Sefer Likutei Sippurim relates that there once lived a very wealthy man who was greatly respected in his city. This rich man was once sitting in his seat on the Mizrach wall of the shul, when he took his “tabak pushka” (snuffbox) out of his pocket and took a sniff. He then passed it around to whoever else wanted some snuff.
There was a poor man sitting by the door who saw how the rich man was giving everyone a “shmek tabak” (a pinch of snuff). He also wanted one and he came forward to take the snuffbox. However, before he could take a pinch of the snuff, the wealthy man snapped the little box shut and he was forced to go back to his seat in shame.
From that moment on, the wealthy man’s luck began to go downhill, while the poor man’s luck began to improve greatly. After a short time, the tables had turned completely. The formerly poor man was now a tremendous philanthropist, while the man who had once been rich was now a pauper who had to beg from door to door to survive. However, he had an advantage over other beggars because the residents of the city and the surrounding areas remembered how he used to be rich and respected. They felt so bad for him that they willingly gave him relatively large donations when he went around begging.
As time went on, the man hooked up with a group of wandering beggars and traveled with them from town to town until he came to the city Mezhibozh, where the Baal Shem Tov zy”a lived. The custom in Mezhibozh was that when random beggars came to the Besht’s home, the gabbai would give them a set amount as a donation. However, if a meshulach arrived who was collecting for an important cause, which required a larger donation, the gabbai would ask the Besht how much to give.
When the group of paupers arrived, the gabbai gave each of them the regular amount. When it was the former rich man’s turn, he was given the same amount. He protested and said that he was used to getting more but the gabbai said that he only had permission to give this much. “If you want more,” he told him, “you will have to wait until the Besht is available so that I can ask him.”
After a short while, the gabbai did enter the Besht’s room and he asked him how much to give the man. He then came out with a larger donation but the man refused this as well. He said that he didn’t want any amount of money. Instead, he wanted to speak to the Besht.
The gabbai brought the man into the Besht, and the formerly wealthy man told him the entire story. He related that he had once been very wealthy and had lost all his money. “What should I do now?” he asked.
The Besht asked him, “Do you remember the time when you closed your snuffbox in a poor man’s face and refused to give him a ‘shmek tabak?’ At that time, it was decreed in Heaven that all of your wealth will go to that poor man and you would take his place in poverty.”
The rich man had forgotten all about that incident but he was now reminded of it. He realized that it was true that his downfall had begun at that moment. He asked the Besht what he could do now to fix the problem.
The Besht replied, “The only solution would be if you would ask that man for a ‘shmek tabak’ and he refuses you. If he denies you the snuff, you will get your riches back. If he gives it to you, he will keep all the money and there is nothing else you can do.”
The Besht then gave the man a large donation and he left. The man did not tell anyone what the Besht told him as he waited for the right moment to put his plan into action. He knew that the man who had been given all of his money was going to be marrying off his daughter in a short while, and an elaborate, fancy wedding was planned. He decided that he would come to the wedding and sit at the paupers’ table.
In the middle of the festive meal, just as the father of the bride was getting up to dance with the chosson and mechutin, he ran over and said to him, “Give me a shmek tabak!”
The rich man stopped dancing, reached into his pocket, took out his snuffbox, and held it out to him – and, when he saw this, he fell down in a faint!
The rich man bent over to help him and managed to wake him from his faint. When he asked if he was okay, the pauper told him everything that had happened and what the Besht had told him. He said that he fainted because he now knew that he was destined to be poor for the rest of his life.
When the rich man heard this, he said, “From now on, you won’t have to beg for alms anymore. I will support you.” He bought the poor man a house and provided him with food and support for him and his family from then on.
From this story, we see how much we have to be careful to never embarrass anyone in any way.