A Host of Profits
When I lived in Eretz Yisrael, I had occasion to visit Paris for the purpose of bringing merit to the public. I was warmly welcomed by my host, who concerned himself with every detail of my comfort during my stay.
The evening before I was scheduled to fly home, I noticed that my host was distressed over something. Upon inquiry, he replied that he had suffered losses in the millions, in the stock market, which had taken a recent downturn. He had not mentioned anything about it earlier, so as not to mar my happiness while I was visiting Paris and thereby hamper my mission.
This man had helped me immensely during my stay. Aside from catering to my wishes, he had arranged meetings for me with various philanthropists, who were instrumental in supporting my cause.
- From right to left: HaTzaddik, HaAdmor MiGur; Maran HaGaon, Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman; Moreinu shlita, at a convention in France
I was terribly dejected at his misfortune. Is this the reward for one who upholds Torah? Not only did he not receive any reward for his wonderful work, but to receive such a blow at the very time he was acting so altruistically? I put thought to deed, and poured forth a prayer that this man’s lot should change to one of blessing, in the merit of the Torah which he sponsored.
The next morning, as this man was driving me to the airport, I observed a noticeable change in his demeanor. He informed me that he had just been notified that his stocks shot up. He regained all his losses, and even made a hefty profit, to boot.
There is no doubt that it is the merit of Torah that advocated on behalf of this Jew. Otherwise, how could his fate switch from one extreme to the other, in such a short time? Torah defends the man who exerts himself over it and supports it wholeheartedly.
