Building Belief

An American Jew told me how he merited doing complete teshuvah. This is his story:

I used to deal in real estate and was extremely wealthy. But suddenly, the wheel of fortune turned. The real estate business fell into depression. My business was hit hard and I was left with nothing at all.

It was during that time of difficulty that I remembered Hashem. I began coming closer to Him, and I tangibly felt that He would extricate me from my difficulties. But my wife, who had not yet merited finding faith in her Creator, gave me the most angst. “See how hard is our plight! We don’t even have enough money to cover tuition for our children! They’ll soon be expelled from school. We are deeply in debt and have a huge overdraft in the bank. Oh, what will be?!” She repeated this soliloquy, in varied forms, time and again.

Then Rosh Hashanah came. I sat before the empty table and spoke openly with Hashem. I made a deal with him. This is what I said, “Ribbono shel Olam! I will resolve to reinforce my commitment to Torah and mitzvot, and You will prove to us that You have not forsaken us. You are omnipotent and the only One Who can save us from our straits.”

Rosh Hashanah came and went. Then it was the fast day of Tzom Gedalyah. My wife came to me with further complaints, demanding how I could uphold my mitzvah observance, even fasting, when we had no money whatsoever. I could bear her diatribes no longer and left the house. Once outside, I lifted my hands heavenward and said, “Father, rescue us! Prove that there is nothing which can obstruct You from helping us.”

I had not finished praying, when who should appear before me but an old childhood friend with whom I had not had contact in a very long time. He opened a conversation with me, asking what business I was involved in nowadays. I replied that I was in real estate. But since things took a downturn, my financial condition was very bad.

“I have an idea for you,” he suggested. “I own a large building on such-and-such street. If you manage to sell it for me within a week, you’ll be well paid.” I knew this was a huge undertaking. It was not a good time for people to buy properties. But I trusted that Hashem would help me sell this man’s building. I agreed to the proposal on the spot. Only a few hours later, through an act of serendipity, which I understood was nothing less than the hand of Hashem, I met a man who confided that for a long time he had his eye on this very building. To say I was speechless would be an understatement. Before I had even begun searching for a buyer, one appeared before me.

“The very next day, a contract was signed between my old friend and this mysterious man. As promised, I made a nice commission from the sale. From the time I sold that building, my good fortune was rebuilt. I used the profits to purchase more real estate. Slowly but surely, I regained my former financial stability.

My wife, who was witness to all this, could not believe what she was seeing. Within a few short days, the wheel of fortune had turned in my favor. Finally, she saw how my faith in Hashem paid off.

This couple merited experiencing Hashem’s salvation in the blink of an eye. This incident fortified their faith. From the time of their deliverance, they have begun observing mitzvot more intensely, and the husband sets aside time for learning Torah on a daily basis.

119. From right to left: HaGaon Rabbi Moshe Yehudah Schlesinger, Rosh Yeshivat Kol Torah; HaGaon Rabbi Chaim Pinto, Rabbi of Ashdod; Moreinu shlita