The Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz told the following stories about his illustrious forebear, the Toras Chaim of Kosov:
The Toras Chaim once said about the zemer Eliyohu HaNovi recited as part of the Motzo’ei Shabbos Melava Malka zemiros, “We sing ashrei mi shero’a ponov bachalom – happy is he who saw Eliyohu HaNovi’s face in a dream – but who knows what Eliyohu HaNovi looks like? If no one knows what he looks like, how would he be able to recognize him in a dream? I, however, concluded the Toras Chaim, would be able to recognize him if I saw him in a dream because I once saw him when I was awake, with my father the Ahavas Sholom, and this is how it happened:
“When I was a young child,” told the Toras Chaim, “I often used to sleep in my father’s bed. One night, I was awakened from my sleep to the sound of a conversation taking place between my father and someone else in the room. I looked up and was amazed to see an elderly man with a shining countenance sitting on my father’s chair and my father sat at his side. I was upset by this – who dared take my father’s seat at the head of the table? My father said to the guest: ‘Eliyohu, here in bed lies my Chaim’nyu – I would like you to give him a berocha!’
“When I heard that this was none other than Eliyohu HaNovi, I was seized with fear and trembling and hid beneath the covers. Eliyohu HaNovi reached in below the covers, placed his holy hands on my head and gave me a berocha. I took a peek from underneath the covers and saw his holy face!”
“And so therefore I tell you,” concluded the Toras Chaim, “that if I saw him in a dream, I could recognize him because I saw him when I was awake!” (Sarfei Kodesh 429–430)
