Rav Chaim Yosef Arye Prager of Brisk writes how the Chida once met the Gaon Rav Dovid Ashkenazi of Bichov, who lived in Teverya and was sent by Rav Avrohom Kalisker to collect funds for the nascent and struggling Chassidishe yishuv there. Rav Dovid traveled in the west for some seven years collecting, and on one of his travels he met the Chida in Livorno. During their discussion about how greatly esteemed his Rebbe, the Ohr HaChaim, was among the Chassidim, the Chida replied humbly that he did not consider himself worthy of being called a true talmid who knew the Ohr HaChaim, claiming that he was just someone who had studied there in his Yeshiva. He then related to Rav Dovid the following amazing story about his Rebbe, Rav Chaim ben Attar, the Ohr HaChaim:
Once, the Ohr HaChaim was late to arrive at the Yeshiva. This was uncharacteristic of him and all the talmidim who had gathered at the appointed time for his shiur wondered at this departure from custom. When the hour grew late and the delay continued, the Chida gathered his courage and himself went to his Rebbe’s home to see what the delay was about and to call on the Ohr HaChaim. When he got there, he engaged Rav Chaim in conversation and the Ohr HaChaim told the Chida in a totally nonchalant and dismissive manner as part of the conversation, “I was late because I was stuck on a difficult Tosafos which I simply couldn’t unravel or understand at all until...Rabbeinu Yitzchok, one of the Ba’alei Tosafos, came and explained to me what he meant.”
