You have to really, truly believe that Hashem is watching your every move, and that in the end, only His opinion of you truly matters

The elderly man, whom R’ Yosef had long ago figured out was likely one of the 36 hidden tzaddikim of the generation, revealed something startling to the two visitors.

“You can go back in peace, my friends. There is nothing more to be afraid of.”

“But we have not even had the chance to speak to you about why we came!” R’ Baruch protested. “We were sent on a mission, and it was quite a long journey… How can we leave without knowing if we’ve accomplished anything or not? If the decree from the poritz goes into effect, every Jew in our community will be burdened with terrible taxes that will shatter their spirit and make daily living almost impossible!”

“I understand. All is well. Hashem has already set in motion the salvation you have been waiting for. You can tell your master that you fulfilled the mission he set for you.”

And that was that.

The two men thanked their mysterious, holy hosts for one last time, hitched their wagon and set off back home.

“I am really curious what we’re going to discover when we arrive home.” R’ Yosef stared at the dimly lit pathway as they traveled, watching how the moon’s glow reflected off the stones.