ויברך אתכם (דברים א:יא)

A chassid by the name of R’ Yisroel Charitan a”h related the following story: 

After the Arabic-controlled Katamon area was captured by the Jews (during the War of Independence in the year תש”ח – 1948), whoever seized a house or store that its owners abandoned gained ownership.

Several Yidden seized a bakery that belonged to an Arab who left it behind and needed complete renovation. They approached me to partner with them in renovating the bakery, thus making me an equal partner in the bakery in lieu of my share of investment into this venture.

R’ Yisroel continues: “I went to Tel Aviv and handed a kvittel to Maran Reb Aharon of Belz zt”l and mentioned the business opportunity that came my way.  Maran asked me, “Can you have parnassah from the bakery?” I answered, “Based on what I heard, Yes!”

Maran continued questioning me: “How much money do they want from you?” I answered, “Two thousand liras.” Maran asked, “Do you have the money?”

“No!” I replied.

“Where will you obtain the money from?” Reb Aharon wondered. I replied, “I have a close family who agreed to lend me the money.”

Maran asked, “How are you planning to pay them back?” I replied, “People tell me that I’ll be able to pay back my loan with the profits from the bakery.” Maran then asked, “Are your partners Shomrei Torah U’mitzvos? (Do they follow the Torah and its commandments?)” I answered, “Some are, and some are not!”

Maran concluded, “My father zt,” and l always said,’If you’re forming a partnership, you must be careful that your partners are Shomrei Torah U’mitzvos!’

Reb Yisroel related: “I left Maran’s room with mixed feelings. I repeated the question to the gabbai, R’ Shulem Fogel z”l, who answered: “Did you not understand from the first question “If you can earn parnassah from the deal,” that Maran is not keen about the deal?”

I returned to Yerushalayim and told my would-be partners I was uninterested in the deal. They approached someone else to share in the bakery’s renovation and partnership, who invested his whole money in the renovations. After a few weeks, the entire deal fell through since one of the partners succumbed to a heart attack, and all the money that he promised vanished.