I have a son who needs a shidduch. He’s over 30 years old, and it’s been a rough ride. It’s especially hard for older guys in shidduchim. They are often bombarded with names, yet it’s really lonely.

Last year, during Elul, I wanted to do something as a zechus for him. I decided to take WhatsApp off my phone for the month in the hope of a yeshua. I did it. Living without WhatsApp was more challenging than I expected, but I knew it was worth the effort. Honestly, I became much less addicted to checking my phone and felt a bit freer.

Elul passed, and I waited until after Yom Kippur to reinstall WhatsApp. My son did not get engaged. I realized that the One Above is not a slot machine—it doesn’t work like that. I put in the effort to clear my mind from distractions by removing WhatsApp, and I did it l’shem shamayim.

But I learned something important: the Zechus wasn’t lost. I needed to make those changes for myself, without expectations. Self-growth is about me—though I still hope it helped bring the yeshua closer.