JEWISH TRADITION puts a high value on hospitality, one of whose attributes is declared by the rabbis to be ‘that a person eats [its] fruits in this world, while the principal remains for him in the world to come’. It was only to be expected that it would be similarly praised by leading hasidic figures, such as R. Uri of Strelisk, who ordained that every person should have a guest at his table at every meal, ‘and then it will be regarded as if he engaged in all the mystical intents of R. Isaac Luria, of blessed memory’.

Stories on this topic were composed over the ages, and the theme continued into the hasidic genre. R. Abraham Abusch, head of the Frankfurt rabbinical court, is an example of a non-hasidic figure who fulfilled the religious obligation of extending hospitality, even under trying circumstances, such as welcoming a physically repulsive guest.

R. Eliezer, the father of the Ba'al Shem Tov, was put to the test regarding this attribute. It is said that he was ‘an extremely hospitable host’,5 and even placed watchmen at the edge of his village to inform him of every visitor's arrival.

Once he was highly praised from heaven above concerning his good attributes, and it was agreed in heaven to put him to the test on some matter. It was asked: ‘Who shall go to try him?’ And Samael said: ‘I will go.’ Elijah [the Prophet], of blessed mention [the phrase used is zakhur latov, rather than the more usual zikhrono liverakhah, so as to suggest the belief that Elijah did not die], said: ‘It is not well that you go, I shall go [instead]!’ Elijah, of blessed mention, went on a sabbath afternoon in the guise of a poor man, with his staff and satchel [thereby violating the sabbath], and came and said: Shabta taba [a good sabbath].

R. Eliezer did not reproach the stranger for his violation of the sabbath; on the contrary, he provided him with the third sabbath meal, and after that, the melaveh malkah. On the following day, Sunday morning, the tsadik even gave him a handsome present, and again did not reprove him for his desecration of the sabbath.