The Ropshitzer Rebbe zy”a once saw a rich man who was very proud of his wealth. The man thought of himself as a very smart person who had earned his wealth due to his own wisdom. The Rebbe approached him and told him that the Baal Shem Tov zy”a once set out on a long trip, traveling in a wagon with two horses. As soon as he set out, he experienced “kefitzas haderech” and the horses began to run at supernatural speed. They flew over mountains, cities, and villages. As they were being transported at breakneck speed, one horse said to other, “It seems that we are angels, not horses!” The second horse replied, “I still feel as hungry as a horse!” The first horse said, “When we get to our destination, we’ll know the truth. If they take us to a barn, we will know that we are horses. But if go up to the Heavens, we will know that we are angels.”
The Ropshitzer continued by telling the gevir, “Hashem provides sustenance for all creatures and He gives man the intelligence to succeed in business. Unfortunately, people sometimes forget that Hashem is the One who grants them wisdom and they think they are the cause of their own success. They become so confident in themselves that they no longer think they are regular men. They think they are some type of ‘supermen’. They come to believe that they are better than humans and are like angels. But this ends when they arrive at their ultimate destination and their wealth and intelligence is taken from them. They then realize that they are merely horses!”
