The great Rabbi Moshe Sofer (the Chasam Sofer) was sitting with his students one day when they were interrupted by the Parness (the head) of the Jewish community.
He hadn't want to disturb the Rabbi when he was busy with his students, but when the Chasam Sofer noticed the man's distraught face, he excused himself and called the Parness into an adjoining room.
"What has happened?" the Rabbi inquired.
The man answered with a sigh.
"I am in deep trouble. I have lost my entire fortune. There's no hope, for I am in such deep debt, and I've signed promissory notes for others as well. I'm on the brink of utter ruin. Tomorrow, when it becomes known that I didn't go to the fair at Leipzig, my creditors will come running, and that will be my end."
"How much money do you need to go to the fair?" the Chasam Sofer asked.
"Oh, Rabbi, the amount I usually bring is not worth talking about. At this point, I would be grateful for travelling money and a bit of cash." The Parness mentioned an amount.
"That's no problem. I think I have just that amount here."
The Chasam Sofer went to a certain drawer in his desk and withdrew the cash.
"Rabbi, I can't take the money from you. I came to you for advice, not a loan. If I take your money, how can I guarantee that I will be able to repay you?"
The Chasam Sofer smiled. "Don't worry, with G-d's help, you will repay me. May you have much success."
Deeply grateful and with new hope, the Parness took the money and left. He caught the early train to Leipzig, and upon leaving the train met a friend who was a big wholesaler and importer.
He offered the Parness a shipment of newly arrived coffee. The price was right, so the Parness gave a deposit and concluded the deal. Before the day ended, news reached the fair that the crop in Brazil had been damaged by bad weather, and the price of coffee had risen.
The Parness sold the coffee at a great profit.
The next day he bought large quantities of merchandise.
The pattern repeated itself every day of the fair, and by the end, he had not only recouped all his losses, but had become even richer than before.
It occurred to the Parness to buy something special for the Chasam Sofer.
Knowing the rabbi's knowledge of jewelry, he purchased a valuable gem to present to him. Back home, he went at once to visit the Rabbi and tell him the good news. "Your blessings were fulfilled beyond my dreams. In addition to repaying you, it would be an honor if you would accept this gift."
The Rabbi took the box in his hand and opened it, revealing the gem. "It's beautiful, and very valuable as well," he said turning the gem this way and that. Then he handed it back to the Parness.
"But, Rabbi, it's yours."
"No. You see, if you had given it to me at any other time, perhaps I would have accepted it, for it would support my yeshiva for some time. But since I gave you the loan, I cannot accept even something which has 'the dust of interest' on it."
The Parness left, and some students who had observed the scene came to their Rabbi with a question: "If you had no intention of accepting the gift, why did you receive it with so much happiness and pay it so much attention?"
"I will tell you a story which will answer your question.
"Once I was traveling with my Rebbe, Rabbi Nosson Adler of Frankfurt.
"The weather was bad, but it was a trip of extreme urgency to the Jewish community, so we left immediately.
"We started out after dark, and after we had gone but a short distance, the team of horses refused to budge. The driver went off to get help and we tried to shake off the cold by immersing ourselves in learning.
"Finally the driver returned and readied the team to continue the journey. Suddenly, my Rebbe leaped out of the carriage and began dancing in the snow. I was shocked and couldn't understand his actions.
" 'Don't you see, Moshe, the driver has harnessed a team of oxen together with horses!'
"I got out of the carriage and explained to the driver that we were forbidden to be drawn by a team composed of mixed species (kilaim, is forbidden, since the animals have differing strengths and it causes them great hardship).
"I offered him extra money if he would go and exchange the oxen for horses.
"When he had gone, I asked my teacher to enlighten me as to his strange behavior. He answered, 'My dear Moshe, when in Frankfurt do I get to do the rare mitzva of kilayim? Now, that it comes my way, once in my life, should I not rejoice?'
"That is why, when I got the chance to do the mitzva of ribbis (not accepting interest from a fellow Jew), I rejoiced.
"Who comes to a rabbi to request a free loan? When that mitzva came my way, I couldn't conceal my joy and excitement!"
