It was Erev Shabbos in the house of the heilige Baal Shem Tov. The Baal Shem Tov was doing his lofty hachanos for Shabbos when he heard a light tap on the door. The Rebbetzin stood at the door and said in a quiet voice, “Rebbe, we don’t have any food for Shabbos yet.”
The Baal Shem Tov quickly searched his pockets and saw that he didn’t have any money to give the Rebbetzin. He put on his coat, went to the next-door neighbor, lightly tapped on the window, and then quickly turned around and went back home.
The neighbor ran over to the Baal Shem Tov’s house and asked what was wrong. The Rebbe said that he had no means to make Shabbos. The neighbor said, “I understand, but why did you have to knock so hard? You almost broke the window!”
The Baal Shem Tov answered, “The truth is that I barely tapped on the window and then walked away, because I felt this was enough hishtadlus on my part. Hashem then made you hear it as though I had banged on the window. This fulfilled the passuk, “U’veirachecha b’chol asher ta’aseh — Hashem will bless you in everything that you do.” Since it was enough hishtadlus on my part, Hashem then did the rest!”
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 93.
