There was once a very wealthy man who used to think: “What benefit do I have of all my toil, and what use will my work and property be to me when I die?” People advised him to perform charity and kindness with his work and that would stay with him longer than any profit from all his work and would serve him as provi­sions for the way. For wealth does not remain and can swiftly be lost as the Book of Proverbs (23:5) says  “Turn your eyes upon it and it is gone “But he swore that he would give charity only to someone who had lost all his faith and despaired of this world.

One day he left the town and saw a poor man seated or a muckheap wearing nothing but rags and tatters, and he said to himself: “Surely this fellow must have given up all hope of anything good in the world and must be waiting for death, for he is in great distress with his poverty and can have no faith in the world wherein he lives.” So he gave him a hundred dinars. The poor man was exceedingly astonished and said to him:

“Why have you given me this large sum of money out of all poor folk of the town?” He answered: “Because I swore that I would give charity only to someone who has given up all hope of enjoying this world.”

Then the pauper answered him: “Only the wiseacre and the fool and the unbeliever will despair of having anything good in this world As for me, I trust in the Lord and the kindness of my Maker, and await His mercies at all times and seasons as the Psalmist said (145:9): ‘And His mercy is on all His works.’ Surely you remember the thanksgiving of Hannah: “He raises the needy from the dust, and lifts up the pauper from the dunghills” (I Sam. 2:8). Surely you know that nothing can prevent the Lord from lifting me up and making me wealthy and deliver ing me from this distress. Forsake this nonsense and put it away from you and you will feel good.”

But the rich man grumbled: “Did my reward for taking pity on you have to be that you abuse me and rebuke me?” “You,” answered the poor man, “thought that you were taking pity on me but it is not so, but you have slain me, for the only ones who despair of anything good in this world are the dead.” At this, the rich man said in his heart: “If so, I shall go to the graveyard, and there I shall bury this money with the dead who despair of anything good in this world.” And he did so.

Times changed, the rich man became poor and nothing was left him. When he realized his distress he went and dug in the graveyard in order to take out the money he had hidden there, in order to support himself. The watchman found him and arrested him and brought him before the governor of the city.

Now the governor of the city was the poor man from the muckheap. For he was of good stock; and when the previous governor of the city had died, the townsfolk had come together and made him their head and captain.

When the watchman brought the digger from the cemetery they reported: “Your honour, we found this man digging among the graves in order to strip the shrouds from the dead.” Now the governor recog­nized him but treated him as a stranger and spoke to him severely. Then the other answered: “Heaven forbid, my lord, for never in my life have I thought of such a shameful deed. But this is what has happened to me.” And he told him how he had come to bury the money in the graveyard.

Then the governor said to him: “I am the poor man who sat on the muckheap and whom you thought must be despairing of anything good in the world.” He rose and went to him and embraced him and kissed him. He ordered further that the money should be taken out of the graveyard and given to him. He also ordered that he should be given a meal and a gift from the governor’s house every day for the rest of his life.

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Blessed be He who brings low and raises high, who makes poor and makes wealthy.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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