R'Elimelech Biderman related a story about R' Chaim Kreisworth, who was a young man in the concentration camps. He saw an older man being taken to the gas chambers and the older man saw the young Chaim. He turned to Chaim and told him that he expects to soon die, but that he is extremely wealthy and has his money in a bank account in Switzerland. He told R'Chaim the code to his safe in Switzerland and that after the war he should find his son and tell him about the account and give him the code. R'Chaim survived the war and attempted to find the old man's son, but was unsuccessful in doing so. Twenty years after the war R'Chaim was visiting Israel, as a respected Rabbi, he was speaking in a shul when a poor man with torn clothing entered. He began speaking with the poor man who had been destitute since the war and as they spoke more R'Chaim realized that this poor man was indeed the surviving son of the old man. R'Chaim ran back to his home and to retrieve the code and information and gave it to the surviving son. He told the son to take a flight to Switzerland and retrieve the money that his father left him. The poor man couldn't afford a plane ticket and needed to take loans just so he could fly. When he arrived in Switzerland he went to the bank to retrieve the money and realized that his father had left over....$30 Million in the bank.

This man was going around for 20 years as a pauper when in reality he was extremely rich.

Chanukah is a time that our Sages established for thanking and praising G-d for all the miracles He does for us. It is a time for us to reflect on all the good that we have been given. In life we many times walk around like the poor man failing to realize the great riches that we have. Of course, everyone has pain and suffering, but we can't be blinded and ungrateful for all of the tremendous blessings that we have.

Chanukah Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,

Heath