He Refused Payment Before Shabbat and His Business Was Transformed

Reb Moshe Stern owned a small appliance shop. A God fearing Hasid of Toldos Aharon, he was known as a straight and sincere man. He understood home appliances thoroughly and was also a skilled repairman.

Many advertising representatives visited his store and tried to persuade him to promote his business. They explained how advertising would bring him so many customers that he would barely have time to keep up with his bookkeeping. They emphasized how important it was to place ads in local publications and how worthwhile the investment would be.

But Reb Moshe remained firm.

"Livelihood comes from Heaven," he would say calmly and confidently. "I only do my hishtadlut."

A Call Right Before Shabbat

One Friday, a man from a distant neighborhood called with an urgent request.

"Can you come fix my refrigerator?" he asked.

"On Friday afternoon?" Reb Moshe replied in surprise. "I do not work at that time. I need to prepare for Shabbat."

"I will pay you double," the man offered.

"Where do you live?"

"In Rehavia."

"And there are no technicians in Rehavia? I do not work after midday on Fridays. Try someone else."

"I have no one else," the man pleaded. "I tried everyone. I will not have a refrigerator for Shabbat. How will I keep the food?"

Reb Moshe could not ignore the man’s distress. He took the address, ordered a taxi, and went to the man’s home to repair the refrigerator just hours before Shabbat.

Helping Without Payment

The homeowner was surprised to see a technician arrive dressed in traditional Hasidic clothing, with a hat and long coat. Reb Moshe lowered himself to the floor and worked carefully on the refrigerator. He adjusted the necessary parts, recharged the gas, and made the needed repairs until the appliance was working again.

When he finished, he stood up and said warmly, "All the best. Shabbat shalom," and prepared to leave.

"Wait," the homeowner said. "I promised to pay you double."

"I do not work on Friday afternoon," Reb Moshe explained gently. "I did not come for the money."

The homeowner looked confused, so Reb Moshe clarified.

"Sometimes a fellow Jew needs help, and then you do an act of kindness. I understood that you had no other option, so I came. That is all. Have a peaceful Shabbat, and may you use the refrigerator in good health."

The homeowner tried to insist, but Reb Moshe had already left. He hurried outside, got into the taxi he had paid for himself, and rushed home to prepare for Shabbat.

The Unexpected Reward

The homeowner stood holding the money in his hand, unsure what to do. Reb Moshe had refused payment, but he still wanted to show his gratitude. He decided to repay the kindness in a different way.

The man was a journalist, and he wrote a detailed feature article about Reb Moshe. In the article he described how a sincere and honest Jew from Mea Shearim had come to repair his refrigerator on a busy Friday afternoon and refused to take even a single dollar because he did not work at that time. He described Reb Moshe as a skilled technician and an exceptionally trustworthy person. The article included photographs of the shop and told the full story in an engaging way.

Trust in Hashem

Reb Moshe continued his simple path of faith. He did not spend money on advertising, and he continued to avoid working after midday on Fridays.

Before long, something remarkable happened. New customers began arriving from distant neighborhoods. People searching for an honest and reliable repairman found exactly what they were looking for in Reb Moshe.

All of this came about because of the article written by the man whom Reb Moshe had helped and from whom he had refused to accept payment.

Reb Moshe remained faithful to his principles, trusted in Hashem, and was blessed with abundant livelihood.