There was a chassid named Reb Chaim who was a textile merchant. Every Yom Tov, he would travel to his Rebbe, the Baal HaTanya in Liada. One year, he discovered that the marketplace would be open on Erev Shavuos. Since he needed to purchase merchandise for his business, he went to the market, bought what he needed, loaded it onto his wagon, and headed toward Liadi.
Along the way, one of the wagon wheels broke. Reb Chaim was devastated. He could not imagine missing Shavuos with his Rebbe. Finally, he decided to leave the wagon and all its contents in the middle of the forest and continue on foot to Liadi.
After Yom Tov, Reb Chaim entered the Rebbe’s room to bid farewell. The Baal HaTanya told him, “Do not worry. Everything you left in the forest remained untouched.”
Reb Chaim then told the Rebbe that although he had, baruch Hashem, been successful in business, he barely had any time left for learning. The Rebbe advised him, “Why don’t you rent a tavern from a poritz? Your wife can manage it, and you will have more time to learn.”
Reb Chaim had no idea how he could afford such a thing, but he possessed strong emunas chachamim. When he returned to the forest, he found that all his merchandise was exactly where he had left it. As he was loading everything back onto his wagon, a poritz approached him.
“I have been watching over your belongings,” the man said. “If no one touched them all this time, you must have merits and that means you are a good honest person.” The poritz then offered to rent him his tavern!
Seeing the Rebbe’s words coming true before his eyes, Reb Chaim immediately agreed. The poritz even offered to lend him the initial sum needed to get started. With that Reb Chaim was able to earn what he needed while having plenty of time to learn Torah.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 87.
