One of the Chasidim of the Satmar Rebbe, zt”l, worked in the jewelry exchange in Manhattan, New York. Once, when he was visiting the Rebbe, he asked the Rebbe for a Brachah that he have abundant Parnasah, and it should come easily. The Rebbe told him, “I give you my Brachah wholeheartedly, but only under one condition. Don’t ever let a lie come out of your mouth. Neither in business nor in anything else in the world!”
The man protested and said, “Rebbe! In the jewelry exchange it is impossible not to lie! Many times, the gemstone is not perfect, and we have to hide a crack or a defect here or there. That is how it works in the jewelry exchange!”
But the Rebbe would not back down, and he said, “Listen to me well. You will be different from all the other merchants, and no lie will come out of your mouth, and B’Ezras Hashem, you will see the abundance of Brachah that will come your way!”
The Chasid accepted upon himself the instructions of the Rebbe, and he began to be scrupulous about the Middah of Emes and being straightforward. To any buyer that entered his store, he would say to them, “I am not sure if this stone is right for you. There is a defect here and a small crack there. I have to be honest with you, this is not a perfect stone.”
Very quickly, this Jewish jeweler earned an exemplary reputation. Everyone testified about his honesty and integrity, and he became very wealthy from all the customers who preferred to deal with only someone who was honest with them. The Chasid soon realized the wisdom in the Brachah from the Satmar Rebbe!
Reprinted from the Parshas Shoftim 5783 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’Tefilah.
