Welcome to the Daily Chizuk (strengthening). The pasuk (verse) says, “Hashem makes people poor and Hashem makes people rich.” Of course, we know that our financial status is b'yad Hashem (in Hashem's hands). But the Chozeh MiLublin says, “This pasuk is teaching us that Hashem could turn someone into a rich man in an instant. And Hashem could take the wealthiest man and turn him into a poor man also.”
I recently gave a class on this subject. After the class, a wealthy businessman came over to me to tell me how clearly he saw this pasuk apply to his own life. He said his first major profit came out of nowhere. He purchased a large amount of a certain type of food to sell. His cost price was a dollar a pound. Suddenly, before he had a chance to resell it, the price rose to five dollars a pound. Hashem made him wealthy in an instant. He has been in business for over 50 years, building a large corporation. A couple of years ago, someone reported to the FDA that they suspected a certain type of bacteria in his products. An investigation was conducted, and he was forced to recall 12 million pounds. The FDA was threatening to close down his whole business. He thought to himself, “Look what Hashem could do in one instant. He could knock down my entire empire.” But he prayed to Hashem for help, and it turned out that the accusations were false. He was able to sell the recalled product overseas, and the price of this product doubled. So not only didn't he lose his entire business, but he ended up making money that year.
The businessman also told me that 10 years ago, his competitor tried to put him out of business. This businessman would buy the product at, let's say, a cost price of $3 a pound and sell it for a profit. His competitor, however, acquired many farms and was growing the product himself. He decided to sell it to all the stores for $2.50 a pound, which was below cost. The competitor was willing to break even or take a small loss in order to take over the market. This competitor pre-sold 80 million pounds at this low price before the season, assuming that his farms would produce that amount. The businessman was stuck with 20 million pounds of the same product that he had already bought for $3, with no customers to sell to. But he knew the pasuk in Tehillim, “Cast your burden upon Hashem, and He will sustain you.” That year, there was a big drought on the West Coast, where all the farms of his competitor were located, and the farms produced only half of the expected amount. Desperate to fill his orders, the competitor was forced to buy from this businessman. Because of the shortage, the price rose to $5 a pound. Instead of the competitor putting this businessman out of business, he was his best customer.
Amazingly enough, the competitor tried to do the same thing again two years later. Again, Hashem made a drought on the West Coast, and the competitor was forced to buy from this businessman at a higher price. The man told me, “The Yad Hashem (the hand of Hashem) was so clear. There was nothing I could do to stop this guy from putting me out of business, but Hashem controls the world. Hashem controls the weather, and Hashem protected me.” We have to constantly remember: Hashem is the only one in charge and the only one who can help you.