The holy rabbi once gathered a select group of his students and told them: “Come, I will show you someone who sincerely and wholeheartedly welcomes guests into his home.”

The horses and carriage were prepared for the journey. The wheels of the wagon flew through fields and forests as well as mountains and valleys. Late in the afternoon, the wagon came to a halt in front of an inn.

There was a small inn tucked away in a small village whose manager was a pious man. Every day he would pray:

“Master of the Universe, kind and loving Father: help me cultivate the trait of holy lovingkindness. Let me model myself on our forefather, Avraham, who practiced lovingkindness all his life.

Loving G-d: grant me the merit of being able to welcome worthy guests into my home. Let my home be a “meeting-place for the wise” — a place where I entertain true Torah scholars and people of faith. Let me receive them joyously and show them the utmost love and respect. Let me wait on them personally and attend to their every need. Let me put myself at the service of these visitors and travelers at all times, until I develop Avraham’s trait of lovingkindness to perfection.

Bring me to perfect faith and true humility. Save me from all embarrassment and indignity. Give me the strength to fight and conquer all those who hate the truth and bring them down to the dust.

Loving and merciful G-d: help me attain perfect faith in You, in true scholars and in those who are genuinely of faith. Don’t let the least doubt or question about them so much as enter my mind, and certainly never let an arrogant comment about them pass my lips. Let me never say a word about them that could question their honor in any way. On the contrary, let me always hold them in respect and show them every kind of honor — with my body, my soul and all the resources at my command. (Lekutei Tefillos 28)

As the carriage of the holy rabbi and his students came near the inn the innkeeper ran to meet them, and respectfully bowed saying: “Holy rabbi, if I find favor with you, do not pass by my humble inn. Baruch Hashem (Praised be G-d), that I have the opportunity to serve you and your students.”

The innkeeper went over to the travelers and invited them into his home. “Come, dear rabbis, come into my home. You can rest up and eat something. You will refresh yourselves, and at the same time bring life to me and a blessing upon my house. It’s not every day that I am so fortunate to do the mitzvah of hachnosas orchim [welcoming guests]”

The holy rabbi thought for a moment and answered: “Maybe it would be better that we continue on our way to the nearby city. There we will be able to pray with the congregation and hear the Torah reading.”

“Oh, but I have a Torah scroll right here; and together with all of you, we will also have a minyan [quorum of 10] to pray,” the innkeeper said, entreating them to remain. He added that if they would like to pray in the city on Shabbos, they could walk there, because it was within the permissible area one is allowed to walk on Shabbos.

In the end, the holy rabbi agreed to the request of the innkeeper, and the travelers became his guests.

While the innkeeper lived modestly, he offered his guests his best rooms and did everything he could to make their stay comfortable. After they had prayed, he invited them to a table set with delicious food. He himself stood by to serve them.

On Shabbos morning, they all walked to the nearby city to pray. After Shabbos, the innkeeper prepared a lavish melaveh malkah feast (meal after the conclusion of the Sabbath day), and even invited many more guests from the area. He radiated joy as he greeted his guests and bustled around making sure everyone was cared for.

The holy rabbi and his students spent a few more days with the villager, who took care of all their needs personally and did everything in his power to make sure they felt at home.

Before leaving, the holy rabbi asked their host if he had any special requests.

“My only request is that you pray for me that I merit life in the World to Come,” the innkeeper answered.

“The thing you ask for is dependent upon you,” the holy rabbi responded. “But if you want me to bless you, you must come to me in my city on market day. Allow me to give you some sound advice. There is a shortage of wine in my city, when you come, it would be worthwhile to bring with you 100 barrels of wine of the best kind, so that you can earn a nice profit.”

Some time passed, and the students all but forgot about the innkeeper. One day, the holy rabbi instructed his students, “Today a group of poor people came to our town. Please go and tell them that I am inviting them to my Shabbos meal.”

The students were very surprised to hear this. The local custom was that poor people and passing guests who came to town had all their needs met by the local committee in charge of accommodating wayfarers, who arranged meals and sleeping accommodations. What had changed that the holy rabbi was personally inviting this group to his house.

When the poor people were seated around the table, the holy rabbi turned to one of them and invited him to come sit next to him.

“Do you recognize me?” the holy rabbi asked.

“Yes,” the poor man answered. “I had the merit to host the holy rabbi and his students in my inn.”

The students sitting around the table suddenly paid attention.

“Tell us what happened to you since then,” the holy rabbi continued.

The innkeeper told the following tale:

“When the holy rabbi told me to come to him in his city and bring 100 barrels of the best wine, I firmly believed in the words of the holy rabbi, and set out to do this. I sold everything I possessed, and bought 100 barrels of wine. Then I set out on my way. Toward evening, as we passed through a forest, a big storm broke out and torrents of rain fell.”

“The path was totally flooded with water, and the wagons were unable to move forward. I got off the wagon and, leaving the merchandise with the wagon drivers, I started searching for a house or inn in which to spend the night.”

“After a time, I noticed a small light far ahead in the darkness. I went toward the light. Soon I reached a house in the forest. An old man with a flowing beard greeted me at the door. He invited me in. The house was warm and the old man treated me kindly until I warmed up. In the morning, after I said the morning prayers, I parted from the old man and went back to where I had left my wagons. However, there was no trace of them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.”

“At first I was very upset and depressed. However, then I began to think that I don’t have any reason to be upset. ‘the L-rd gave, and the L-rd has taken away; blessed be the name of the L-rd.’ (Job 1:21.) Surely it is all for the good, I decided. I began to walk, and then came upon a group of poor people traveling this way. I traveled with them until I came to this city.”

The poor man finished his story, and all eyes now focused on the holy rabbi.

“Do you regret that you asked me to be blessed with life in the world to come? Perhaps you would prefer to get all your lost wealth back?” the holy rabbi asked the innkeeper.

“Heaven forbid!” the innkeeper replied without hesitating. “Is the holy rabbi suggesting that I give up my share in the world to come in exchange for 100 barrels of wine? Absolutely not. I am prepared to remain a poor person all my life, traveling from place to place, if only I can merit life in the World to Come!”

“Indeed that is what I wanted to hear from you,” the holy rabbi said. “A person needs to be ready to give up everything for faith in the Holy One, blessed be He. You accomplished this, and therefore you will merit life in the World to Come.”

A smile of pure happiness spread across the poor innkeeper’s face.

The holy rabbi continued: “You are thinking that now you will have to wander with your friends for a long time. Well, that is not the case. With the help of Heaven, tomorrow the wagons with the wine that you lost in the forest will arrive here. You will sell them for a nice profit, and you will once again be able to guests as before.”

Sure enough, the next day, the wagons arrived as the holy rabbi had said. The villager became wealthy, and continued to host guests in a generous fashion.

You ask, “Who was the holy rabbi?” Maybe one of the Lamed Vov Tzadikim (36 Righteous people who bless and guide the world.

May all your tales end with Shalom (peace)

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Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. (Joel 1:3)

Rachmiel Tobesman is a motivational speaker and Maggid (spiritual Storyteller). He is available for speaking engagements or storytelling, Click here to contact us

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