Paths of Faith: The Soldier Who Gifted a Rabbi a Gold Watch

King David says in Psalms (55:23): "Cast your burden upon Hashem and He will sustain you." The Maharal explains: Whoever truly trusts in Hashem will not encounter any harm—even if they are not deserving.

Rabbi Yisrael of Salant discussed the concept of trust with his students. One student asked: Does the rabbi mean that if he truly trusts in Hashem, he will receive a gold watch? The rabbi answered: Yes. So, the students asked the rabbi to trust that Hashem would provide him with a gold watch. Rabbi Yisrael pondered for a moment and then said: Yes, I trust that Hashem will arrange for me a gold watch.

Soon after, someone knocked on the door of the study hall, asking for the rabbi. He had a gold watch and said: I am a soldier going to war, and I do not want to take my watch with me. If something were to happen to me, the watch would fall into non-Jewish hands. I prefer to give this watch as a gift to the rabbi...

This story illustrates how a person who truly believes in Hashem to provide for their needs will surely be helped, in a miraculous and immediate way.

Similarly, the Talmud in Ketubot tells us:

An impoverished man approached the Amora Rabba, asking for food. Rabba inquired: What do you usually eat? The needy man replied: I am accustomed to eating a fattened hen and aged wine. Rabba rebuked him: You don't worry about depleting the community with such expensive tastes... The man answered: Am I eating at their expense? I am eating at Hashem's expense! As it is written: "The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time" (Psalms 145:15). Why doesn't it say "at their time"? Because Hashem provides each person with their needs at the appropriate time.

As they were speaking, Rabba's sister, who had not seen him in thirteen years, arrived with a gift for her brother: a fattened hen and aged wine... Rabba said to the needy man: I concede you are right, go and eat...

Whoever possesses true trust will have an abundant livelihood without toil. By focusing on this, we earn twice: Hashem will provide for us because we believe in Him and only Him and acknowledge it is from Him, and the primary gain is the connection with Him through the trait of trust, along with the resulting peace of mind and joy.

The holy Alshich once lectured on the topic of trust before a crowd. In attendance was a simple man who took the rabbi's words literally, returning home to sit idly. His wife demanded: Why do you sit around? Go provide for us. He replied: No, the rabbi said that he who has genuine trust will be provided for without needing to work. I have trust in Hashem to sustain us... The wife cried out, but he held fast, saying: I have trust!

After a few days, their money ran out, forcing them to sell their horse and cart to a non-Jew. The non-Jew used the horse and cart to gather and sell sand, but suddenly he hit something hard. He bent down and discovered a wealth of treasure. He dug it up and loaded it onto the cart. He then descended into the pit to see if any coins remained—and the earth caved in, burying him. The horse waited a few hours but, driven by hunger, headed back to the only home it knew—its original owner's. The husband and wife were inside, arguing, he with his trust and she with her frustration, when they heard the joyful sound of a horse. They went out to bring the horse and cart into the barn—and discovered the great treasure on the cart...

After the wondrous story spread, students of the holy Alshich approached their rabbi in amazement: We have worked for years on cultivating trust, and this man succeeded after one sermon to have such complete trust and see results? The rabbi answered them: Trust is like a nail; if you drive it into soft ground, it won't hold. It must be driven into hard ground. You are like soft ground, believing yet fearing: How will I have enough? What if Hashem doesn't respond as I hope? He, in contrast, is like hard ground—taking words with complete innocence and truth, so his trust stood firm, and Hashem rewarded him by providing for his needs abundantly...

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