The Rebbe, who was known for his great compassion to his fellow Yidden, inquired about things like a reliable Minyan, a Mikvah, and a Cheder, in this new city. Regrettably, Chaim admitted that these essential aspects of Jewish life were not going to be there in his new town.
The Rebbe was bothered by this, and he tried to find a deeper reason that Chaim had that was motivating his life-changing decision. With honesty and openness, Chaim told the Rebbe about a heart-breaking incident that had broken his Bitachon and significantly affected his circumstances in life.
Shabbos Stories for Parshas Matos-Masei 5784
During a business trip to Antwerp, he was traveling with a substantial amount of money, and tragically, the money disappeared at the airport. It was somehow stolen, and it left him penniless. He searched everywhere but he couldn’t find it. Overwhelmed by despair, he returned to Montreal burdened by the weight of his financial troubles.
Offered Financial Assistance to Chaim in Order to Keep from Leaving Montreal
The Tosher Rebbe was moved by Chaim’s story, and he tried very hard to prevent Chaim from leaving. He also offered to assist him with his financial struggles, but Chaim was determined to relocate and start again, no matter what the Rebbe said or offered. Reluctantly, the Rebbe watched as Chaim prepared to depart.
The next day after their talk, a stranger approached Chaim in the street. For some reason, this stranger seemed somewhat familiar, and Chaim said to him, “Do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar.”
Chaim’s heart skipped when the stranger responded. “I have carried a burden of guilt since that day at the airport,” the stranger confessed. Chaim was shocked. The man said, “I couldn’t live knowing that I had taken your money. It has bothered me every day since then. Here, please accept it back.” And with that, the stranger handed Chaim the exact sum of money that had been stolen years earlier!
Overwhelmed by Disbelief and Gratitude
Chaim was overwhelmed by disbelief and gratitude, and it made a profound impact on him. He abandoned his plan to move away, and Montreal once again became his home where he and his family continued to grow and thrive.
Twenty years later, the sad news spread that the Tosher Rebbe has passed away. As the people gathered around the Rebbe’s Kever, Chaim saw the stranger once again. Chaim remarked, “I suppose this is our third time meeting.”
However, the stranger humbly corrected him and said, “No, this is not our third time. It is only our second encounter. The truth is that although I told you I stole your money, I did not actually take it. The Tosher Rebbe felt terrible that you were ready to abandon living a Jewish lifestyle, and in his holiness, he gave me that money and asked me to approach you, as if I was the one who stole it.”
Tears flowed from Chaim’s eyes as he realized the depth of the Tosher Rebbe’s wisdom, and his extraordinary act of love!
Reprinted from the Parshas Pinchas 5784 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’ Tefilah.
