The Deceptive Neighbor: A Parable on Faith, Livelihood, and Trust in God

Yaakov the pauper had not eaten nourishing food for days. His clothes were ragged and torn, and the marks of poverty were etched across his weary face, impossible to hide.

He wandered the streets of the city, hoping to find food and clothing from compassionate people. Suddenly he met a kindhearted Jew.

“Do you know of a place,” Yaakov asked him, “where charitable people distribute food and clothing for the poor, free of charge?”

“Of course!” answered the Jew. “How have you not heard? On Jaffa Street, number 18, there are righteous people who distribute food and clothing at no cost — especially to someone like you, who looks as though you haven’t eaten properly in days. Go there, and you will satisfy your hunger and clothe yourself.”

The poor man rejoiced and hurried toward the address. But for some reason, he made a mistake. Instead of entering number 18, he knocked on the door of number 16 — a large, beautiful, and spacious home.

The homeowner himself came to the door. “Is this the house where charity food and clothing are given out?” Yaakov asked.

The homeowner quickly realized what had happened: the pauper had mistakenly entered his house instead of the charitable institution next door. Seeing an opportunity to exploit him, he replied: “Yes, indeed, this is the place! But perhaps you misheard — the distribution here is not completely free. One must work a little in exchange.”

Yaakov thought to himself: Of course! Who gives away food and clothing entirely for free? So he said: “I agree to work in exchange, as long as in the evening I will receive food and clothing.” The homeowner promised that so it would be.

The starving and exhausted man worked an entire day in the wealthy man’s home — cleaning his garden, his house, and running errands, all while nearly faint with hunger.

At evening time, near collapse, he begged for his food and clothing. The homeowner replied: “Of course I will keep my promise! Go to the building next door, and there you will receive all that you desire.”

In his innocence, Yaakov thought this was the procedure: Work here, receive there. So he went next door and explained: “I worked all day in the other house, and now I have come here to receive food and clothing.”

The head of the charity immediately understood that the poor man had been exploited by his deceitful neighbor, who took advantage of his mistake in the address. For had Yaakov entered number 18 directly, he would have received food and clothing freely, without toil or suffering.

The Lesson

Every person needs food, clothing, and has other needs that must be met. Then the yetzer hara (evil inclination) comes along and whispers: You must work hard! Without toil you will starve. Labor for your sustenance — even if it comes at the expense of your Torah, your prayer, and your mitzvot.

A person works and sweats, believing his livelihood comes through the schemes of the yetzer hara. After all his toil, the yetzer hara simply sends him to the true Source of sustenance. Does the yetzer hara have life or nourishment to give? It is the source of death and evil!

Had the person gone directly to God with faith and trust, his sustenance would have come from Him — freely, with abundance, and with honor, without sacrificing Torah and prayer.

We must expose the deception of this swindler within us, who disguises himself as a friend but is truly our greatest enemy. He lurks in the depths of our souls, waiting day and night to seize every opportunity, using life’s circumstances to turn our hearts away from God, to rob us of our inheritance of pure faith passed down from our fathers.

In his cunning, he plants doubts, disturbs our peace of mind, and clouds our clarity — precisely the opposite of the purpose of faith and trust, which were commanded to us in order to bring us serenity, stability, and strength in every circumstance of life.