The Sages tell of a person who continued to meticulously fulfill the mitzva of giving charity even after he lost almost all his property, and thanks to that conduct, he acquired much greater wealth.

There was an incident involving Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, who went out to collect money to fund the Torah study of the Sages. They went to the valley of Antioch. There was a person there called Abba Yudan, who was accustomed to generously donate to the Sages.

That Abba Yudan became impoverished. Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua saw this when they went to collect there, and he hid from them. He entered his house and remained there for one day or two and did not go to the marketplace. His wife said to him: Why haven’t you gone to the marketplace these two days?

Abba Yudan said to her: The Sages came to collect money for the Torah study of those diligently studying Torah, and I do not have the means to give them, and I am therefore embarrassed to go to the marketplace.

His wife, who loved fulfilling mitzvot, said to him: Don’t we have one field left? Sell half of it and give the proceeds to them. Abba Yudan went and did so. He sold half the field for five gold pieces and he gave them to the Sages, and he said to them: Pray for me. They prayed for him and said to him: May the Omnipresent restore what you have lost.

The Sages went to collect money elsewhere. Abba Yudan plowed that half-field, found a great treasure there, and became wealthier than he had been previously. When the Sages were returning home at the end of their trip, they passed by that place. They said to someone: Please, arrange a meeting for us with Abba Yudan. That man said to them: Who can arrange a meeting with Abba Yudan? It would be easier to arrange a meeting with the king than with him. The Sages said to him: We are asking to meet him only so that he not hear that we passed here and did not inquire about his well-being.

Abba Yudan found out that the Sages were there and came to them and gave them one thousand gold pieces. He said to them: Your prayer bore fruit. They said to him: We knew about your good deeds, the sacrifice you underwent to give your earlier donation, and we placed you atop our list of contributors even though you gave less than usual. (Devarim Rabba 4)