The Unheard Story: What Made a Millionaire Transform His Life?

Rabbi Elchanan Wasserman, of blessed memory, the head of "Ohel Torah" yeshiva in Baranovich, bore the heavy financial burden of his yeshiva. During one of its toughest periods, Rabbi Elchanan traveled to America to solicit donations from affluent Jews for the benefit of Torah scholars. "It is the will of Hashem," he said. "The yeshivas face financial difficulties to allow more Jews the privilege of being part of the holy Torah through their donations. Therefore, I will go to America."

Back then, nearly a century ago, traveling between continents was expensive and required great effort, including changing trains and a voyage of several weeks by ship.

After about a month of trials and tribulations, Rabbi Elchanan and his companions finally reached the shores of America. Upon arrival, Rabbi Elchanan hurried toward his goal, visiting the homes of wealthy individuals, speaking to them about the importance of supporting Torah.

However, the materialistic spirit and the business race made it difficult for the head of the yeshiva to talk about spiritual matters with businessmen, stopping them from their pursuit of money to explain what Torah is, what a yeshiva is, and the merits of supporting the Torah.

One of the students came to Rabbi Elchanan with an idea. "There is a Jewish millionaire in the city, perhaps the wealthiest in all of America. He owns enormous clothing factories, employs thousands of workers, and his wealth grows daily. But he has two shortcomings and one advantage."

"What are the shortcomings?" Rabbi Elchanan asked.

"One is that he has stopped observing. Although he kept Torah and mitzvot in his youth, since immigrating to America and finding success in business, he abandoned it all. Now he lives like a complete non-Jew, married to a non-Jew, and is absent from the synagogue on Yom Kippur," the student said and continued. "The second shortcoming is his great stinginess. As rich as he is, that's how stingy he is. No one has ever succeeded in getting a dollar from him for charity, not for the poor nor the sick, much less for sacred causes."

"Well," Rabbi Elchanan replied in wonder, "after such shortcomings, what advantage could there possibly be?"

"The advantage is that he studied with you in the same class with the same teacher. Today he is called Jacob, but he used to be known as Yankel."

"Oy vay, Yankel! May Hashem have mercy on what became of him," murmured Rabbi Elchanan and proclaimed, "We’re going!"

Rabbi Elchanan went to Jacob's office, sat, and spoke with him, while Jacob showed great interest in the goings-on in the European town where he grew up, and Rabbi Elchanan patiently answered all his questions.

The Loose Button That Changed Everything

After some time, Jacob asked directly, "So, Rabbi Elchanan, maybe you’ll tell me why you came to America, perhaps I can help you with something?"

"Yes, certainly. It's good that you ask, indeed you can help me very much!" Rabbi Elchanan replied. "On my coat there is a loose button. Every now and then, the button falls off, and I have to go to a tailor to sew it back, and again after some time, it falls, and I go to a tailor. I heard you have a big textile factory, and I thought to ask if you could find me a good tailor to sew this button in such a strong way that it will never fall off again."

"With great pleasure," Jacob felt relieved at the easy way to help Rabbi Elchanan, and immediately called for the chief tailor of the factory.

The tailor arrived, and Jacob showed him the coat with the button, "Sew this button in the strongest possible way."

After a few minutes, the tailor returned with the coat, "You can be reassured," he announced. "The button is sewn in the strongest possible way; it's really part of the garment now, and you can be sure it won't fall off ever again!"

"Wonderful, thank you very much, you helped me greatly," Rabbi Elchanan happily thanked him. He parted with Jacob and returned to his accommodations.

Barely back at the accommodations, the phone rang. Jacob was on the line, "Rabbi Elchanan, you still haven’t told me the reason you came to America."

"But I told you: I had a loose button, it troubled me greatly, and thank Hashem that matter is settled for the best, truly thank you very much," responded the head of the yeshiva.

The next morning, Jacob called again: "Rabbi Elchanan, you’re hiding something from me, please come to my office. I must talk to you."

Rabbi Elchanan arrived at the office, and Jacob greeted him with the question: "Rabbi Elchanan, please don’t hide from me: what is the real reason you went through all the trouble to come to America?" And Rabbi Elchanan stayed firm: "I came to America to sew the button."

"Not true, it can't be, a person doesn’t travel all the way from Europe to America just to sew buttons!"

And Rabbi Elchanan maintained his position: "I told you, the button caused me great distress. It’s impossible to wear a coat with a recurring loose button falling off, and then having to go to the tailor, it might happen in the yeshiva or while walking. That’s when I decided it needs to be sewn in a way it would never fall off." He finished and returned to his lodging.

The next morning, Jacob called again in a state of excitement: "Rabbi Elchanan, I couldn’t sleep all night, please tell me the truth about why you came to America?"

"I came to America to sew the button..."

"But it’s impossible," Jacob exclaimed, "I did the math, the journey from Europe to America is long, then by train, and another train, and then two weeks by ship. And everywhere, you have to pay taxes, just the tax itself could buy you more than a hundred new coats, not to mention the great effort. A person doesn’t come from Europe to America just to sew buttons! You are hiding something from me."

The Millionaire Broke Down

And Rabbi Elchanan patiently answered again: "I explained to you, the button was constantly causing me trouble, I had no choice but to come here and have it fixed strongly, so it wouldn't fall again."

After noon, Jacob called again, his voice pleading: "Rabbi, you’re hiding something from me, why did you come to America???"

"I came to America to sew the button."

"But it can’t be," Jacob exclaimed, breaking into tears, "this can't be, you’re hiding something from me, a person doesn’t travel from Europe to America just to sew buttons!"

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Why Did Your Soul Come to This World?

"Alright, since you insist, I’ll tell you why I came to America," said the great head of the yeshiva with a serious face. "Indeed, you’re right, a person doesn’t make such a long journey from Europe to here merely to sew buttons. Yankel! Why did your soul come from the world of truth, from beneath the throne of Hashem, to this lowly world, through all your mother's struggles with pregnancy and birth, and the challenges of child-rearing, all this effort, for what? To sew buttons? To create clothing factories?"

"You yourself said, it can't be that a person would travel from Europe to America for a month's journey just to sew buttons, so why did your soul undergo such a long journey from the world of truth to this world, was it to sew buttons?" Rabbi Elchanan called out from his loving heart.

Jacob left the accommodations deeply shaken. Over the following days, the thought resonated within him, "A person doesn’t travel from Europe to America just to sew buttons!" His own call resounded: why am I here, what is my purpose in the world, what is my life's objective?"

The decision solidified in his heart, his life was about to change completely; the dollars started to look less green and shiny. Now his goal shifted – to fulfill his mission in the world.

Mr. Jacob reclaimed his identity as Yankel, changed his ways, and began living as a Jew, setting fixed times for Torah study and contributing generously to holy causes. A few years later, Rabbi Elchanan was martyred in the Holocaust, his books and teachings still studied in yeshivas today. Rabbi Elchanan’s students raised a new generation of scholars continuing his legacy, including the descendants of the repentant Rabbi Yankel, who keep Torah and mitzvot.

This true story challenges every one of us to have an honest reflection, why have we come here? What is the goal we are meant to achieve in our short lifetime in this world? Is it to acquire a beautiful house? A new car? Social status? False honor? Did we make all this journey to sew buttons and engage only in worldly matters?!

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