On the way into the mansion the merchant says, ‘My lord and my friend, I see that a purely divine and devout wisdom speaks through you, and in a manner so gentle that I have never heard its like from a human mouth. But following your teaching requires a strong trust in Jehovah, which I lack despite my firm belief. I know that He is the One who created everything and now guides, governs and sustains everything. But I cannot imagine vividly enough that He, as the highest Spirit of all, could, might wish to, and would involve Himself in private affairs! For to me He is supremely holy, so that I hardly dare utter His most holy name, let alone expect Him to offer me His almighty, holy hand to help in my dirty money dealings!
‘But I also give to the poor who come to me, and I keep no dog to bark at a beggar and make him afraid to cross my thresholds. Only this grove, which is my favorite, I am reluctant to see entered by strangers and the poor, because they often wantonly damage the grounds and new plantings, and in their hunger and thirst find nothing there to satisfy themselves or quench their thirst. But to provide for them I have held in check a large wood of fig and plum trees some twenty field paths from here. It is at the disposal of all strangers and the poor; only they must not damage the trees, which is why I have stationed several overseers there.
‘From this you see that I do indeed remember the poor. But far be it from me to come to the most exalted Spirit with a request that He manage my sum of money for me, either in earthly terms or only in heavenly terms! If He wishes to do something, and has indeed already done something, which I do not doubt, that rests in His free and most holy will. But my reverence before Him is so boundless that I hardly dare thank Him for it. For it seems to me that by such purely material thanks I would do Him an exceedingly great dishonor, since I would in a way be showing Him that I believed He could have served me as a menial helper. I therefore live and act according to the law, as upright a person as possible, using the strength God has bestowed on me, and I do not bind the mouths of the ox and donkey when they tread out my grain. But I honor the great Spirit only on His day! For it is written: “You shall never utter the name of your God in vain!”’
I say, ‘Had I not long known that you are an upright and exceedingly God-fearing man, I would not have come to you. But look, that you fear the One whom you really ought to love is not entirely right of you, and I came to you to show you how in future you should love God more than fear Him. Then God will indeed condescend to you and be your surest, strongest and most reliable menial helper in everything.’