Once, when I was learning Torah in a Beit Hakeneset in Lyon, a man walked into the synagogue and began praying bitterly. I asked if there was anything I could help him with. He wiped away his tears and related that he had lost all of his money in gambling. He was now supplicating Heaven for a way to find money in a respectable manner.
At his statement, I asked, “Why don’t you ask Hashem to send you the money in a natural way, just as He supports all living creatures? Why do you ask specifically for a miracle?”
“Believe me, Rabbi,” he replied, despair oozing from his voice, “there is no other way for Hashem to send me the money. I don’t even have a franc with which to buy a lottery ticket. Therefore, I am praying that if someone deserves to lose his money, I should be the lucky finder.”
I truly felt for this man and offered him a nice donation, but he flatly refused. He claimed that he had never taken a penny from anyone in his life and had no interest in starting now. I had nothing left to do but bless him that his prayers should be accepted, and he should see salvation soon.
Two days went by. The man returned to the Beit Hakeneset, wreathed in smiles. He dug into his pocket and pulled out an impressive-looking diamond. He said that he had found it near his house. Now he would manage to pay up his debts and even be left with money to start up an independent business.
Seeing the diamond sparked an insight into the power of prayer. How much Hashem loves the entreaties of those who turn to Him in difficult times! Our wholehearted prayers can accomplish wonderful things and even change the course of nature
