When Blessings Stop and Faith Is Tested
There was a man who underwent a remarkable transformation in his faith. He immersed himself deeply in learning and slowly became someone who relied on nothing and no one except Hashem. His trust was not theoretical. It showed up in action.
After learning the laws of maaser, he made a bold decision. He would give twenty percent of his income every month, consistently and without hesitation. His business was an Amazon venture, and from the very beginning, he committed fully.
What followed felt almost supernatural. In the first year, his business exploded with success. Sales soared far beyond anything he had imagined. The numbers were staggering, and the blessing was undeniable. It felt like a clear reward for his leap of faith.
Then, just as suddenly, everything changed.
When Success Turns Into Collapse
After that incredible first year, it was as if someone flipped a switch. Sales dropped sharply. Where he once sold tens of thousands of dollars a day, he was now barely making any sales at all. The difference between one year and the next was shocking.
Worse than that, the business was no longer sustaining itself. He began dipping into his savings just to survive. What hurt most was not only the loss, but the confusion. He had not stopped giving maaser. He had not weakened in his commitment. If anything, he was doing everything right.
Looking for clarity, he reached out to a respected rabbi known for his teachings on emunah and bitachon. He explained everything. The giving. The success. The sudden crash. And the pain of watching it all unravel.
Why Hashem Tests the Results
The rabbi listened carefully and then said something profound. Sometimes, Hashem blesses a person immediately when they take on a new mitzvah. The blessing flows freely, almost effortlessly. But then, Hashem may stop the results.
Not as punishment. As a test.
The question is not what you are doing. The question is why you are doing it.
Are you giving because it brings wealth, or because it is the right thing to do. Are you keeping mitzvot as an investment, or as an act of loyalty. When the results disappear, the intention is revealed.
Hashem sometimes takes the very reward a person expects and turns it into part of the test. Will you continue when it no longer makes sense. Will you stay on the path when it becomes painful. This is not about money. It is about truth.
The rabbi told him one thing clearly. Do not get off the train.
Staying on the Train Until the Blessing Returns
The man listened. Even though it was bitter and difficult, he stayed committed. For five more months, he continued giving charity while barely earning anything in return. It made no sense on paper, but he refused to abandon what he knew was right.
Then it happened.
A new product opportunity appeared unexpectedly. He listed it, and almost instantly, his business surged beyond anything he had ever experienced before. The losses of the previous year were not only recovered, they were eclipsed. What he earned surpassed what he thought he would make in a decade.
The test had passed.
Sometimes, Hashem withholds results not to push a person away, but to see if they are real. When faith survives without reward, the blessing that follows is far greater than before.