Shlomo from Bnei Brak relates: One morning I was invited to a bris. On my way to the hall I noticed a nice-looking chair in good condition set out on the curb in a way that indicated it was hefker. Someone had obviously decided he no longer needed the chair in his home and had placed it outside so that someone else would take it.
We have this type of chairs at home, and this chair would be a perfect match. I decided to take it home. As I was walking toward the chair, I saw a young avreich who also seemed to be interested in the chair. I thought to myself, If another Yid wants this chair, then I won’t take it. I don’t want to cause him agmas nefesh or the feeling that he lost out. Let him take the chair and enjoy it in good health.
I gave in, even though I knew I had seen the chair before him. I continued walking in the direction of the bris, and baruch Hashem, I was zocheh to participate in bringing a baby into briso shel Avraham Avinu.
On my way back, I saw that the chair was not there where it had been before, and I understood that the avreich had taken it.
I turned onto another street, where I met up with an old acquaintance. He came over and asked me, “Are you perhaps interested in a nice chair?”
“Yes,” I answered, surprised by the question.
“I saw an abandoned chair on this street, and I was afraid the garbage collectors would take it away, so I took it into my building and left it in the entryway. Want to see it?”
I followed him, and there, standing before me in all its glory, was the chair that had caught my attention when I was on my way to the bris. It seems the avreich hadn’t ended up taking it after all.
“I really am interested in this chair,” I told him. “Thanks so much.”
I went over to take it, but he stopped me. “Why should you take it by yourself?” he said. “I have a car.”
He loaded the chair onto his car, invited me into the air-conditioned vehicle, and took me and the chair home.
It was exciting to see: Whatever is decreed that a person will receive will come to him. By giving in I had only gained, and I had gotten the chair home in a respectable way, without any exertion at all on my part.
