Moshe, a wealthy man living outside Jerusalem, had a very serious problem: he was a miser, unwilling to give any tzedaka. One day, a poor man, secretly from hidden righteous tzadikim, sought a donation. Moshe, as usual, refused him entry. The tzadik pleaded, promising not to ask for money, and Moshe allowed him entry.
The Tzadik then sternly declared: Heaven is angered by your stinginess; your fortune will be given to Rabbi Avraham, the woodcutter of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Avraham was also a very righteous person and always went out of his way to help another Yid. He would drop off chopped wood at a poor person’s door autonomously.
Moshe recognized that it was a righteous man standing before him, but couldn't resist his selfish desires. He reasoned, if my wealth must go to Rabbi Avraham, I will make sure that neither of us will benefit!
The tzadik left, and Moshe fled to the forest with his fortune. He hid it in a large tree. A storm uprooted the tree, carrying it to Jerusalem, landing on a fisherman's property. The fisherman, initially frightened, rejoiced, planning to sell the wood to Rabbi Avraham.
That Friday, when Rabbi Avraham went to buy fish for Shabbos, the fisherman offered him the tree at a good price. Rabbi Avraham inspected it, agreed to the price, and bought the tree. Rabbi Avraham hauled the tree to his home. When he began to cut up some wood he was astonished to find the tree to be hollow inside.
He soon found a large treasure in the trunk of the tree. He danced with joy to Hashem that he will now be a rich man. Meanwhile, Moshe the Miser’s fortune faded, and he became a poor person and Moshe was forced to wander with his wife begging for money and food.
When they came to Jerusalem to beg for money and food, Moshe decided to go visit Rabbi Avraham the woodcutter. Moshe searched all over and asked where Rabbi Avraham the woodcutter lived? When he was told where Rabbi Avraham lived, Moshe went to his home.
Rabbi Avrohom was a very warm-hearted person and he invited Moshe and his wife to stay with them for a few days until after Shabbos. At the Shabbos Table, Moshe and his wife began to cry hysterically as they noticed the beautiful leichters, and gold plates on the table. They were so familiar to the ones that once belonged to them!
Rabbi Avrohom asked them “why were they crying?”
They answered: "these items once belonged to us!”
When Rabbi Avraham asked them “how did they lose their belongings?” They told Rabbi Avrohom the story of the hidden Tzaddik who told them that their wealth would go over to Rabbi Avraham, and they hid their fortune in a tree so that no one should enjoy the wealth.
Moshe then asked how did the fortune end up by Rabbi Avraham? Rabbi Avraham told them the story of the fisherman, and the gusty winds carrying the tree to his property. They learnt a powerful lesson that when Hashem wants something to happen, He will make a flood and bring an item from one place to another in order to fulfil that decree.
When Rabbi Avraham offered to return to Moshe his belongings, Moshe and his wife refused as they accepted the decree of Hashem, and would not go against the wishes of Hashem. They now wanted to atone their evil ways of not giving Tzedaka!
The Shabbos was very uplifting for everyone. They felt closer to Hashem. That Motzei Shabbos, Rabbi Avraham told his wife to bake a fancy cake for Moshe and his wife. She put inside 100 gold coins. When they will open it, they will have
