Bamidbar-Shavuos 5770

שבת טעם החיים במדבר-שבועות תש"ע
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Bamidbar-Shavuos 5770

Shavuos and a time to elevate the physical

Introduction
איש על דגלו באתת לבית אבתם יחנו בני ישראל מנגד סביב לאהל מועד יחנו, the Children of Israel shall encamp, each man by his banner according to the insignias of their father’s household, at a distance surrounding the Tent of Meeting shall they camp. (Bamidbar 2:2)
In this week’s parasha, Bamidbar, the Medrash states that at Sinai the Jewish People witnessed the ministering angels on high with banners, and they desired those banners. The Sfas Emes explains that these banners were a mechanism in which the Jewish People could ascend spiritual heights, and HaShem granted them these banners to carry aloft in the Wilderness. We are now approaching the Yom Tov of Shavuos, and we will see how this Medrash is intertwined with the theme of the festival.
Half to HaShem and half to yourself
The Gemara (Pesachim 68b) cites a famous dispute between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding one’s obligations on Yom Tov. Rabbi Eliezer maintains that one must either involve himself completely in spiritual matters or he must indulge himself wholly in physical delights. Rabbi Yehoshua, however, maintains that one must divide up the festival day, half in spiritual pursuits and half in physical indulgences. The Gemara states that Rabbi Eliezer agrees that on Shavuos one must also partake in physical delights, as it is the day that the Torah was given. This statement is difficult to understand, as one would have thought that on the day that we received the Torah, we should adhere to Rabbi Eliezer’s usual opinion and only engage in spiritual acts. Why did Rabbi Eliezer feel that the giving of the Torah warrants pursuit of physical indulgences?
It’s all how one arranges the letters
To understand the idea that specifically on Shavuos we are instructed to engage in physical pleasures, it is worthwhile to examine a statement in the Gemara regarding Balaam. The Gemara (Brachos 7a) states that had HaShem become angry with the Jewish People at the end of their stay in the Wilderness, Balaam would have cursed the Jewish People and they would have been destroyed. Balaam would have had a mere nanosecond to curse the Jewish People, and Tosfos (Ibid s.v. sheilmalei) wonders what Balaam could have uttered in such a short period of time. Tosfos answers that Balaam could have uttered the word kaleim, destroy them, and instead HaShem transformed the word kaleim to the word melech, king, demonstrating that HaShem is our king and loves us dearly so that we will not be destroyed. We can suggest that in essence the explanation of Tosfos revolves around the word lachem, and the question is how to read the word. Balaam wished that it would read kaleim (chaf, lamed, mem) whereas HaShem arranged the word to read melech, (mem, lamed, chaf). Balaam sought to destroy the Jewish People through physical indulgences, as is evidenced from the advice he gave Balak to seduce the Jewish People with the Moabite women. HaShem, however, desires that the Jew elevate the lachem, i.e. the physical, to a spiritual level. Thus, Rabbi Eliezer posits that on Shavuos, the day we received the Torah, we are obligated to elevate the lachem, the physical, by sanctifying our physical indulgences and negating our physical selves before HaShem. Rabbi Eliezer is not suggesting that Shavuos is a day to party. Rather, the opposite is true. Shavuos marks the day when we gain a true understanding of our purpose in this world, which is to elevate all of the physical in our lives and dedicate ourselves to Torah study and mitzvah performance.
On Shavuos we elevate the “lachem” for spirituality
Returning to the Medrash cited earlier regarding the banners that the Jewish People desired, we can better understand the yearning of the Jewish People. When HaShem opened up the heavens and the Jewish People saw the ministering angels engaged entirely in spiritual matters, they desired that their own physical pursuits be channeled towards spirituality and HaShem granted them this request. Thus, the banners symbolized the desire of the Jewish People to elevate all of their physical interest to a spiritual plane. On Shavuos, we are granted the opportunity to engage in Torah study and to elevate the physical delights of this world to spiritual activities. HaShem should grant us the strength and fortitude to accomplish this lofty task.


The Shabbos connection
The Gemara (Pesachim 68b) that we cited earlier states that all agree that on Shabbos we are required to indulge in physical delights, as it is said (Yeshaya 58:13 ) vikarasa laShabbos oneg, if you proclaim the Shabbos ‘a delight.’ The Gemara (Shabbos 118b) states that one who delights in the Shabbos is granted all the desires of his heart. The Sfas Emes cites the Chidushei HaRim who explains that the Gemara does not state that one who indulges himself on Shabbos will be granted the desires of his heart. Rather, one must delight in the Shabbos and then he will be granted his heart’s desires. HaShem should allow us to truly appreciate the Shabbos for the sake of Shabbos, and then He will surely grant us all our desires, which is to elevate the physical to the spiritual plane.
Shabbos Stories
Love of Torah
It is told that the holy Divrei Chaim, Rabbi Chaim of Sanz zt"l, would recite the blessings over the Torah with such beauty and devotion, that his disciples would gather opposite his house, next to the window, in the hope of hearing him. Tears would flow freely from the eyes of those who merited hearing him, as they were overwhelmed with love for the Torah and its study. (www.Torah.org)
A Memory Beverage
Rabbi Chaim Vital was born and raised in Safed. After his Bar Mitzvah, he studied Torah under Rabbi Moshe Alshich. One day Rabbi Yosef Karo came to caution Rabbi Alshich.
"Your student Chaim is a very remarkable young man. In the name of the Maggid, the heavenly teacher who comes to me, I request that you be exceptionally careful in supervising every stage of his development, particularly in Torah."
Rabbi Chaim quickly gained a deep understanding of Talmud and Halacha, and eventually was ordained by Rabbi Alshich. He soon turned to the mystical side of Torah and avidly studied the Zohar. In due course of time, he was initiated into the select circle of Rabbi Moshe Cordevero's disciples.
When he began studying with Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, the holy Ari, in 1570, his mentor set out a two-fold program for him to constantly follow. The first directive was to restrain himself at all times from any bad character traits. He should never get angry, depressed, haughty, or impatient, nor should he even discuss trite matters. Instead, he should maintain a low-keyed image of himself, filled with inner joy and fear of sin. The second directive was an order of learning, a detailed curriculum. Every day he should study Chumash, Mishnah, Talmud and Kabala, especially the Zohar.
Rabbi Luria stressed that man's ability to ascend the spiritual ladder depends greatly on one's kavana, his intentions and focus. Besides the necessary kavana when fulfilling a commandment, the Ari cautioned his disciple to be very meticulous when reciting blessings on food. All foods, he explained, possess (in addition to a holy spark) adverse spiritual forces (kelipos) which 'desire' to create a negative effect on the eater. Only by reciting the blessing with the proper kavana can one annul that adverse affect, thus purifying one's body and cleansing one's thoughts.
Next, Rabbi Luria delineated a path of repentance for Rabbi Chaim to follow to correct sins he had committed earlier in his life. For instance, as atonement for cursing his parents when he was a child, Rabbi Chaim was to fast for three consecutive days, meditating on certain holy names. The fast ended on Shavuot night.
"The whole night of Shavuos," wrote Rabbi Vital, "I studied Kabala with Rabbi Luria. He informed me that I had succeeded in atoning for that sin."
Both the intensity of their learning and its tremendous quantity and complexity began to affect Rabbi Vital. He realized that he could not retain all of the vast wisdom his mentor was bestowing on him.
The situation worsened.
When Rabbi Chaim confided his concern to his mentor, Rabbi Luria simply told him not to worry. He has a plan.
Together they went to Tiberias and walked through the town until they came to the fishing dock by the bank of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). There they rented a small boat and rowed southward into the lake in the direction of the Tomb of Rabbi Meir Baal HaNess.
About halfway there, the Ari slowed the boat and carefully scanned the water, searching for a certain spot, using an ancient synagogue on the shoreline as a landmark. When he reached the exact spot for which he had been searching, which appeared to Rabbi Chaim no different from the rest of the lake, he lowered a flask and filled it with sea water.
"Drink this!" he ordered his disciple as he handed him the flask. "It is water from the well of Miriam from which our forefathers drank in the wilderness. They were called the Generation of Knowledge, and once you have partaken of this water, it will cure you and you shall forget nothing I teach you."
So it came to pass. From that day Rabbi Chaim Vital both comprehended the wisdom of the kabalistic system of his mentor, and became its principal disseminator and redactor, in the form of the multi-volume Kisvei Ari- "Writings of the Ari," the authoritative writings of the holy Ari of blessed memory. (www.ascent.org.il)
All they wanted was a good night’s rest

Binei Brak, Israel, 1946. With many orphans expected to arrive, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahanamen (the "Ponovezher Rav") was desperate to gather pillows and blankets to accommodate their needs in his orphanage, known as "Batei Avos." Their story was complex. The bulk of these orphans, stemming from homes in Poland and Soviet Russia, had been plucked from war-torn Europe and sent to Teheran. From there they had been brought to Palestine and placed in an absorption camp on the outskirts of Haifa... Now, some of these children were being brought to the Batei Avos orphanage.
It was Friday and the children were expected on Sunday, so Rabbi Kahanamen knew that he had to act quickly; he called for an emergency gathering of the "who's who" of Binei Brak. The crowd gathered from all over the city, and included laymen as well as Torah scholars. Men, women, and even children came out in droves to hear what the rabbi had to say. Before long the largest shul in Binei Brak was packed to the rafters, and the rabbi slowly made his way to the front of the room.
He looked around at the anxious crowd and began, "The Talmud tells us that if one has a servant he must treat him with the utmost dignity and respect. It's as if 'he has acquired a master for himself.' In fact, the Talmud says that if the person owns only one pillow, he is required to hand it over to his servant. But how, may I ask, does this coincide with the rule that one's own life takes precedence over someone else's? The answer is that our Sages knew that a Jew cannot possibly sleep when he knows that his worker is not being provided for. Hence the law is that you must hand over your pillow for precisely that reason - because 'your life takes precedence' ― and the only way you will be able to sleep is if you give it to him."
And then, with tears streaming down his face, Rabbi Kahanamen burst out in a heartfelt plea, "We have a large group of orphans who will be coming to our city tomorrow, and we don't have pillows and blankets for them. I beg you please, for your own sake. How will you sleep knowing that these children don't have something on which to rest their heads in comfort?"
In seconds the crowd began to stir. Immediately they went home and within an hour the rabbi had a line of hundreds of men, women, and even children, standing in front of his home with pillows and blankets. And much like Moses when funds were being collected for the Tabernacle, the rabbi had to plead with them to please stop bringing ― the orphanage was overflowing!
Those present will never forget the sight of one woman standing at the rabbi's door begging him to at least take one more pillow. And who could blame her? All she wanted was a good night's rest.
Shoot left
As a young man, Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky (the Steipler Gaon) was confronted by many major challenges and obstacles. He was one of the many Orthodox Jews who were coerced into joining the Russian army, which meant that he had to spend time with soldiers who were violent and vicious men. Their sinister attitude toward him had filtered down from the commanding officer, who made no effort to hide his dislike for Yaakov Yisrael and his annoyance over all the problems this Jewish soldier had caused.
From the food that he refused to eat, to the special days he made himself unavailable for work and duty, Yaakov Yisrael threw a monkey wrench into the scheduling, order, and regulations which are so fundamental to army life. But since the resilient Yaakov Yisrael combined his staunch, unfaltering convictions together with a sensible low profile, more often than not he was able to stay out of harm's way.
The additional guard duty he accepted upon himself coupled with some extra sharing of responsibilities enabled him to obtain furloughs for Shabbos and holidays. But when Officer Karlenkiev watched this soldier rest while others were working, it made his blood boil. And finally he decided he would do something about it. He would make life miserable for the Jew.
The next Saturday, Karlenkiev made it his business to cross paths with the Jewish soldier. Without explaining why, he ordered Yaakov Yisrael to fire his gun at a target located fifty meters away. It was not a day designated for target practice, and there was no valid reason for Karlenkiev to have issued the order ― other than to disturb the Jewish soldier's day of rest. [Shooting a rifle is not permitted on Shabbos, and Yaakov Yisrael thought of how he could minimize the problem.]
As the startled Yaakov Yisrael mulled over his options, the spiteful commanding officer added that he should continue shooting until he hits the bull's-eye in the middle of the target. This demanding feat was no easy task for a seasoned marksman, let alone a novice like Yaakov Yisrael. This further complicated the dilemma, as Yaakov Yisrael reasoned that perhaps he had some minuscule chance of hitting the mark while shooting with his good right hand ― but that would be a full violation of Shabbos. The other option would be to shoot left-handed which ― because it is not the normal way ― is considered less of a violation of Shabbos. But shooting with his left hand, he knew, would likely greatly lower his changes of ever hitting the mark. Thus he was left in a quandary.
At first he attempted to defy the order. But Karlenkiev promptly informed him that disobeying a command from a superior officer could result in a severe punishment, possibly even death. Left with no choice, Yaakov Yisrael prepared to shoot. He deliberated and then quickly resolved to fire his gun with his left hand. True, in all probability he would not succeed and would be forced to shoot many times. However he determined that it is his responsibility to do everything within his power to reduce the Shabbos violation.
Yaakov Yisrael aimed his gun and prepared to shoot. Karlenkiev noticed that the Jew was not shooting with his stronger hand, instead he was using his weaker one! “What a fool!” he thought to himself. Doesn't he realize he'll be forced to shoot many times until he hits the mark?!
But when the gun discharged, all present were shocked to discover that the bullet had indeed hit the center of the target!
Yaakov Yisrael tried to hide his smile. He was certain that the Hand of God had guided his hand to shoot the gun so that the bullet landed exactly where it needed to.
The only one more surprised than Yaakov Yisrael was the menacing officer who had orchestrated the plot against him. Karlenkiev stared at the Jewish soldier, as it dawned on him that this was no religious fanatic, rather someone who was guarded and blessed by a Higher Being.
From that moment on, Yaakov Yisrael was treated like a hero. Karlenkiev watched out for his well-being and, ironically, became his greatest proponent. However, since he now would no longer work at all on Saturdays, the other officers felt that it would weaken the morale of the other soldiers to have an individual around who was not fulfilling his duty. Thus the only logical solution was to give him an honorable discharge from the army.
I’ll take the one who eats well
Rabbi Avraham Pam's father was a rabbi in Europe. Each Friday night, the shamash (attendant) would walk around the shul to greet all the guests in town, and to make sure that each one had a place to eat the Shabbos meal. As we would expect, distinguished-looking guests had no difficulty being invited; the congregants vied for the rights of hosting a guest bedecked in a perfectly pressed suit or frock. The bedraggled beggars who made their way from town to town, on the other hand, were usually not as fortunate; no one rushed to invite them for a meal. The shamash was charged with the unenviable task of distributing such guests among the reluctant worshipers who had not been lucky enough to host a "respectable" guest. If there was one person left over at the end of the shamash's rounds, you could be sure that the person was a true pauper, an uncouth, unsightly fellow whom no one would want at his Shabbos table.
Once, when the shamash finished his rounds, there were two people who had not been placed. One had the obvious mark of a Torah scholar; his dignified bearing bespoke refined character and scholarship. The other was a rather disheveled, corpulent fellow, the type of guest everyone avoided.
When the shamash asked Rabbi Pam's father whom he wanted to host, he asked for the obese man, and sent the Torah scholar with someone else. "If I were looking for a study partner," Rabbi Pam senior explained to the shamash, "I would have opted for that fine-looking gentleman. He looks like he knows how to learn very well. I am looking for a guest. To fulfill the mitzvah of hosting guests properly, you need someone who can eat. The fellow I chose looks like a good eater."
Lost papers saved their lives
World War II placed almost all Jews in Europe in danger, but German Jews were in a particularly difficult situation. Remaining in Germany was obviously not an option, but escaping to one of the Allied nations was likewise impossible. As ridiculous as it may seem now, German refugees were highly suspect in the Allied countries.
As Providence would have it, a group of German Jews found themselves in England during the war, and their presence placed the British government into a quandary. On one hand, it seemed impossibly cruel to turn these Jews away. On the other hand, some officials theorized that the German Jews were perhaps spying for Germany.
The British government finally came up with a solution: they would send the German Jews to Australia, which was then a British colony. This left only one problem. German U-boats (submarines) were stationed in the waters surrounding Europe, and few captains and sailors were willing to risk their lives crossing the oceans. The dregs of society ― poorly-trained anti-Semitic guards ― were set in charge of the refugees on the boat to Australia. All identifying marks were removed from the boat, and the captain and crew were instructed not to respond to any radio requests to identify themselves.
The German Jews on board were devastated. As soon as the boat set sail, the brutal guards turned their attention to the pitiful Jews and began to harass them.
Several days into the journey, the guards realized that since the Jews were at their mercy, they could have free rein with their belongings. They immediately seized all the suitcases and began to search them for valuables. When they found nothing of value in the suitcases ― anything of value had already been spent getting out of Germany ― they became enraged, and spitefully threw the suitcases into the water.
Can we imagine the devastation felt by the Jews on board? What could have been in those suitcases? Some pictures, maybe a letter or two ― precious remnants of a world not-yet insane. "What has God done to us?" they must have thought.
The boat miraculously made it to Australia unscathed. The Jews began to pick up the pieces and settle in Australia. They built homes, shuls, and communities, and slowly they forgot the bitter past.
During the 1980s, a diving team off the coast of Europe chanced upon a U-boat that had sunk. They entered the ship and found many items onboard in remarkably good condition. One of the items they managed to recover was the diary of the captain of the boat.
The diary was translated and released to the press. In one entry, the captain tells the story of a boat spotted sailing with no identification. "We ordered the captain of the boat to identify himself, and we received no response," writes the captain. "We radioed to Germany to ask them what to do. The order came back: Sink the boat.
"As we were preparing the torpedoes, we suddenly noticed suitcases floating near the boat, with papers spilling out from all sides. We sent a diver out to retrieve some of the papers, and to our surprise, we found German writing on them.
"We left the boat in peace," concludes the captain, "thrilled that we had not acted too hastily and harmed our German brethren."
Forty long years had passed. In those forty years, who knows how many times the people who were on that boat thought about all the family history they lost when the criminal sailors dumped their belongings into the sea. Who knows how many times they asked themselves, "Why did God cause us to lose the little bit of home we were able to salvage?"
Suddenly, it became clear that what had seemed so bitter was actually God's salvation; only their mementos floating away had saved them from attack...
Success can’t be from your assets, only from your faith

Isaac Nudel, a wealthy lumber merchant, was planning his yearly trip to the large forests in his area. Each year, when the snows melted, he would visit these forests and negotiate with the counts and lords who owned them. Settling on a price, he would buy a huge quantity of trees. Scores of lumbermen would cut down the trees and send the logs, lying in long rows, floating downriver. Later, in his big factories, more workers would saw those logs into boards to be fashioned into furniture and other wood products.
Isaac's business enterprises stretched far and wide. He was known as one of the country's biggest lumber merchants, and also as a generous philanthropist whose hand was always open to those in need...
It seemed to him that the sun would shine on him forever. Then, one year, his business affairs began to founder. One client died, and his son refused to deal with Isaac. A second client suddenly made contact ― for the first time in many years ― with a competitor of Isaac's. A third landlord complained that a raging fire had swept through his forest that summer, destroying thousands of trees.
In short, Isaac's luck turned. Once he began to fall, he fell long and hard. An experienced businessman, he had naturally tried to protect himself against a dry spell. To prepare for a time when he would not be in a position to buy the trees he needed, he had built giant warehouses and stockpiled thousands of tree trunks inside ― his insurance for a rainy day.
"To the warehouses!" he instructed his workers.
The men went off at once ― only to return with downcast faces.
"What happened?" Isaac asked in alarm. In his blackest nightmares, he could not have anticipated the answer: "The trees have rotted!"
"All of them?"
"Every single one. The rot ate the trunks from the inside and left all of them hollowed trunks."
Isaac's mind raced. "Swear to me that you will not tell a soul about this," he ordered. "If word of this catastrophe spreads, my creditors will come swarming out to demand what I owe them. You men will suffer as much as I will. Let's keep our lips sealed and get through this hard time together. With G-d's help, I will rise again and you will be able to continue earning your living with me."
The workers agreed to keep the secret. No one else knew about the merchant's downfall. But despair filled Isaac's heart, especially when he was forced to turn away those charity-collectors who had been accustomed to receiving generous donations from him. By dint of evasive excuses, he managed to put them off for a later date while avoiding explanations. In shul and in the street, he kept his expression impassive. But how long would he be able to keep his secret? His family, accustomed to a pampered life, began for the first time to put aside food to save for the next day. Even money for bread was scarce. How long could he keep up the pretense before everyone discovered the truth?
Isaac went about like a shadow of his former self. His conscience pained him. It is about you, he told himself, that it says, "[G-d] humbles the haughty." You were proud of wealth that was not yours, of money that had been granted to you by Heaven. Now the Creator has taken the money back and turned your good fortune to failure."
These reflections continued to torment him, gnawing away at his very bones.
A visit by Mr. Raskas, a veteran forest agent, sprinkled salt on Isaac's wounds.
Raskas had come to propose an excellent business deal: The landlord who owned the nearby town, and with whom Isaac had never yet dealt in business, had sent the agent to suggest that he sell his forest to Isaac. The deal was expected to reap a very nice profit for the lumber merchant.
"And how much does he want for his forest?" Isaac asked with feigned indifference. Inwardly, his heart was beating fast.
"It's a real bargain ― 2,000 rubles in cash. But not a kopek less! The landlord is determined about that: either he gets the 2,000 in cash, or no deal. If he hadn't been so strapped for cash at the moment, he would never have made the price so low."
Earlier that very day, Isaac had conducted an inventory of his remaining assets. His eyes had darkened with sadness at the realization that, of all his former property, only a dismal 200 rubles were left. This was only a tenth of the landlord's asking price for the forest. This unexpected deal, which had come knocking at his door at just this moment, seemed Heaven sent ― a last chance to save himself.
"Come back tomorrow," Isaac requested. "We are not speaking of an insignificant sum, after all. I need a little time to get the money together."
When Raskas was gone, Isaac lifted his eyes to the sky. In the ordinary scheme of things, there had been no purpose to his putting off the agent. He was grasping at straws, but straws were all he had. Only G-d could help now. His heart overflowed with a plea for Heaven's mercy.
He was still sitting there, lost in thought, when a good friend came to visit. The other man was a prosperous merchant, as Isaac himself had been, and they had embarked on several business deals together.
Isaac turned to him with a proposal. "Invest 1,800 rubles with me, toward the purchase of a big forest," he suggested. "We'll be equal partners in the profits. Fifty-fifty."
His friend hesitated a moment, weighing the matter. He was being asked to put up a small fortune as an investment. On the other hand, there was every prospect of huge profits. Isaac was as vigorous as ever, and was not the type to speculate in risky ventures.
The friend nodded his head and shook Isaac's hand on the deal. Then he sent to his home at once for the money.
Isaac drew a deep breath. He now had the 2,000 rubles he needed ― 200 of his own, and the rest that his friend had invested. A powerful urge swept over him, to race over to the neighboring town and give the money to the landlord before the nobleman regretted his offer. But he would not take such a big step without asking his rabbi's advice. This was his last chance. Should he fail, Heaven forbid, he would be reduced to begging in the streets!
Isaac went to his rabbi, Reb Yaakov, and submitted a note asking for a blessing for success in a big business venture. Along with the note he included a donation of a single ruble.
The rabbi will doubtless be surprised, Isaac thought. He will wonder why this formerly generous man is suddenly so stingy. But, lacking any other choice, I won't be ashamed to give just one ruble!
The rabbi read the note, then picked up the donation with an expression of dissatisfaction. "This donation is not fitting for such a large enterprise. We are talking about a business deal worth thousands of rubles." He handed the ruble back to Isaac.
Taken aback, Isaac opened his purse and took out a three-ruble coin that he had prepared for his journey to the landlord. With all his heart, he hoped the rabbi would be satisfied.
But the rabbi was not satisfied. "This is not what I meant," he said firmly. "Show me your purse."
If Isaac was surprised, he showed no sign of it. With an impassive face he placed his purse, with the 2,000 rubles inside, on the table.
The rabbi took out the bundles of bills. He set aside the larger bundle of 1,800 rubles, and took the small one, containing 200.
Isaac felt as though he was burning up. He could not wait another moment before setting the rabbi straight. "Rabbi, there is a mistake here!" he cried. "I am no longer Isaac the prosperous merchant, whose money was as plentiful as the sand by the sea, who was the first to donate to every mitzvah and eager to give to anyone in need, even before he was asked! I must reveal my secret. My luck has turned. I am now destitute. Should my fortune not turn around for the better, I will be reduced to begging for handouts. This deal is my last chance. If I succeed, perhaps I will return to what I was before. And if I fail? May Heaven have mercy on me!"
He ended his revelation with hanging head. "And so, though I understand that the rabbi needs this money for some worthy mitzvah, this time I cannot give a large donation as I used to do. I must satisfy myself with a very small donation, so that I can hand over the entire sum of 2,000 rubles to the landlord. 1,800 of them are not even my own."
The emotional outburst seemed to make no impression at all on the rabbi. "Isaac, don't be so foolish. The landlord will give you time to pay him the entire sum. Even if you give him only 1,800 rubles now, you will not lose the deal. Ask him for an extension of time to pay the remaining 200. Explain that if your business succeeds, you will be able to do so in the near future."
Steadfast in his faith in the rabbi’s wisdom, Isaac traveled to the nearby town. The landlord was familiar with the lumber merchant's sterling reputation, and knew that he could rely absolutely on Isaac's integrity. He agreed to sell his forest for the 1,800, and to wait a while for the rest.
Isaac's wheel of fortune, which had reached rock bottom, began to inch upward again. He sold the trees at a good price, and even after he divided the profits with his partner he was left with 1,000 rubles in cash. He had witnessed the fulfillment of the words "He humbles the haughty"; now he was seeing the next words come true: "He raises the downtrodden."
Isaac lifted his eyes in gratitude. "Thank You," he whispered to his Creator. "After You cast me into the pit, You have raised my soul from the grave!"
He traveled at once to the landlord and paid his debt of 200 rubles. Then he returned to the rabbi ― this time with a donation of 500 rubles.
Reb Yaakov accepted the fat bundle of bills, took out a single ruble, and returned the rest to Isaac.
"Wh-what is this?" Isaac stammered in confusion. "I gave the money with a full heart."
The rabbi smiled. "I know, my son. But you once wanted to give only one ruble. I am taking it now." He paused, then continued. "Did you think that your rabbi had turned money-hungry? That I could not be satisfied with less than 200 rubles, and had sealed my ears to poor Isaac's pleas?
"Know this," the rabbi said, and now his face glowed. "When you came to me that day, I saw that your fortune was about to sink even lower than you thought... Had you give the landlord the 200 rubles, you would not have seen any sign of blessing for the rest of your life!
"That's why I took everything you had. The only cash you actually gave the landlord was money that was not your own. That's why you were able to succeed."
The rabbi added a final word. "Had you entered on this business venture without such a powerful and stubborn faith, you would not have prospered. Your own faith opened the gates of success to you ― much more than anything I did on your behalf. And now, riches will not leave you or your descendants for many, many generations!"
(www.innernet.org.il)
Shabbos: Ta’am HaChaim Bamidbar-Shavuos 5770
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