The Treasure Hunt

Tzivos HaShem

In a small town, not far from Medzibosh, there lived a poor Jew with his wife and large family. During the day he would rush around trying to earn some money, and in the evening he would return home, terribly troubled, having managed to earn only a few coins, hardly enough to feed his hungry children.

The poor Jew, Avraham was his name, would try to forget his worries by delving into his nightly Torah studies, which he loved very much. His wife, always busy mending her children's clothes, enjoyed listening to his humming and singing while he was learning and absorbing the wisdom of the Sages of bygone ages.

She was a fine, honest woman, who never complained about her difficult life.

One evening, as her husband was about to begin his nightly study, she said to him, "You know, Avraham, I heard today about a tzaddik, a miracle worker, who lives in Medzibosh, who helps people in trouble. All that is necessary is to get a brakhah from this saintly man..."

"I've also heard about this great tzaddik, Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov, but I did not think it proper to bother such a saintly man to give us a brakhah. Doesn't our Heavenly Father know we could do with a little more?"

"Well, I'm only a foolish woman, but it seems to me that there could be no harm in having this saintly tzaddik put in a good word for us..."

So Avraham went to the Baal Shem Tov and told him about his poverty.

The tzaddik answered him:

"Poverty, like riches, could be a trial, one of the ways by which HaShem tests a Jew's trust in Him. When a Jew remains firm in his trust in the Almighty, the test comes to an end. Your test will soon be over."

Then the Besht told Avraham that on his way home, as he would have to go over a bridge spanning the river, he should look on the river's bank under the bridge, where he would find a treasure.

Full of hope, Avraham left for home. He reached the river and immediately began to look and search for the treasure. After searching and digging here and there for quite some time, he failed to find anything of value.

Avraham looked up and saw a man approaching him from the other side of the bridge. It was a tailor he knew from a nearby village.

"What are you looking for, Reb Avraham?" the tailor asked.

Avraham told him the whole story, and concluded, saying, "I suppose the time hasn't yet come for me to find the treasure about which the saintly Besht told me. It seemed like a sweet dream..."

"Speaking of dreams," the tailor said, "listen to my story. Last night I had a dream in which I met an old man who told me that in a small town not far from Medzibosh there lives a Jew with a wife and many children in an old dilapidated house; they are poor and starving, not knowing that right there under their feet, near the oven a large treasure lies buried. How about that? What do you make of this dream?"

Avraham did not answer. With a quick "good day" he departed for home, leaving the tailor wondering at Avraham's strange behavior.

Avraham had, of course, immediately connected the tailor's dream with his situation. He would soon find out if the tailor's dream had real meaning for him!

When Avraham got home, he could hardly wait for everyone to go to bed, so he could begin his treasure hunt. At last all was quiet, and with his heart in his mouth he began to dig. Almost immediately Avraham dug up a large box filled with glittering coins of gold and silver!

"Praised be His Name!" Avraham exclaimed inaudibly.

Avraham quietly covered the hole which he had dug up in the ground. Then he hid the box in a safe place.

Avraham told no one about his great find. He decided also that although he was now a rich man, he would not change their way of living all of a sudden, but now and then would take out some coins from the hidden box for his family's needs, after taking off one tenth for charity. The tzedakah money he would slip into the tzedakah box in the Bet Middrash when no one was looking.

A few days later, when Avraham had calmed down from the excitement of what had happened to him, he decided to pay a visit to the Baal Shem Tov, in order to tell him that his blessing had come true. He also decided to stop on the way at the house of the tailor and give him a handsome gift for being instrumental in his finding the treasure.

Avraham filled two purses with some gold and silver coins, one for the Baal Shem Tov and the other for the poor tailor, and set off on his way.

It was a hot day, and, feeling tired, Avraham sat down in the shade of a tree at the river's bank. Presently he saw someone approaching. He was delighted to see that it was none other than the tailor!

The tailor, too, was delighted to see Avraham, and called out excitedly, "You're just the man I want to see!"

Then, without stopping, he went on: "Remember when we met near the bridge, and I asked you what you were looking for? You told me that the saintly Besht had told you that you'd find a treasure under the bridge, and I told you about my silly dream, to make you feel better. Then you suddenly took off... Well, listen to this, When you were gone, it occurred to me that maybe the treasure was on the other side of the river. I crossed the bridge and began digging under it, near the water's edge. And sure enough! That's where it was.

"For a few days," continued the tailor, I debated with myself whether the treasure belonged to me, because "finder is keeper,' and you had already dismissed it from your mind altogether - or whether I should share it with you, since if it hadn't been for you, I would never have come by this treasure.

"Well, I couldn't find any peace until I decided that I would give you part of it. That's why I was on my way to your place, bringing you a share of the treasure."

Saying which the tailor handed Avraham a bagful of gold coins.

Avraham stood there, astonished and speechless. Here was he feeling deeply indebted to the tailor who seemed heaven-sent to tell him where his treasure was waiting for him, and bringing him a share of it as a gift - and now the tailor was presenting him with a share of the treasure which he felt was due to him, Avraham!

Maybe, someone in Avraham's place would have kept silent and accepted the gift. - But not our good friend Avraham. He was too fine and honest for that.

So, with a broad smile on his face, and a twinkle in his eye, Avraham said to his friend:

"Now I have something to tell you! And that's why I am on my way to your place..."

Avraham then went on to tell the tailor that on hearing his dream he realized that it was his, Avraham's own home that was the location of the treasure! This is why he left in a hurry. And sure enough, he found the treasure right there. "Now I had brought a share of it for you, my friend!" Saying which Avraham handed the tailor a purse full of gold coins.

They clasped each other's hands with warm affection, deeply impressed by the strange coincidence of their treasure-hunting. Each tried to convince the other that the gift was due to the other, and they could not settle the matter. Finally they decided that since the saintly Baal Shem Tov was behind it all, they would go to him and let him decide who is right.

The two of them went together to Medzibosh.

The Baal Shem Tov received them with a happy smile and listened with interest as each told his story. When they finished, the Besht said to them: "It had been decreed in heaven that you should both be uplifted and freed from the distress of poverty, as you had both proven your strong faith in G-d. But I must warn you that being rich may put you to even a greater test of your trust in the Almighty. However, you have both made a good start, and did not let your sudden good fortune turn your head. Continue in this way, and HaShem will surely continue His blessings to you and all yours.

"As for your little `dispute,'" the Besht continued, "I believe one of you has a daughter of marriageable age, and the other has a son who would make a very suitable match. So the solution to your problem would be to match them up, and to turn over the gifts you had meant for each other, to the chazzan and kallah, and may everything be in a happy and auspicious hour."

Both men were only too happy to agree to the Besht's suggestion.

The Besht further advised them that before deciding on the wedding date, the father of the kallah should find a poor orphan girl, and the father of the chazzan a poor young man that would be suitable for each other, and provide for all their wedding expenses, and set them up also with a living.

The two "Mechutanim" promised wholeheartedly to carry out all the Baal Shem Tov's instructions and left satisfied and happy.