Story of the week (By Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
***** The Simple Innkeeper Who’s Blessings Worked Wonders*****
Harav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel was known as the Apta Rav. He was born in Zmigród, Poland in 1748. He held positions in Kolbosuv, Mezibuz, Yasi, and Apta. His Sefer is the Ohev Yisrael. He was one of the top four students of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizensk. When Rebbe Elimelech passed away, he gave over some of his spiritual powers to his top four students. The Apta Rav received the power of preaching, he was a powerful speaker and preacher which brought many people closer to Hashem. The others were the Koznitzer Magid, author of Avodas Yisrael, and the Chozeh of Lublin, who received the power of the eyes. The Chozeh or the seer, could see all over the world. Reb Mendel of Riminov received the heart of his Rebbe.
The Apta Rav in one of his travels, heard about an innkeeper that performed wondrous miracles and whose blessing always came true, and he was very eager to meet this innkeeper. Although he was concerned, maybe he wasn’t a real tzaddik, but a phony utilizing unholy influences. The Rebbe decided he would go and visit this inn and see for himself if he was a real tzaddik.
He disguised himself as a simple person and asked the innkeeper to rent him a room for a few nights. During this time he watched and analyzed the innkeeper’s every move, but he did not see any hidden sorcery or sins. He observed the innkeeper following the Torah and mitzvahs like an ehrliche yid. The Apta Rav was mystified as to how the innkeeper got his hidden powers. He decided to sneak into his bedroom and observe the innkeeper at night, but to his dismay, he only saw the innkeeper say Krias Shema and go to sleep.
After these few days, the Apta Rav approached the innkeeper and demanded he shares with him how he received his divine power, since he was an ehrliche yid, it was coming from a holy source. The innkeeper answered that his powers came from his tremendous faith and trust in Hashem, “Anytime I need money I just pray and He always helps me.” The Apta Rav was still skeptical and felt there had to be more than strong faith, and trust in Hashem to warrant such a strong gift of Divine Power.
The Innkeeper finally admitted and said, “I was penniless for many years and lived day to day by borrowing money to have the bare minimum. It started to take a toll on my family and they began to push me to find a partner to start a business. When we were poor, I never complained and always appreciated what Hashem gave me, but the hunger and agony of my family started to bother me. I developed a plan. I went to the shul and opened the Aron Kodesh. I opened my heart to Hashem and said: ‘You are the Master of the Universe and you care for your children constantly. You nourish the whole world. Hashem, I will be very open with you, my family wants me to find a partner to open a business. A partner of flesh and blood today may be with me, but tomorrow may be gone is not consistent enough for me. I request of you Hashem, since I always put my faith and trust in you, I am asking you to become my business partner. I pray that you accept my proposal and You should bless me with success and blessings. Please send me the initial investment and I promise to be honest and split everything 50-50 with you. My share will support my family and your share will go in the tzedakah box to help the poor. I promise that I will not trust your box with anyone and it will always stay by my side.’
After I prayed, I put my hand in my pocket and found a silver coin. I knew already that Hashem had accepted my partnership. I went home extremely happy and told my wife that I had found a partner for my business. She begged me to reveal who my partner was, but I told her that my partner preferred to be anonymous, and she left me alone. I showed her the initial investment of one silver coin that the new partner gave me, and with Hashem’s help, we will succeed. That day I went to the market and purchased some merchandise. As I was leaving the market a merchant offered to buy all my merchandise for a nice profit. I put half of the money in my box and the other half into my pocket. There was a bracha in the first deal, and I started to succeed in the next few deals, and I was able to purchase this inn. I opened a bar in the inn to sell drinks and I was very successful. I never let this box leave my sight; I even keep it under my pillow when I sleep. During the day whatever I earn at the inn, I put half in my pocket and half in the box.”
The Apta Rav excitedly exclaimed, “Now I understand why you were chosen to have this Divine Power! You are a true partner with Hashem, and since Hashem is very pleased with your business dealings, whenever you give a blessing, Hashem is a partner in that blessing too, so it must come true!”
