וחצרות ודי זהב (דברים א:א)

And Chazteoros and Di-zahav. 

A Chassid came to the Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk zt’’l to unburden his heart, crying about his hardships with parnassah – earning a livelihood.  He wrote a kvittel saying he is an ‘עני’ – poor person and handed it to the Rebbe’s gabbai.

When he was summoned into the Rebbe’s room, as soon as he entered, the Tiferes Shlomo started screaming, “An עני is like a מת – dead person. He must get out of my house! I’m a Kohen!”

The chassid was shocked and fled the room.  But the Tiferes Shlomo called him back and said, “You’re considered a מת מצוה – one that a Kohen is permitted to tamper with.” And then he asked the chassid, “What do you do for a living?”

The chassid replied that his wife sells wares in the courtyards of the nobles, earning money to cover basic foods and essentials.  But now, they need to marry off their daughter and don’t have money.

The Tiferes Shlomo replied, “The pasuk says וחצרות – the literal meaning, if you dwell in the courtyards, ודי זהב  you can amass quite a bit of gold!” The Rebbe added to these words warm brachas.

When the chassid returned home, his wife shared that she went today to the noble’s courtyards, as usual, to sell her wares, and she found a sack filled with gold coins. They could use this money to marry off their daughter and, with the extras, invest in a business in which he was very successful.

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