There was once a wealthy person who was generous with his money, and while he certainly helped the poor, he didn’t attribute his financial success to the Source — Hashem. He accredited all his wealth to his own business acumen and intelligence.
One day, he was going to the marketplace to buy oxen when a merchant approached him. “Where are you going?” the merchant asked him.
“To buy oxen.”
The merchant reproached him. “Say that you are going to buy oxen ‘im yirtzeh Hashem’ — if Hashem wills it.”
“Why should I say that? I have money, and I’m going to the market. I don’t need Hashem’s help. If I didn’t have money, I would say im yirtzeh Hashem. But I am wealthy and can afford the oxen on my own.”
The wealthy man continued to the market. It took him some time to find the oxen he wanted to buy, and when he was ready to purchase them, he discovered that his wallet was missing. He returned home emptyhanded.
Steal of a Deal
Sometime later, he took some more money and set off to the market. On the way, he met up with an elderly person who asked him, “Where are you going?”
The wealthy man said he was going to buy oxen. The old man told him, “You won’t be able to buy oxen if it isn’t the will of Hashem. Say ‘im yirtzeh Hashem!’” But the man refused. He didn’t think he needed Hashem’s help.
The merchant continued on his way and saw a bench. He was tired, so he sat down for a few minutes – and then he fell asleep. When he awoke, he noticed that the money was gone. Again, he returned home disappointed. At home, he thought over what had befallen him and realized he was being punished because he didn’t say “im yirtzeh Hashem.” At once, he made a kabbalah that he would say ‘im yirtzeh Hashem’ and fully believe that Hashem is the Source.
He set off to the market to buy oxen a third time. Before he reached the market, he met a young lad seeking work. He spoke with the wealthy merchant, and when the lad heard that he was going to buy oxen, he said, “If you need help bringing the oxen home, you can hire me.”
The wealthy man replied, “Im yirtzeh Hashem — if Hashem helps me and I buy oxen, I will hire you.”
With almost no effort, the wealthy merchant found good oxen at an excellent price. He hired the lad to help him bring the oxen back to his home. As they walked, the oxen suddenly ran into the forest, and the merchant chased after them. The oxen stopped right before the stone with his money. The merchant praised Hashem joyously. The merchant and the lad arrived at his home, and then the lad suddenly disappeared.
The merchant understood that all along this had been Eliyahu HaNavi, who came to teach him this lesson. Eliyahu HaNavi took the second bundle of money while the merchant was sleeping and placed it on the stone in the forest, near the first bundle of money that was dropped. Now Eliyahu HaNavi was returning the money to him after he had come to the realization that Hashem was the Source of his success. (Cited in Chadrei Beten from the Chida, who quotes the sefer Eliyahu HaNavi; it also appears in Otzar HaMidrashim)
