He saw that I was awake and watching him, but he didn't care. He kept pretending to snore, to spite me, to shame me.
I was so embarrassed; I took my bags and ran out of the apartment. It was raining outside, and I didn't know where I was going. I wanted to cry, but I wasn't able to. And then a thought popped into my mind: Heaven was allowing me to feel a similar shame to the one I caused that young bachur in yeshiva. Although he forgave me, the sin wasn't fully atoned for. Hashem gave me a taste of the cup I poured my friend each day for so long in yeshiva, so my aveirah can be completely atoned for.
What can I say: When I had that thought, I became extremely happy and began to dance with joy. Those were the sweetest moments of my life.
At Shacharis k'vasikin, the person who shamed me that morning was also there. His face turned red from shame and regret when he saw me, but I didn't have any grievances against him. I considered him my messenger to atone for my sin.
Naturally, I decided not to sleep in that apartment anymore. Baruch Hashem, a friend gave me an entire floor just for myself.
I came to Reb Yoel's chasunah, and who do you think I met there? It was my classmate from thirty years ago. He was there, at the chasunah, collecting money.
I helped him a lot at the chasunah. I introduced him to Reb Yoel and to Reb Yoel's wealthy friends, whom I had gotten to know. Months earlier, I told Reb Yoel about my old classmate who forgave me, which was the turning point in my life, and now I was able to introduce this very man to Reb Yoel, and Reb Yoel gave him a very generous sum.
I walked with my classmate to all the people seated at this chasunah, and he earned a very substantial sum. As we stood outside the hall, my classmate told me, "I feel that now your aveirah is erased, entirely."
I told him about the terrible shame I had the night before and understood that it was to atone for the embarrassment I caused him. This conversation reminded my classmate of the terrible shame he experienced back in yeshiva. We both cried for a long time, and we felt like very close friends.
Some days afterward, Reb Yoel introduced me to a wealthy person. This rich person had compassion on me; he invited his wealthy friends to his home, and they raised $100,000 in one night! My financial troubles were finally resolved.
I had to return to Eretz Yisrael quickly because a shidduch was cooking for my son. They were ready to "break the plate" and to finalize the shidduch. They were just waiting for me to return.
Immediately after my son's chasunah, my next son was engaged. And from then on, I've experienced hatzlachah and brachah.
This is Reb Yeshaya's inspirational tale, and these are the lessons that I learned from it:
- Hashgachah pratis.
From all the taxi drivers in Germany, he found someone who speaks Hebrew and knows about the kever of Reb Yisrael Frankfurter. - The power of tefillah.
A day after his tefillos at the Frankfurter's kever, he met the person he had shamed thirty years before, so he could attain his forgiveness and atone for his sin. - We also learn the severity of shaming one's fellow man. How much he suffered because he shamed a fellow man!
- The more the sin was erased, the greater was his siyata dishmaya. When the sin was completely erased, all his debts were covered, and his children got married.
