RELYING ON HASHEM
It had been a long, long ride, and Reb Mendel of Bar, who was traveling together with the Baal Shem Tov, felt really thirsty.
The Baal Shem Tov told him, “If you will have true bitachon in HaShem, you will definitely find water.”
Shortly afterwards a goy approached them and asked if they had seen horses roaming around, for he had lost his horses three days earlier and had been desperately searching for them. They replied in the negative and then asked him if he had some water.
“Sure I have!” the goy answered, and he gave Reb Mendel a drink.
Reb Mendel asked the Baal Shem Tov, “If the purpose of the goy's wanderings was just for my sake, to relieve me of my thirst, why did he have to travel for three days?”
The Baal Shem Tov replied, “Actually, HaShem prepared him earlier, in case you would exhibit true bitachon, because then your desire would have been granted immediately!”
(סיפורי חסידים זוין תורה ע' 379)
Faithful to the instructions he had received from Shamayim, the Baal Shem Tov once invited a group of his talmidim to accompany him in a wagon to a certain town, so that they could learn the middah of bitachon. The local innkeeper was pleased to see them and welcomed them graciously. The next morning, while they were davening, a police officer walked in with a stick in hand, banged the table three times and left. The talmidim, baffled, froze in their places, but their host remained as cheerful as he had been before. Half an hour later the same man returned, banged the table three times, and left.
When the Baal Shem Tov asked the innkeeper to explain these strange events, he said, “This is a warning. He's reminding me to bring the rental payment to the poritz. It is repeated three times, and if I do not bring the money at that point, my family and I will be thrown into the dungeon."
Hearing this, the Baal Shem Tov told him, “Judging from your calmness, you have the money ready, so why don't you go and pay your rent? We will await your return, and then we will be able to take our places at your table peacefully."
The innkeeper answered, “Truthfully, at the moment I don't have a single coin, but HaShem will surely not forsake me. He will provide the money. Let us eat without haste, because three hours still remain to the time limit.”
They ate together unhurriedly, and the innkeeper's face disclosed no sign of his dangerous plight. At the end of the meal, the officer strode in for the third time and once again banged on the table, but the innkeeper, unruffled, remained calmly in his place. After benching with kavana, the innkeeper went off to get dressed in his Shabbos clothing. When he rejoined them and announced that he would now go pay and his dues, the Baal Shem Tov asked him again if he had the money he needed.
Shaking his head, the host answered, “I haven’t got a single penny yet, but I am sure HaShem will take care of me!”
He took his leave and the Baal Shem Tov and his talmidim went out to the porch overlooking the road that stretched out before them, to see him off as he set out on his mission by foot.
From the distance they saw a wagon driving towards the innkeeper, which slowed down as he exchanged a few words with the wagondriver. The wagon then continued on its way. After a few moments, its driver backtracked, called out to the innkeeper, and then handed him some money. The wagon then resumed its route towards the inn, where the curious onlookers asked the driver what had transpired.
“I had proposed a deal to the innkeeper,” he said, “and offered to buy all the liquor he is due to make this winter, but he didn't agree to my price and continued on his way. Seeing his stubbornness, but knowing his honesty, I decided to give him the amount he had asked for. He then excused himself and hurried ahead, explaining that he was on his way to pay his rent."
The Baal Shem Tov turned to his talmidim and said, “Look how powerful is the middah of bitachon!”
(סיפורי חסידים זוין תורה ע' 379)
