A traveling merchant was once on the road when Shabbos was nearing. He suddenly found himself caught in a dilemma; where he should spend Shabbos? After inquiring of the locals, he was told to go to the house of the Saraf of Strelisk. He was known as the place to spend Shabbos. His wife was a well-known machneses orech, and the Saraf was known for his bren in mitzvos. Every part of Shabbos was done with bren and enthusiasm.
The merchant approached the wife of the Saraf and asked if he could spend Shabbos with them, and she happily welcomed him into the house. She set up comfortable quarters for him to stay and prepared for him a welcoming delicious snack. After the Friday night seudah, she turned to the merchant and asked if all the accommodations were suitable. He confirmed that everything was well and fine, “But there one thing that bothers me!” “What’s bothering you?” she asked in surprise. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
The Guest Doesn’t Scream When He Davens to Hashem
“Why does the Saraf scream when he davens? I also daven, yet when I do it, I don’t scream. Hashem hears and listens to me, even when I talk normally.” “The Rebbe does that out of his excitement of talking to Hashem,” the rebbetzin replied. But the merchant didn’t accept her answer. “I also daven with passion, and yet I don’t scream. Why does the Rebbe have to scream when he davens?” The Saraf’s wife tried explaining a few times, but whatever she said fell on deaf ears. After the Shabbos day seudah, again the Saraf’s wife asked their guest how he was doing. And again, the guest responded that while everything was fine, he still couldn’t get over the Rebbe’s screaming during davening. “I’m going zany over the loud noise!” His wife went on to explain again how her husband’s davening was coming from his spirit, and that there was nothing to do in order to prevent it. As the sun of Motzaei Shabbos set under, the guest inhaled a sigh of relief. He would no longer hear the screaming voice of the Saraf echoing in his ears anymore. He would be able to take his belongings and set off to the marketplace.
