before him, the official asked him if he had a lottery ticket, and he said that he did. He then said to him, “I also have a lottery ticket. Let’s trade tickets, and I’ll also give you some money.”
The chasid replied, “I don’t want your ticket. Even if you pay me some money, I can’t make that trade.”
The minister raised his price and said that he would him 1,000 gold coins. When he saw that the chasid was being stubborn and would not agree to the trade, he became enraged and ordered his servant to take it from him by force. The servant did so, and the chasid was unable to stop him.
The minister then said to him, “Even though you put me through so much trouble, I do not want to steal it from you. I am giving you 1,000 gold coins and my lottery ticket.”
The chasid told himself, “This too is for the best.” He traveled home and paid for the chasuna with the money he had been given, and he thanked Hashem.
A few months later, the chasid discovered that he had won 50,000 gold coins in the lottery with the ticket that the minister had given him. He immediately went to Berdichov to thank his Rebbe. When he entered the Rebbe’s room, Rav Levi Yitzchok explained, “I saw that your mazal was very bad. Therefore, I compelled the angel in charge of dreams to speak to the minister and get him to exchange lottery tickets with you, as I saw that his ticket was destined to win. The reason you got an additional 1,000 gold coins was because you said that you needed some money to marry off your daughter immediately. Hence, at first, you had a small salvation, and later, a great salvation.”
The man then returned home and became an even greater rich man than before.
One Who Trusts in Hashem Merits Divine Protection:
Sefer Yesod Yosef (Perek 8 writes: “The middah of bitachon is so great that angels of chesed surround anyone who trusts in Hashem and protect him from all harm, as is stated: ‘One who trusts in Hashem is surrounded by chesed.’ And he is greatly rewarded for his bitachon... And at times when ‘the arrows of judgment’ are shot at him, he is protected by shields created by his acts, and he is not harmed at all.”
Saying Shema Yisroel in Challenging Times:
The Meor Vashemesh writes: “We can see that when a Jew finds himself in a time of difficult, he should accept upon himself the yoke of Heaven and says Shema Yisroel... This is ‘Minhag Yisroel Torah.’”
Sefer Siach Sarfei Kodesh relates that Rav Bunim of Peshischa zy”a lived for a time in Germany and during this period, he would spend time every Shabbos with ”Deitchen” (a euphemism for “modern” Jews who were affected by the winds of the time). He would relate divrei Torah to them, and they would mock the words they heard him say.
This situation bothered Rav Bunim’s son, Rav Avrohom Moshe zy”a, very much, He asked his father, “Why do you say Torah to these heretics if they just make fun of it“?
Rav Bunim answered, “What else can I do? When I feel aroused to say words of Torah, the words automatically come out of my mouth. However, this coming Shabbos, if you see that I look like I am about to start saying Torah, kick my foot under the table to remind me to desist and I won’t say it.”
That Shabbos, when Rav Avrohom Moshe saw that his father was about to say divrei Torah, he pushed his foot to remind him not to. Rav Bunim then began to speak and he said, “The Deitchen are not real apikorsim. When one of them experiences even in a slight headache, he immediately puts his hand over his head and cries out ‘Shema Yisroel’. Please help me Hashem!’ Pharaoh, however, was a real apikores. Even after Hashem struck him with makkos, he still said: ‘Who is Hashem that I should listen to His voice?”
Three Ways to Merit Divine Goodness:
The Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a stated that there are three types of wealth that Hashem provides the world. 1. A man sometimes is given wealth as a test to see if he will become haughty and refuse to give tzedakah, or if he will use his money to help others and do mitzvos. If he does the later, then he has passed the test. 2. Some people are given wealth as a fulfillment of the concept of “tzadik v’tov lo” (Brachos 7A).
Such a person “merits two tables” , as he is rewarded in this world, as well as in the next. 3. Some wicked people are given wealth because Hashem wants to pay them up in this world for their few good deeds, so that they will have nothing left in Olam Haba.
The way to know which category a rich man falls into is as follows: If one is in the third category, no one will benefit from his money. He won’t give any to others, and he also won’t derive benefit from it, as he will not be willing to spend any money even on himself.
If one is given his wealth as a test, it will be easy for him to use his money on himself but hard for him to use it for a mitzvah, as the yeitzer hara will constantly try to stop him from passing the test.
If, however, one is given wealth as a blessing from Hashem because he deserves “two tables”, he will give a lot to tzedakah and spend a lot on mitzvos, and he will see success in all that he does.
Rav Eliezer Zev of Kretchnif zy”a (Sefer Raza D’Shabbos) writes that al three types of wealth are hinted to in this pasuk. Hashem says that he will rain down bread from the Heavens, but there are three ways that he provides parnassah. The first is “l’maan anosanu”, in order to test you, which is the type of wealth that is given as a test. The second is “hayelech b’Torasi”, if you follow My Torah, which is the type of wealth given to complete tzadikim who merit reward in both worlds. The third is “im lo”, if not, which is the type of wealth given to those whose reward is used up in this world.
A Segulah for Parnassah:
Sefer Mishmeres Shalom (Siman 14, Ois 2) quotes a handwritten note from Rav Pinchos of Koretz zy”a that he had in his possession that states: “Tell people that it is segulah for parnassah to say Parshas Haman and the 13 Ikkurim every day early in the morning, before any other words come out of their mouths.”
Getting Up Early:
Rav Bunim of Peshischa zy”a said that it is a segulah for parnassah to get up early to learn Torah. This is seen in the pasuk (Mishlei 31:15): “She rises when it is still night and she gives food to her household.”
Parnassah in the Merit of Chesed:
The pasuk (Bamidbor 11:7) says that the mann was like a “zera gad lavan” (coriander seed). The Degel Machaneh Efraim explains this by citing the Gemara (Shabbos 151B) that says: “If one has mercy on others, Shomayim will have mercy on him.” Accordingly, the pasuk is saying that the “mann”, which represents parnassah that rains down from Shomayim, is like a seed of “gad”, which is an acronym for “gomel dalim” (helping the needy). This indicates that if one helps the needy, he will receive an abundance of Diviner goodness.
Believing That Hashem is the Provider:
The pasuk states (Tehillim 115:4) “Atzabeihem kesef v’zahav maaseh yedei odom.” (Their idols are silver and gold, the handiwork of man.) The Lechovitcher Rebbe zy”a explains that the word “atzabeihem” can be translated to mean “atzvus”, depression. Thus, the pasuk can be understood to be saying that if someone is depressed over silver and gold, i.e., a lack of money, he should know that this is because he views money as “the handiwork of man”, meaning that he thinks it is his work that creates his income. It is his lack of emunah that is causing his sadness.
A Rich Man With Bitachon:
When the Brisker Rov zy”a got married, he was given several apartments in Warsaw as a dowry. The plan was that he would live off the rent from the apartment.
However, a few years later, he felt that being busy with the apartments was interfering with his Torah study, so he transferred it to a manager to handle for him. Then World War I broke out, and he was forced to leave the city. Upon his return, he learned that the manager had registered the apartments in his own name and usurped them from him.
During that period when he lost his source of livelihood, he delved deeply into the study of the Shaar Habitachon in Sefer Chovos Halevavos. He then said, “The world thinks that a rich person is one who owns an entire block of apartments in Warsaw, but the truth is that a wealthy person is one who has the Shaar Habitachon of the Chovos Halevavos.”