When David’s family outgrew its apartment in Yerushalayim, he thought about building an extension, but was soon overwhelmed with the enormity of the project. This was not a matter of luxury; his family simply couldn’t manage any longer.
However, the project was going to be costly. It wasn’t like he had a lot of money; buying his apartment in the first place was already a stretch to his finances. In addition, getting approval from his neighbors was going to be a daunting task, let alone the permits from the municipality, which were another expense he didn’t know from where the money would come. He knew he was going to need a lot of siyata d’Shamaya to get this all accomplished, especially since he didn’t have the money to do it.
David decided to take upon himself something to be zocheh for extra success. The next day, he was learning from the Shulchan Aruch and came across a Rama that rules that a person should choose a worthy wife and not marry one for wealth. The Rama adds that a person should take from his in-laws only as much of a dowry that they give him willingly, and then he’ll succeed (see Even Ha’Ezer, beginning of siman beis).
He also recalled a story about a Jew who was zocheh to great children and ample parnassah in the zechus that he gave up the promised dowry, because it was too hard for his in-laws to keep it up.
He decided to follow the Rama’s advice and went to his father-in-law. Thanking him for all the help that he had given them until that point, David told him that although he had committed to pay a certain amount every month, if it was becoming too hard, then he would happily forgive the money.
His father-in-law’s face lit up. He said it had become a big struggle for him, especially with his other son’s upcoming wedding. He didn’t know how he was going to continue with it. He said that he had saved up enough to continue giving him half the amount that they agreed upon, and would appreciate if they’d make due with just half. David said that he and his wife were happy to forego the rest, and they parted happily.
Here, when David needed the money the most, he took it upon himself to unburden his father-in-law from paying the money that he promised him. But he didn’t stop there. He wanted to find a way to help his father-in-law pay for the upcoming wedding expenses as well. He managed to get three different loans from gemachs on behalf of his father-in-law, totaling 100,000 shekels.
What happened after that was truly amazing. On the same day that the money was transferred to his father-in-law’s account from the gemachim, he was notified that his own account was unexpectedly credited with that exact same amount of money. He had applied months earlier for a special tzedakah fund that just that day approved his grant.
Moreover, the amount he got was far more than he’d applied for. He didn’t understand how it had happened, but it was clear that Hashem was behind it. He later received even more money and so much siyata d’Shamaya in the days following.
Hashem helped him in ways he could have never imagined. He made hishtadlus that seemed to be counterintuitive, but when it comes to Hashem, it doesn’t go by what seems to work in the natural way of the world. It goes by doing His will.
