The Meor Einayim was very poor and there was often no money to pay his large debts – and no food to feed his hungry household. The gabbai was therefore pleased and relieved to see that a visitor had handed the Rebbe a princely sum of three hundred rubles. After another few visitors had asked for the tzaddik’s berachos, the gabbai took the opportunity to request that the Rebbe give him money to pay off some outstanding debts and loans.
The Rebbe opened the drawer of his rickety old desk and handed the gabbai some small copper and silver coins. The gabbai, who had been expecting three hundrend rubles, couldn’t hold himself back.
“Rebbe!” he cried out, in consternation and despair. “Where are the three hundred rubles?”
The Rebbe explained, “Just before, a poor Jew came in complaining he had no money to pay a melamed to learn Torah with his children; he was behind on his rent to the poritz and had no dowry to marry off his daughter who was languishing away at home. When I asked him how much he needed, he said three hundred rubles, so I gave him the money.”
“But Rebbe,”asked the gabbai incredulously, “how can the Rebbe give such a large sum to one Jew?”
“You know,” said the tzaddik, “for a fleeting moment the same thought crossed my mind too. It said, ‘Why give the sum to one man, when you could divide and distribute it among many families?’ I realized any such thoughts surely came from You Know Who – the Other Side – The yetzer hara. Since that was my first thought I made sure to give him the entire sum.” (Otzar Yisrael 9)
