My name is Aharon Klein, from Bnei Brak. A relative of mine told me about an amazing process that took place over the past five years. This is what he described:
I was not born the way I am today. I was zocheh to discover the light of truth during my teenage years, and to learn in a yeshivah. The time came for me to establish a home, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu brought me my proper zivug. We both wanted to establish a Torah home, and I longed to learn in kollel as an avreich. This was especially important to me, more than for someone who was born in a religious home, for I felt I had to make up what I had missed.
Before my wedding I approached my grandfather, who is a wealthy man and is strongly opinionated. He claims that if someone needs money he should go to work. There are no free gifts. “Saba,” I said, “what do you think of giving me a gift for my wedding?”
A wedding gift is different from plain old tzedakah, I thought. “How much do you want?” he asked. “180,000 shekels,” I responded. “You’re asking for a nice gift,” my grandfather answered me, “and I’m willing to give it to you.”
I was really happy that I would now have what I needed for the wedding expenses, but then my enthusiasm cooled off completely as he continued and said, “I’ll give it to you in 60 payments of 3,000 shekels each!”
He did not ask if this seemed right to me, and like a good, appreciative grandson, I said “Thank you!” I did not understand at that moment how much good was hidden in this. I only felt bad that I was not getting all the money in one shot, and I would still have to find a solution for the immediate need to cover all the wedding expenses.
I went to my other grandfather, who is a traditional Jew. I did not ask him for a gift, only for a loan, which I would return in 60 monthly installments, using the checks from my other grandfather.
I got the loan and, baruch Hashem, I had everything I needed. The wedding was celebrated properly, and we were zocheh to establish our home in joy. After the wedding, the second grandfather told me, “You don’t have to return the loan. Take it as a wedding gift from me, and use the checks to support yourself.”
And that’s how it was. The payments were spread over five years. Each month 3,000 shekels went into our account, and thus I was able to delve into Torah peacefully, without worrying about parnassah. My grandfather, who, unfortunately, did not keep Torah and mitzvos, gave me money each month in order to support a home based on the foundations of Torah and yiras Shamayim, and this merit stood by him.
Five years later, on the very day that I deposited the final check, my father called and said one word: “Saba....”
I understood everything.
Saba passed away on the day that the final check supporting his grandson the avreich was deposited in the bank. It was so obvious. Supporting Torah had kept Saba alive. The day he completed his support of Torah, he passed away.
May the chizuk received from this story give him an iluy neshamah.
