It is related that the daughter of Rav Yaakov Emden zt”l went to the market one Friday morning to buy fish for Shabbos. She found a large fish and happily bought it, thanking Hashem for sending it her way. She then added a prayer, “Hashem, thank you for sending me this nice fish. Please also send me a good guest to share this fish with!”
And so it was. In the afternoon, the great tzadik, Rav Yitzchok of Drohovitch zy”a (father of the Magid of Zlotchov zy”a) appeared at her door. No one recognized him and he did not tell them who he was, but from his appearance they could tell that he was a holy man. They received him with much honor and asked him to be their guest for Shabbos.
After Shalosh Seudos, Rav Yitzchok made a “She’elos Chalom” to ask why he was sent to this specific house and what he was meant to rectify in this place. The answer he received was that he didn’t need to fix anything. The reason he was sent was because the woman of the house was of holy lineage and was the daughter of a great talmid chochom, in addition to being a tzadekes in her own right. She had davened for an honorable guest for Shabbos to enjoy her fish and he had been sent in answer to her prayers.
After Melave Malka, Rav Yitzchok left the house, escorted by the family members. He then told them that they shouldn’t utter such prayers in the future, as they had caused him the trouble of traveling a long distance to spend Shabbos with them.
From this story, we can learn the power of tefillah. They can break through the Heavens and be accepted immediately.
