Rav Pinchas of Koritz told: Once, the Ba’al Shem Tov was traveling together with Rav Menachem Mendel of Bar, when Rav Menachem Mendel grew very thirsty and the Ba’al Shem promised him that if he had true bitochon and trusted in Hashem, then Hashem would send him water to drink.
No sooner said than done, and a non-Jew appeared suddenly before them, searching for his lost horses. “I have been searching for my horses now for some three days. Have you seen any trace of them?” The Baal Shem and Rav Menachem Mendel replied that they had not and asked for some water, which the non-Jew supplied.
Afterward, Rav Menachem Mendel asked the Baal Shem that if Hashem had arranged this wandering non-Jew solely for his benefit, to quench his thirst, why did he wander for three days?
“If you had had bitochon and trusted in Hashem immediately before, then your water would have been ready three days ago,” explained the Baal Shem. (Imrei Pinchas p. 9 #45)
