Yisrael. Reb Moshe used to sell oil candles and skins to earn a livelihood. He wasn’t wealthy but he had enough to support his family.
Rabbi Dovid Lelover once commented that he isn’t worthy of being called the Tzaddik of the generation because he still has a greater love to his own children more than the rest of Klal.
As his children grew up he needed more money to be able to pay for their wedding expenses and dowries. He decided to buy a much bigger supply and broaden his sales so he would have a bigger income.
Reb Moshe travelled to his Reb Dovid Lelover for a blessing for success. The Rebbe took a wooden cup that was on the table, gave it to Reb Moshe and said, “this cup should be a Segula to guard over you.” The Rebbe was quiet a few moments and added, “and also for your success.”
Reb Moshe was determined to keep this wooden cup with him on all of his travels.
After he had bought new supplies, he headed to Warsaw to sell his merchandise. On the way he was attacked by dangerous robbers who wanted his money and threatened to kill him too. Reb Moshe handed him over his money and then remembered the wooden cup from his Rebbe. He asked the robber to allow him to have a shot of whiskey before he kills him. Reb Moshe took some whiskey, filled up the cup, made a Beracha and had a sip of whiskey. The robber looked at him and said, “it seems you have some good whiskey.” He grabbed away the cup and started drinking.
In the mean time Reb Moshe started saying Shema. He finished the first Parsha, then the second, then the third and even said Vidui (confession), but he couldn’t understand why the robber wasn’t responding. He turned around and saw him limp on the side of the wagon. He also saw a bird on the man’s forehead. He realized the man was dead. He took a closer look and saw that the man had choked and the cup was inside his mouth suffocating him.
Reb Moshe wasn’t going to give up on the miraculous cup he had received from his Rebbe and had just saved his life. So he took out a knife and cut around the man’s mouth to take out the cup.
Now Reb Moshe was scared that maybe someone would see the dead robber and blame the Jews. So he pulled him on to the wagon and covered him up and planned to ask the local Chevra Kaddisha (burial society) to bury him.
As he came to Warsaw he heard an announcement that anyone who brings the dangerous robber from the forest alive or dead will receive a reward of thirty thousand rubel.
Reb Moshe drove straight to the police station. But when he told the guard why he came, the guard burst out laughing how such a powerless Jew could have killed such a strong robber, that even the local police never had the power or courage to do.
Reb Moshe started screaming until the head officer heard him and came out to see what happened. After checking he saw that Reb Moshe had brought the infamous robber dead. He received the large sum of money and was also successful selling his supplies and merited to become a very wealthy man.
