The prophet Elijah, that fiery figure of Jewish tradition, sometimes took it upon himself to nudge people in the right direction. And sometimes, that nudge was more like a cosmic shove!
Take this story, for example. A wealthy man was heading to a cattle sale, money in hand, ready to make a deal. He was feeling pretty confident, right? Then he meets a stranger – who, unbeknownst to him, was actually Elijah in disguise. Elijah asks him where he's going, and the man replies, "I'm going to buy cattle." Simple enough, right?
But Elijah gently suggests, "Say, 'If it please God.'" You know, adding that little bit of humility, acknowledging that things aren't entirely in our control. But this fellow? He's having none of it. "Fiddlesticks!" he scoffs, or something to that effect. "I'll buy cattle whether it pleases God or not! I have the money, the deal is as good as done."
Big mistake.
"Not with good fortune," the stranger replies, and disappears. And wouldn’t you know it? When the man gets to the market, his purse is gone! He has to trudge all the way back home to get more money.
Now, you'd think he'd learn his lesson, right? But no! He tries a different route, thinking he can avoid the bad luck. But guess who he runs into? Another old man, who gives him the exact same prompt. And again, the man refuses to acknowledge God's will. And again, he loses his money!
Finally, the penny drops. The third time, when yet another stranger asks about his journey, he says, "If it please God, I intend to buy oxen." This time, the stranger wishes him success. And guess what? Success is exactly what he finds!
Not only does he find a pair of cattle he wants, but when he goes to pay, he discovers both of the purses he lost earlier! As Ginzberg tells us in Legends of the Jews, our stubborn friend is rewarded for his eventual humility.
But the story doesn't end there. He ends up selling those oxen to the king for a huge profit! He becomes incredibly wealthy. All because he finally learned to say, "If it please God."
What's the takeaway? Is it about the power of saying the right words? Or is it a deeper lesson about humility, about acknowledging that we're not always in control? Maybe Elijah, in his own unique way, was reminding us that a little bit of faith can go a long way. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, even the smallest act of acknowledging a higher power can open doors we never imagined. And sometimes, those doors lead to a whole lot of cattle… and a whole lot of good fortune.