torah uses the word ויעתר, meaning a pitchfork, to describe tefilla. Chazal explain that just as a pitchfork overturns the grain on the threshing floor, moving it from place to place, so too the prayers of the righteous overturn the "mind" of Hashem.
Through the power of their Tehillim and efforts toward shalom, Hashem orchestrated circumstances so that one kehillah appeared nearly empty and the other overwhelmingly full, ensuring the second kehillah received the building they so desired.
Our deeds are truly wondrous.