Dovid was devastated. His finances were a mess, and he owed hundreds of thousands of dollars to various credit card companies and personal moneylenders. Since he wasn’t able to cover his minimum payments, he saw no way out of financial ruin. Furthermore, his job, the last of a long line of failed attempts at making a respectable living, was not working out.
How would he face his family? How would he find the will and fortitude to carry on and find another job? How would he be able to face his creditors? With no place to turn, he went to the park to try to find some peace of mind. But after sitting there for two hours, nothing had changed.
Suddenly, a fellow wearing pajamas and shoes sat down next to him on the bench. Dovid gave the man a quick glance and then turned back to stare into oblivion.
The fellow started a conversation. “So, how are you doing?”
“How am I doing?” Dovid replied. “Terrible. My life is in ruins. I have no money and I am drowning in debt. I am about to lose my job and my future looks hopeless. That is how I'm doing.”
The man told him not to worry. “I don't know if you know who I am. My name is Warren Buffett, and I am a man of means. I may be able to help you.”
Dovid was shocked. Of course, he had heard of Warren Buffett. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world. If anyone would be able to help him, it would be Mr. Buffett.
“You see, I was watching you for the past few hours from my window in the apartment building over there, and I saw how sad you look. So I came down here to help you out. Here is what I am going to do. I am going to lend you $2 million today. I want you to use the money well and get back on your feet. One year from today, meet me on this park bench and give me back the money.”
Dovid could hardly believe what was happening. Never in a million years had he expected Warren Buffett to appear out of nowhere and lend him money. But he watched as Mr. Buffett took out a pen and signed the check. He had always heard that Mr. Buffett was a bit eccentric, but he gladly accepted the check and thanked him profusely for his generosity.
When Dovid walked away, everything changed. He was a completely new person. The simple knowledge that he had the check in his pocket to back him gave him the self-confidence and encouragement to succeed. He secured a new job for himself, and he quickly scaled the company ladder into a top position. Every business venture yielded spectacular results. Before long, he began making real money and was paying off one debt after another. By the time the year had ended, Dovid had paid back all of his loans and put away a large amount of money for himself and his family. His wife and children treated him with more respect. Instead of being the neighborhood nebach’l, he became one of the more successful and prestigious lay leaders of the community.
On the anniversary of the day his fortune changed, Dovid walked toward the park bench and sat down, as the recent memories of failure rushed through his mind. Like clockwork, Warren Buffett sat down next to him, in his pajamas and shoes. He looked at Dovid and smiled. “So, how are you now?”
“How am I? Spectacular! And it is all because of you. Everything changed the day you gave me that check. With your money backing me, I felt completely different about myself. I carried myself with a new sense of pride; I was no longer ashamed. Consequently, my fortune changed. I found a new job and quickly earned the respect of my peers. I paid off all my debts and put aside a huge chunk of money in savings. And I have you to thank for all of this.”
Dovid reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. It was the check that Mr. Buffett had given him, which he had never cashed. Just knowing that he had the money to fall back on was enough for Dovid to feel differently about himself. He unfolded the check and handed it to Mr. Buffett, as he once again thanked him for all he had done.
Out of the blue, two men in white uniforms appeared on the scene. Dovid looked up at them, somewhat startled by their presence.
“Hello. Can I help you?”
“Yes, you can. We were just wondering if this fellow here is bothering you. This nut job escapes once a week from the insane asylum up the road. We always have to track him down and find him. He sure is an elusive one.” They chuckled at the constant game of cat-and-mouse that they played with the man in the pajamas and shoes.
“You know,” one of them explained, “sometimes he even tells people that he is Warren Buffett the millionaire. I hope he didn't give you one of his checks. You know those things aren't worth the paper they're signed on.”
The men took “Mr. Buffett” away, and Dovid could not help but smile. After a minute or two, he got off the bench and began walking toward his car. All of a sudden, he stopped. He noticed a small piece of paper, crumpled up, blowing in the wind. If one had bent down to pick it up, he would have seen a check for two million dollars. But Dovid knew it was worth more than that.
Much more.
Each one of us is capable of finding the treasure within. If we would realize that the Al-mighty is backing us every step of the way, we would try harder, go the extra mile, strive for more.
To be sure, Hashem is behind us, encouraging us to do our best. We just have to believe – in Him, and in ourselves.