A chashuver yungerman asked his friend to lend him three thousand shekels. His friend told him that he couldn’t help him.
Later that night, at 3:00 am, this man came to the beis medresh where he studies Torah every day. When he arrived in the beis medresh, he saw that the person in charge of the beis medresh was already there, so he approached him and asked for a three-thousand-shekel loan. The person, too, replied that he couldn’t help. The yungerman went to his seat, disappointed. This was the second time he asked for a loan and was turned down.
This beis medresh has cameras. Everything that happens in the beis medresh can be seen. Also, the wealthy person who donated the beis medresh has access to these cameras, and from his home in chutz le'aretz, he often watches what is happening in the beis medresh. This time, he saw someone approach the person in charge of the beis medresh, ask for something, and he could tell that the person in charge said that he couldn’t help him. So, he immediately called up the person in charge of the beis medresh and said, "I saw someone ask you for something and you couldn’t help him. What was that all about?"
The person in charge told him what had occurred. The wealthy man compassionately told him, "Give him ten thousand shekels from my account. Give it to him as a gift, not as a loan."
The next day, the yungerman met his friend and told him, "Because you didn't lend me the money, I received ten thousand shekels!"
He learned that what he thought was a problem was for his good.
(Another lesson is that a person is learning at night, and doesn't know that someone is watching him. But Hashem is watching from heaven. He sees everything the person does.)
A person is driving, and there are two routes he can take to get to his destination. He looks at one road, and sees it is clear. He glances over to the other road, and he sees a traffic jam. Which route should he take? There is no question. It is obvious he should take the road that is clear of traffic. But his GPS tells him to take the congested road! This is because the GPS looks from above and benefits from a broad, clear view. In the end, he will reach his destination quicker if he takes the more congested route. There will be traffic for a few minutes, and then it will open up. The other route will take longer.
The lesson is that a person cannot see the entire picture, and sometimes he sees that the road (or roads) in front of him are all blocked. He doesn't see a way out. He doesn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. But he must know that the road that seems like a dead end might be the road that will lead to his salvation.
