The Ticket Is Trust
When I was in Paris, a man sorrowfully related to me that he was unemployed. He described his difficult financial situation, which was dire, indeed. Since he had failed to pay his electric and gas bills, he was left without those utilities. He had not managed to meet his rental payments for the past few months, and his landlord was looking for him in order to evict him. Whenever he wanted to go home, he had to think of different tactics to get inside the house without his landlord noticing him.
When I heard his sad tale, my initial reaction was to give him a bundle of money, a first aid of sorts. This would allow him to purchase the most basic items he needed to sustain himself. But he refused all offers of money. All he asked for was a blessing for a good livelihood.
Of course, I blessed him warmly. But I begged him to take some money from me, as well. He refused. After receiving my blessing, he took his leave. As he walked out of my room, he was debating what to do with the few coins left at his disposal. Should he purchase a train ticket home? Or should he try his luck at the lotto booth? It was a tough decision. If he bought the lottery ticket, he would be forced to make his way home by foot. He lived a good distance away. Maybe his landlord would grab hold of him and throw him into the street.
For about twenty minutes, the young man stood in the store, by the lottery booth, weighing his options. But he could not come to a decision. Meanwhile, people were coming into the store. Some bought lottery tickets; others bought household items. In the end, he came to the conclusion that he had nothing to lose by buying a ticket. He spent his last pennies on one.
After a short while, he was notified that he had the winning ticket. He won thousands of dollars. The man did not know what to do in his happiness. He sang songs of praise to Hashem for allowing the berachah to take effect so quickly. He immediately returned to me and reported his winnings. He made a generous donation to our holy institutions.
This incident teaches the wonderful power of faith in Hashem. This man refused to take any money from me. He wanted to get his sustenance from Hashem alone. When Hashem saw his steadfast faith in Him, He arranged things to work in his favor. While he hesitated as to whether or not to purchase a card, other people came and purchased the previous cards. When the winning card made an appearance, he made the decision to buy a ticket.
