Just A Sniff Of Snuff

Just A Sniff Of Snuff

In Berdichev lived a man named Hirshele who was a failure in every business enterprise he attempted. Needless to say, he was not a happy man. His neighbors disregarded him, and his wife was always nagging him to bring home some money so they could have food on the table.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, he hoped to have a small bite to eat before the fast, but with what should his wife have prepared a meal? Instead of even a meager meal, Hirshele received a tongue lashing from his frustrated wife, and set out early for the synagogue. His stomach gurgled as he trudged to the shul, where everything gleamed and shone in anticipation of the great day.

Hirshele felt even worse as he looked around at the congregants, each wearing a stark white kittel and talit. Hirshele tried not to listen to the angry growling of his poor stomach, but the harder he tried, the less success he had.

Then a thought entered poor Hirshele's head. It was certain that he wasn't going to get anything to eat, but just maybe Reb Baruch, the wealthy businessman who sat at the first row near the eastern wall, would give him a little smell of his snuff. That would, perhaps, revive his spirits enough to allow him to pray.

Hirshele cautiously approached the front of the synagogue and tapped Reb Baruch on the back: "Shalom Aleichem, Reb Baruch. Maybe I could have a little sniff of your tabak?"

Reb Baruch turned with an incredulous look on his face. Who could have the nerve to bother him now, interrupting his prayers on this holiest of nights, to ask for some snuff? When he saw it was none other than Hirshele, the pauper, he just looked at him, and with an unmistakable tone of disgust said only one word: "Now?!"

Hirshele turned stiffly and made his way back to his seat, as humiliated as he had ever been. "Humph," he thought, "I'm not even worth a sniff of tabak."

No one in the shul had witnessed the little episode, but on High, the ministering angels were in an uproar. How could the wealthy man have humiliated his poverty-stricken brother like that? It was decreed that in the upcoming year, things would be radically different. The wheel of fortune would turn and Hirshele would be on top for the first time in his life. Reb Baruch, however, would be on the bottom.

And so, right after Yom Kippur, Hirshele received an unexpected inheritance from a deceased relative, and invested in some merchandise. Hirshele made an enormous profit and reinvested it. Again, he had the wildest success, and from that time on, whatever he set his hand to was successful. At the same time, Reb Baruch began losing money at every turn. He went to his rebbe, Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev who asked him, "Can you think of any dealings you may have had with Reb Hirsh?"

At first Reb Baruch could think of nothing, but then he remembered Yom Kippur when he refused the snuff to Hirshele. "That must be it!" said Reb Levi Yitzchak. "Because of your actions, it was decreed that you would lose your money and that he would become wealthy."

Reb Baruch was stricken with remorse. "How can I atone?" he cried. Reb Levi Yitzchak just looked at him. "It won't be easy. All I can say is that when you approach Reb Hirsh and ask for a sniff of snuff and he refuses you, then you will have something to bargain with."

Many years passed and Reb Baruch was unable to extricate himself from his crushing poverty. Reb Hirsh, however, continued to prosper. He was now a respected member of the community and when his daughter reached marriageable age, she was betrothed to the son of the Rabbi of Zhitomir.

The whole town looked forward to celebrating the great event. Reb Baruch's anticipation was perhaps greater than most, for he had a plan to recoup his wealth. As the young couple stood under the wedding canopy surrounded by their happy parents, Reb Baruch quietly came up to Reb Hirsh and said, "A sniff of tabak, Reb Hirsh?"

Without a thought, Reb Hirsh removed his gilt snuff box from his coat pocket and handed it to Reb Baruch. Reb Baruch immediately fell to the ground in a dead faint. A stir went through the crowd. When Reb Baruch regained consciousness, Reb Hirsh asked him, "Was it something I did which caused you to faint?"

"Please come with me to some place where we can speak privately," replied Reb Baruch. The two men sat down and Reb Baruch explained everything that had transpired and related the words of Reb Levi Yitzchak. They agreed to go together to the tzadik and follow the advice he would give.

Reb Levi Yitzchak listened to the story and turned to Reb Hirsh. "Are you willing to give a percentage of your wealth to Reb Baruch?" Reb Hirsh decided to divide his great wealth with Reb Baruch and the two lived as close as brothers, in prosperity and health for the rest of their lives.