Once, in a small village, there lived a wealthy man who was an extremely generous host. Every guest who had the good fortune of staying in his home received not only the finest food to eat, the fluffiest, most comfortable bed in which to sleep, but the poorer guests also were sent away with a handsome donation to smooth their difficult lot.
He was entirely praiseworthy in his devotion to the mitzvah of receiving guests, except for only one thing: he continuously congratulated himself and sought praise for his deeds. When the Baal Shem Tov became apprised of this man's good deeds, and their unfortunate accompanying pride, he saw that all of these mitzvot were rendered useless by his boastfulness. The Besht dispatched his disciple, Reb Zev Kitzes, to bring about a change in the man's behavior.
One day, Reb Zev turned up at the door of the wealthy man and sought lodging. Of course, he was greeted with the greatest of generosity, but at every turn the wealthy benefactor asked, Aren't I the best host you have ever encountered? or Have you ever been treated to anything like this? To each inquiry, Rev Zev replied, We'll see.
When evening came and everyone went to sleep, the host bedded down together with his guests, as was his custom. When he was fast asleep, Rev Zev touched his finger and the man had a strange dream. In his dream, the king arrived at his house to visit him. He served the king a glass of tea, and suddenly the king passed out and died. The host was arrested and imprisoned, but then a fire broke out in the jail and he managed to escape. He ran and ran until he arrived in a far-away village where he worked as a water carrier. The work was hard and he could eke out the barest survival, since there was an abundance of water in the area and no one required his services.
One day, as he was carrying the heavy pails of water, he stumbled and fell, breaking both of his legs. As he lay on the ground weeping, he recalled that once he had been a wealthy man.
Reb Zev released his finger and the man woke in his own bed, weeping, but now from the realization that it had been only a dream. Reb Zev told him that the Baal Shem Tov had allowed him to experience this dream in order that he repent from his pride.
The man asked if he could return with Reb Zev to the Besht to learn how to truly extinguish his pride. The two traveled together to the Besht and when the wealthy man returned to his home he was a changed man, as generous as ever, but humble and modest.
