It was one of those moments when a person unburdens himself. Two old yeshivah friends were speaking, and one was telling the other of his difficulties. He had been married for a little over a year. He’d tried several jobs, but had not been able to find anything satisfying. Neither his parents nor his in-laws were able to help him financially or establish him in business. Ultimately, he was forced to resort to driving a truck in order to support his family. But even so, his income was insufficient; every month, he was sinking deeper and deeper into debt.

But that wasn’t the only thing that bothered him about truck driving. The main problem was that he felt himself growing coarser; after a day behind the wheel, he had no patience to study, and was losing touch with spiritual refinement. This had also affected his relationship with his wife.

He wanted to change, but had seen no way to do so until one of his clients an older man who ran a book bindery told him he was planning to retire and wanted to sell the business. Now the bindery was not so prosperous, but the young man felt that if he invested enough energy, he could make a go of it. True, he would have to borrow money to purchase the business, but he had taken and repaid loans before.

In truth, he didn’t want to run a bindery, but he was desperate for a change, and this seemed to be the best opportunity available. Should he take it?

His friend didn’t know how to answer him. “From a business perspective, anyone would say No. So why are you thinking of trying it? To reverse the downward trend in your life? That isn’t a question for me. Write to the Rebbe,” he told the trucker.

Now the trucker hadn’t written to the Rebbe for years; ever since he had left yeshivah, he had been too embarrassed. It was hard for him to write the letter, but he put his heart into it, telling the Rebbe about his dissatisfaction with the direction his life had taken, his difficulty in making a change, and his hope that this opportunity might allow him to do that.

He delivered his letter to the Rebbe’s office and waited.

And waited.

After two weeks, he sent in another copy, but still there was no answer. Nonetheless, he began to notice a change in his business. He found several new customers, and one offered him a part-time job selling. His debts began to evaporate and his tension lifted. He suddenly found time to study, and his relationship with his wife improved.

He never did receive a written reply from the Rebbe, but he knew that he had been answered.