The Difficult Guest

The tzadik, Reb Eliezer, father of the Ba’al Shem Tov, lived in a small village in the Carpathian Mountains in the Ukraine and was particularly devoted to the mitzvah of hospitality. It was his practice to send emissaries to bring visitors to his home, and after he had filled their needs with food and drink, he would supply them with more provisions for their journey.

In heaven they were very impressed by his practice, but the heavenly prosecutors claimed that Reb Eliezer had not yet reached the level of hospitality that Avraham had reached. Nor had he stood up to any particularly trying situation with his guests. The satan insisted that Reb Eliezer be tested, and upon hearing of this, Eliyahu Hanavi asked to be the one to go test Reb Eliezer. Eliyahu’s request was granted by the heavenly court.

And so it was that one Shabbos afternoon, in the guise of a poor man, Eliyahu descended to visit the tzadik Reb Eliezer. Upon entering Reb Eliezer’s home, he called out, “Good Shabbos!”

It appeared to Reb Eliezer that his guest had desecrated the Shabbos, (by traveling and arriving to town on Shabbos), and was not even embarrassed by his deeds, yet he did not become angry at him for arriving with such gall. Instead, Reb Eliezer immediately offered the pauper food for the third Shabbos meal and after Shabbos was over, he served him the Melave Malka meal.

The following morning, on Sunday, Reb Eliezer provided his guest with a generous donation, still making no mention of the sin of desecrating the Shabbos day. At that moment, Eliyahu revealed himself to him and announced, “I am the Eliyahu Hanavi, and in merit of your exceptional deed, you will be privileged to bear a son who will light up the Jewish people!”

Hachnasas Orchim is a beautiful mitzvah, but sometimes it can be tempting to avoid the ‘challenging guests,’ those who require more work to accommodate, those whose company isn’t as pleasant, or those whose level of Jewish observance make us uncomfortable. Reb Eliezer showed us the way to do the Mitzvah like Avraham Avinu, in an unconditional and open way. At the end of the day, not only is Hashem always watching, but this test might be the one through which your Hochnosos Orchim is ultimately tested and measured!