A man who lived in the same town as Rabbi Zusya saw that he was very poor. So each day he put twenty coins into the little bag Zusya kept his phylacteries in, so that his family could buy the necessities of life. From then on, the man grew richer and richer. The more he had, the more he gave Zusya, and the more he gave Zusya, the more he had.
But once, recalling that Zusya was the disciple of a great maggid, it occurred to him that if what he gave the disciple was so lavishly rewarded, he might become even more prosperous if he gave to the master himself. So he traveled to Mezritch, and persuaded Rabbi Baer to accept a substantial gift from him. From then on, his fortunes shrank, until he’d lost all the profits he’d made during the more fortunate period.
He took his trouble to Rabbi Zusya, told him the story, and asked what his present predicament was due to. For had not the Zusya himself said his master was immeasurably greater than he?
Zusya replied, “Look! As long as you gave, and didn’t bother to whom, God gave to you, and did not bother to whom. But when you began to seek out especially noble, and distinguished recipients, God did exactly the same.”