continued from page one:
Elijah the Prophet returned in shame, and unwillingly had to affirm the harsh judgment pronounced on the rich man. “But then,” Rabbi Meir of Premishlan continued his story, “I myself stood before the Heavenly Court and said: Is it not a fundamental rule that one is not punished unless first warned? Give me the mission, and I will warn the man.
“Here before me is a Jew who wishes to ascend to the Land of Israel and needs four hundred silver dinars. If Reb Moshe the rich man agrees to give the full sum for this Jew, and begins from now on to give charity generously to all who ask, then the decree will be annulled. But if he does not repent even after my warning, then the judgment will be carried out.”
A deep silence filled the room. Then the tzaddik turned to the Torah scholar, looking also at the wealthy man standing there, and said: “Here is Reb Moshe himself. Let us hear what he has to say about this...”
Before the tzaddik even finished speaking, the wealthy man collapsed to the floor in a faint. When they revived him, he burst into bitter tears and cried out: “I am that man! Everything the Rabbi has told is absolutely true. Please, I have sinned, I have transgressed, I have acted wickedly. I repent with all my heart, and from this day forth I will abandon my evil ways.”
Immediately, the wealthy man took out four hundred silver dinars and handed them to the Torah scholar, who stood astonished at what he had seen and heard. With deep emotion, the two of them left the tzaddik’s room. Warmly, the scholar promised the rich man that he would mention his name at the Western Wall. They parted in peace.
The scholar went straight to bring his wife and children, and set out on his way to the Holy Land. As for the wealthy man—he completely transformed his life. His home was open, and he gave charity generously to all who stretched out a hand. It was not long before he became renowned as the great benefactor of the region.
