In the city of Skidel, Grodna district in Lithuania, there lived a Slonimer chosid named Reb Shmuel Chirig. He was a wealthy man who owned a large leather factory. Reb Moshe Midner, who himself was a Rebbe, [his sefer Kisvei Reb Moshe Midner is a household name in Chassidic circles the world over] traveled to collect funds for the Slonimer Rebbe's household, a monthly stipend known as “Maamados Gelt”. When he came to Skidel, Reb Shmuel had the honor of hosting Reb Moshe and he himself went around town collecting the Maamodos-gelt instead of Reb Moshe, besides giving a respectable donation of his own.
During one visit, Reb Moshe noticed that Reb Shmuel’s behavior was worrisome. It was obvious when Reb Shmuel showed Reb Moshe his room where he would rest and then lock in the Rebbe! A bit later, Reb Shmuel realized what he had done, and ran back to open the door and apologize to Reb Moshe. Reb Moshe understood that Reb Shmuel was going through a difficult period, spoke softly to Reb Shmuel, and asked what was happening to him. Reb Shmuel answered, "The truth is, I lost my business recently, and I am now penniless. Also, I just had a son, and my wife is not well and I have to be a mother and father to the child. I am in dire straits.” Reb Moshe told Reb Shmuel to sit down and had a heart-to-heart talk with him. “Shmuel, you are a Yid with Emunah, and you believe Hashem can do things for you that are beyond your comprehension. Therefore, remove all worries from your heart, and listen to this true story.
“A Yid ran a very successful inn in which his bar served, especially tasty house wine, and this attracted many customers, Jews, and non-Jews, from near and far. The local Poritz also had a great liking for the wine and was always kind to his Jewish tenant. One day, a gentile opened a competing inn right down the road and drew away many of the Yid’s customers. The Yid’s customer base dwindled to the extent that the Yid couldn't bring bread to his table. His elderly mother tried to help her son by selling apples in the market, but so few sold that in a few days, the apples rotted and she had to throw them away. This became a sign that they only hoped to turn to Hashem, and they prayed fervently to Him with every sincerity of their beings.
Hashem’s salvation comes in the blink of an eye. “That night, the Poritz’s servant came knocking and said that his master was throwing a party and needed more wine since the guests had gulped all the wine he had laid away. Although he was still officially in business, the Yid had a dilemma: he no longer had any wine to sell. He sent the servant back to inform the Poritz accordingly. The Poritz did not receive the news well; and the worker returned with a stern order from the Poritz that if he didn’t supply as much wine as the Poritz needed, they would place him in a dungeon. (A Poritz in those days wielded the power of life and death over his unfortunate tenants and underlings.) “Besides,” said the servant, “I noticed as I was coming in that your alley is full of barrels. Save yourself needless suffering, and hand over the wine. If not, I have orders to kill you here and now!” The Yid knew full well that the barrels contained only rainwater, but also remembered that they had some residue of wine on the bottom. He prayed fervently to Hashem for salvation, — that the rainwater should at least have enough of a resemblance of leftover wine to satisfy the Poritz miraculously. Trembling from fear, the Yid filled up many bottles from the barrels and handed them to the anxious servant.
The servant brought the bottles to the party, and the Poritz drank — and drank, and drank some more. “This is the most delicious wine I’ve ever had," he ranted in a drunken mood. The guests were also enthused and kept on drinking until the bottles were drained. The faithful servant kept going back for refills until all the rainwater barrels were empty. The next morning, the servant came with a large sum of money from his boss, in payment for the “fabulous wine”, which the guests by then could not praise enough. That day the Poritz, by then sober, summoned the Yid and announced: “In return for making my party the great success that it was, I’m giving you the exclusive right to sell wine in this entire district. From now on, everyone can buy wine only at your inn.” The order went out far and wide. When it reached the ears of the competing innkeeper, he knew that his business was doomed, and lost no time in liquidating his entire stock of wine to the Yid for a bargain, a “fire-sale” price. With his business enjoying a new lease on life and building upon the large sum he had taken in from supplying the miracle wine, the Yid was back on his feet in a very short time.”
Reb Moshe turned to Reb Shmuel and said, “Hashem will definitely help you with an avenue that you didn't dream of. I am giving you a bracha, and a specific suggestion to go to the market and accept the first business proposal that comes your way. Things turned out exactly as the tzaddik Reb Moshe Midner had foretold. The next day, Shmuel went to the market and afterward prospered from the business deal he arranged there. He became again a wealthy Baal Tzedakah, and conducted a Seudas Hodaah in thanks to Hashem for his business success. Yeshuat Hashem Keheref Ayin", "Hashem's Salvation Comes in the Blink of an Eye".
