A young avreich was struggling to make ends meet and was burdened with debt. He received a monthly stipend of one thousand five hundred shekels from his kollel, which did not even cover basic daily expenses.
One Thursday afternoon, he returned home and noticed an envelope sticking out of the mailbox. He took it out and saw that it had been sent by Bituach Leumi. He could not imagine what they wanted from him. His first thought was that he must owe them money.
And indeed, the letter inside read:
“Following a review of your account, it has been determined that you owe two thousand five hundred shekels. If this amount is not paid within five days, interest and linkage will be added.”
I do not even have one hundred shekels to buy food for Shabbos, he thought. Where will I find that kind of money?
But a moment later, he strengthened himself with a different thought. He was not alone. The Ribono Shel Olam could do anything.
The next day, he went to the grocery store to buy food for Shabbos. “You already owe five hundred shekels here, and I will not give you anything more on credit. On Sunday morning, you must pay your debt. If you don’t, you won’t be able to shop here anymore,” the grocer said.
Now his debts had grown to three thousand shekels.
He did not have the money, but Hashem did.
Later that afternoon, one of his friends met him at shul. “Do you remember that you borrowed money from me eight months ago? You were supposed to repay it four months ago. I haven’t said anything because I didn’t need the money, but I do now. Please return it as soon as possible,” the friend said.
“You caught me just before Shabbos. I have no way to give it to you right now,” the avreich answered honestly. “But by next week, you will have the seven hundred shekels I owe you.”
He stepped aside and davened to Hashem, “Ein od milvado. Ribono Shel Olam, only You can bring me the money. I rely on no one else.”
He truly was a man of deep emunah. He believed with all his heart that only the Ribono Shel Olam could help him.
He prepared for Shabbos with the bare minimum, managing to buy challos and a few necessities, certainly not meat or other luxuries.
Nevertheless, he celebrated Shabbos with joy. The table was filled with Shabbos songs, words of Torah, and chiddushim; me’ein Olam Haba.
Motza’ei Shabbos came, and he made Havdalah. Another person in his situation might have fallen into despair or begun calling cousins and acquaintances in search of a loan.
But this Jew was certain that no human being could truly help him.
The only One who could help him was the Ribono Shel Olam…

102: The Gematria of Emunah
Rabbi Tzvi Nakar is a contemporary maggid and the author of Emunah Shleimah—Bar Mitzvah and Tefillin, Meant To Be, and 24/7. His powerful lessons on emunah and gripping tales of hashgachah pratis, all drawn from modern times, enthuse and inspire, drawing the reader’s heart to yearn for a deeper connection to Hashem.