Behar-Bechukotai: Sincere Prayer
"Umm," he sighed. "I really needed a good, strong drink. And that was really good and very strong. The only problem is that I don't have any money...
Parshat Behar Bechukotai
"If your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter (looses his ability to support himself) in your proximity, you shall strengthen him (come to his aid and help him)" (Vayikra 25:35).
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Once, the Baal Shem Tov and several of his close followers (Chassidim) had been traveling by carriage to an unknown destination. After another long day of travel, they were all cold, tired and very hungry.
Just then, they came upon a remote village. To everyone's relief, the Baal Shem Tov announced, "We'll stop here for the night. I think we'll be able to collect a large sum of Tzedeka (charity) from one of the villagers." The Chassidim looked at each and rolled their eyes in disbelief. Besides the fact they had never even heard of this village, given its rundown appearance they were skeptical that anyone had much money to give. More ever, they were far away from their home of Medzibuz and they doubted that the villagers had even heard of their Rebbe, the Baal Shem Tov.
The carriage entered the village and stopped in front of a dilapidated house owned by a poor Jew. The interior of the house was just as decrepit as the outside. The woman of the house welcomed the Baal Shem Tov and his students and asked them to come in and sit down. After they sat down around the kitchen table they said, "Rebbetzin, we can't thank you enough for your hospitality. We've been traveling all day and we're cold and very hungry."
She felt sorry for them, so she heated water for tea and gave them the little bread that she had been saving to feed her children. This didn't go unnoticed by the children who were walking around in rags and staring at the men eating the meager dinner their mother had originally prepared for them. The children began crying, "Mama we're hungry. Please give us something to eat." The mother was heart sick that she didn't have any more food for her children. The Chassidim looked at the Baal Shem Tov, but he seemed unmoved by the children's cries.
Just then, her husband, Reb Moshe, returned home. He visibly cringed when he saw his children crying of hunger, his upset wife and a group of Chassidim sitting around the table eating their last morsel of food. Then, the Baal Shem Tov introduced himself and the others to Reb Moshe. Reb Moshe sold liquor and had just returned from an unsuccessful business trip. He had tried to purchase a keg of whiskey on credit but was turned down because he was already deeply indebted to the whiskey dealer from previous purchases.
At first, Reb Moshe was very flattered that the famous Baal Shem Tov had come to visit him of all people. But then the Baal Shem Tov said, "My dear friend, we've come all this way to collect eighteen rubles from you. It is for a very good cause and I'm sure you'll be blessed from giving this Tzedeka."
“Eighteen rubles!” gasped poor Reb Moshe. “But Rabbi, I don’t even have one ruble.” "Maybe you could sell something to get the money," the Baal Shem Tov suggested. "But Rabbi, look around. I don't have anything of value to sell," said Reb Moshe. "Why don't you sell the bedding," suggested the Baal Shem Tov.
The Chassidim were so uncomfortable from this conversation that they couldn't even look in the direction of Reb Moshe or his wife. Once Reb Moshe realized that the Baal Shem Tov was serious about his request, he asked if he could wait until the next morning to sell the bedding. "Okay, but then we have to be on our way," answered the Baal Shem
Tov.
The next morning, Reb Moshe gathered up all the pillows and blankets in the house and took them to the marketplace. A few hours later Reb Moshe returned with exactly eighteen rubles. "Here Rabbi," he said, as he hesitantly handed the money to the Baal Shem Tov. With barely a thank you, the Baal Shem Tov took the money. Then he got into the carriage and motioned for the Chassidim to get in also. As the carriage drove away, the Baal Shem Tov said to Reb Moshe, "God be with you".
Reb Moshe, his wife and children followed the carriage for a short time, hoping that the Baal Shem Tov would stop and return the eighteen rubles. But the Baal Shem Tov never even looked back and the carriage soon disappeared from their sight.
Reb Moshe returned to an empty house, a crying wife and starving children. By this time it was late afternoon and time to daven mincha (the afternoon prayers); he was so upset he could barely speak. He prayed as never before. Big tears streamed down his face and he begged God to provide him and his family with an abundance of food, money and health. That night, the family, each with an empty stomach, got into bed and huddled together to try and stay warm.
In the middle of the night, Reb Moshe heard a loud knocking at the door. "Who is it?" he asked fearfully.
"Moshke, let me in," said a peasant in a rough voice. "I'm freezing and I want a glass of whiskey."
Reb Moshe had sold the last drink from his whiskey barrel over a week before. But he was afraid of the peasant so he opened the door and let him in. He told the peasant to sit down and get warm while he got him a drink of whiskey. Then he went into the next room and poured a glass of water into the empty whiskey barrel. After mixing the water around in the barrel, he poured it back into a glass. "Here," he said, handing a full glass of the “whiskey” to the peasant.
The peasant downed it in one gulp. "Umm," he sighed. "It's been a long time and I really needed a good, strong drink. And that was really good and very strong. The only problem is that I don't have any money so I'll have to pay you later."
Reb Moshe, still sleepy said, "Sure, pay me when you can." He was thinking, "What a day, what a night." So, he lay down again to sleep.
A few hours later a loud knocking at the door again awakened him. "Who is it?" he yelled out. It was the same peasant, back for another glass of whiskey. Reb Moshe served him as before but this time the peasant gave him a dirt covered coin that he took from his pocket. "Here, I don't know how much it is worth but it should cover my drinks."
When Reb Moshe took the coin to the market the next day, he could hardly believe what he found. The coin was worth enough to pay for much more than the peasant had drunk.
When the peasant returned again the very next night for another glass of whiskey, Reb Moshe gave him a drink and the change from the coin. The peasant was astonished at Reb Moshe's honesty and began to return every night. It wasn't long before liquor sales were booming and Reb Moshe was getting richer by the day. In almost no time, the days of poverty were forgotten and Reb Moshe was involved in many other lucrative businesses.
About a year later, the Baal Shem Tov and his Chassidim happened to be passing by the little village where Reb Moshe lived. Instead of the dilapidated house, there stood a stately home surrounded by a number of beautiful buildings. The Chassidim stared with open mouths. "Rebbe, what happened?" they asked.
"All this wealth was set aside for Reb Moshe on Rosh Hashanah,” explained the Baal Shem Tov. "But he did not get it because he accepted his lot of poverty without any complaints. As it says, 'He opens His hand and fulfills the will of every living being.' (Psalm 145:16). So I had to take everything he owned from him. When he was left without food or even his bedding, he had no one to turn to but the Holy One, Blessed be He. And from one sincere prayer requesting his needs, God heard and opened His hand to fulfill the requests of our friend Reb Moshe. So the poor man of last year is a rich man today, thanks to his fervent prayer."
And so it was.
***
Tzvi Meir Cohn attended Yeshiva Hadar Hatorah in Crown Heights, Brooklyn after completing his university studies in Engineering and Law. While studying at the Yeshiva, he discovered a deep connection to the stories and teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. His many books about the Baal Shem Tov can be found in the Breslev Store. He can be contacted at howard@cohnpatents.com.
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