A person with bitachon does not worry about money. The Chovot HaLevavot (Shaar Bitachon) writes that if one trusts Hashem to provide his parnassah, then his livelihood is guaranteed.
People worry about how they will meet their expenses even many years before the money needs to be paid. It is important to remember that Hashem always provides one’s needs., but He does not necessarily provide the money well in advance of when it is needed. A man came to Rav Yitzchak Zev Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, to ask for a berachah before he embarked on a fund-raising trip to the United States. The Brisker Rav asked him why he was traveling abroad to raise money.
“Is there not enough money here in Israel?” the Brisker Rav asked.
“I’ve been trying to raise money here,” the man said, “but it hasn’t been working.”
“When is the money due?” the Rabbi asked.
“In three weeks,” the man replied.
“Three weeks?! You’re worried now about a payment due in three weeks? The money for my yeshivah usually comes in only the day before it is due!”
Rav Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, the Ponevezher Rav, told that once he wanted to open a school, and there was an available property that was being sold for 100,000 rubles. The Ponevezher Rav did not have anywhere near this amount, but the owner of the property desperately needed cash, so he made the Rabbi an offer. He would sell the property for just 50,000 rubles if the Rabbi could pay 25,000 rubles up front, and the rest within three weeks. If the Rabbi did not pay the balance within three weeks, the landowner said, the deposit would be forfeited.
The Ponevezher Rav consulted with his wife, and they decided that this school was so vital for the community that it was worth taking the risk. They paid the man 25,000 rubles that they had received from their parents to help them with expenses, and they assumed that once the word got out about the new school the donations would be forthcoming.
Unfortunately, these hopes never materialized. The night before the balance was due, on a Motza’ei Shabbat, the Ponevezher Rav turned to Hashem and said, “Hashem. I did my hishtadlut (effort); I leave the rest in Your hands.” He then went to the bet midrash to learn, and he would later describe the joy he felt during those hours spent engrossed in learning, feeling as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
He returned home from the bet midrash at 2am, and much to his surprise, two of the town’s wealthiest men were standing by his door.
“Sorry for coming so late,” they told the Rabbi, “but we just completed making a shidduch, and we would like to entrust the money for the young couple – 25,000 rubles – with you.”
“Sure,” the rabbi answered, “but do I have your permission to use the money if I need it? I will the pay it back within six months of receiving notice.”
The men agreed, and the next day the rabbi brought the money to the landowner to complete the purchase of the property. When he returned home, he was told that the shidduch between the two wealthy families had been broken. Over the next several months, he raised the 25,000 rubles he needed to repay the money.
We have to place our trust in Hashem, and realize that he is capable of providing, often in ways we would never expect or imagine.