The pasuk states (Tehillim 27:14): “Hope to Hashem. Strengthen and fortify your heart and hope to Hashem.” Rav Yitzchak Zev of Brisk zt”l explained that when one hopes to Hashem and trusts in Him, his reward is that Hashem will strengthen his heart, giving him the ability to trust in Him even more in the future.
When Rav Yitzchak Zev said this explanation, there was a businessman sitting near him, who liked it very much. He said out loud, “Zayer a gutte vort! That’s a very nice explanation.” Rav Yitzchak Zev then said to him, “Nu, maybe you’re ready to shut down your business, learn all day, and trust in Hashem to provide for you?”
The businessman remained silent and Rav Yitzchak Zev whispered, “Ah, dos nisht... You aren’t willing to go that far.”
Rav Yitzchak Zev then related that there once was a meshulach who traveled from town to town collecting money. One winter day, while he was in the city of Brisk, he went to the post office to send several hundred rubles home to his family. Suddenly, he noticed that the money, which he had spent months collecting, was gone.
The meshulach ran to Rav Chaim’s home. He was crying so much that he could barely speak, but he managed to relate the story. He added that he knew who had stolen the money. While he was in the post office, he met a man who engaged him in conversation. As they spoke, he said, “R’ Yid, you’re coat is torn.” He took him to a store to buy a new coat, and when he was being measured, he had to take off his old coat, with the money in the pocket. He was certain that the “helpful” stranger had stolen the money right then.
Rav Chaim felt very bad for the meshulach and said that he personally would speak to the wealthy men in town and ask them to cover the money that had been stolen. He said that he should return in a week and, hopefully, by then he would have the money.
A week later, the man returned and Rav Chaim told him that he had raised part of the money and needed one more week to get the rest. When the meshulach came back a week later, Rav Chaim happily informed him that he had raised the full amount, and even a bit more.
At that time, the Dayanim of the bais din of Brisk were sitting with Rav Chaim, and the meshulach – who was embarrassed that he had cried so much over an amount of money that Rav Chaim had managed to raise in just two weeks – said, “The reason I wept so much wasn’t really because of the money. The thing that bothered me the most was how foolish I was to allow the man to trick me. I should have realized right away that he was a thief.”
Rav Chaim replied, “If that’s the case, if you aren’t crying for the money and only are upset that people might think that you’re a fool, we can give the money to other tzedakah causes and the bais din and I can write you an official letter attesting that you aren’t a fool.”
When the meshulach heard this, he began to scream, “Aber di gelt... Aber di gelt... (But what about the money?)”
Rav Yitzchak Zev concluded by telling the businessman who enjoyed his explanation, “Aber di gelt... But what about the business?”
