It was very rewarding to get a call last week from Aryeh Leib Lehrfield from Chicago, who shared this amazing story:
While preparing their 2024 taxes, Aryeh Leib and Shalva Lehrfield from Chicago noticed something strange: a $2,302 deposit dated July 5, 2024, credited to their account via a handwritten slip. It wasn’t their handwriting, and the name on it wasn’t theirs. It read Ami Matel (name changed).
The Lehrfields hadn’t expected any deposit, and no one had reached out about it for an entire year. It was tempting to wonder: Could this be Hashem’s way of helping? Shalva was home full-time with their child with Down syndrome, and finances were tight.
But Aryeh Leib couldn’t ignore something deeper. That summer, his son’s camp, Camp Geshmak, had embraced the Living Kiddush Hashem Foundation program as its central theme. The camp is run by Rabbi Shloimie Rhine, Aryeh Leib’s chavrusah, who had shared with him the various kiddush Hashem-focused songs, skits, and color war themes woven throughout the summer.
Just a week earlier, Rabbi Noach Muroff had visited the camp and shared his famous story about returning $98,000 he had found in a desk. The story left Aryeh’s son and the entire family deeply inspired.
So Aryeh Leib asked his rav, “Should I return it, or maybe this is how Hashem is helping us?”
The rav replied gently, “You’re not obligated. But there’s a very special mitzvah of kiddush Hashem.”
That sealed it. This was a tremendous opportunity.
They located Ami Matel, an optometrist nearby. She was stunned. She hadn’t realized the money was missing. Her account number matched theirs, except for one digit. She had written a nine, but the teller read it as a seven. By sheer chance (hashgachah), that number matched the Lehrfields’ account.
She offered them free vision services. She was overwhelmed with gratitude and awe.
They sent her the bank documents with a note reaffirming that integrity is a core Jewish value. She was deeply moved.
The next morning, after transferring the money back, their account had only a few hundred dollars left. It felt tight. What if a bill came in that day?
That evening, a few routine deposits cleared, nothing unusual. But when Aryeh Leib checked the balance, he stared.
It read exactly $2,302.
A quiet, unmistakable message from Above: You did the right thing. This was exactly My ratzon.
