I purchased a large property in Europe, together with a partner. The other person had paid 60 percent of its worth and I paid the remaining 40 percent. The property was registered under the name of a company, and our respective parts were registered as shares in the company – 60 percent for my partner and 40 percent for me. This type of registration legally dictates that the partner with the higher share is authorized to make significant decisions about the property without taking the opinion of the other partner into account. If he is interested in selling the property, it is his right to do so unless the other partner brings him a buyer willing to pay a higher price.
One day my partner called and told me he wanted to sell the property, and he had a buyer. “For how much?” I asked. He stated a certain sum – it was startlingly low. I hadn’t invested so much money for this. I thought it was wiser to wait with the property; its stock would go up and then we’d be able to sell at a large profit of several hundred thousand dollars. I understood that my partner was swindling me. It was not possible to sell this property at such a low price, but I could not object. The law was on his side, and if I would not bring him a buyer willing to pay a higher price within a short time, he would simply sell the property without my consent.
What could I do?
I was at a loss, and I traveled to the tziyun of Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk zy”a. This was on 21 Adar, his yahrtzeit, and many Yidden were at the tziyun. I poured my heart out and recited the entire sefer Tehillim. After I concluded, I noticed a chashuveh Yid standing there near the tziyun. His face radiated purity, and he made a strong impression on me. I thought that I was zocheh to meet a great Rebbe or mashpia, someone on a high level in avodas Hashem in general and in tefillah in particular, and I decided to tell him my story and ask him to daven for me and mention my name at the tziyun.
I immediately turned to the “Rebbe” and began speaking to him and telling him about my financial problem. He answered me willingly and shared his own life with me as well. It turned out that he was not a Rebbe and not even a descendant of Rebbes. He was a simple Yid who had previously worked as a taxi driver and was currently working to collect tzedakah for organizations of Torah and chessed. I was tempted to say, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to tell you my story,” but out of respect, I continued sharing the whole matter with him. At the end of the conversation the driver told me, “Give me your number.”
I gave him my phone number, and we parted.
I got back to Eretz Yisrael, and several days later I received a call from the “Rebbe driver” – that’s what I called him in my mind. He told me, “I have a friend who wants to help you. Speak to him.” He gave me the phone number of a rich man who owns many properties.
This friend in America turned out to be a maiven. I told him that I had no chance of finding a buyer on my own, and I was truly helpless in the face of my partner’s plans. He understood that indeed my partner was swindling me, and he thought of a way to help me. He called my partner and asked to buy the property.
Now my partner regretted everything. He said that in truth the property was not yet up for sale; and that’s how this matter was settled. The sale was cancelled, and I hope that, b’ezras Hashem, when the value of the property goes up, we’ll see real profit from the investment.
I am filled with gratitude to the “Rebbe driver” who, with such caring, helped me in the way that one Yid helps another. Sometimes Hakadosh Baruch Hu causes a person to imagine something, in order to bring about a yeshuah for him.
