Rav Shaya once spent a Shabbos in the city of Zenta. After his tish on leil Shabbos, most of the crowd went home. Only a few chasidim remained behind to speak in learning and relate stories about tzadikim.
One of those who remained with Rav Shaya was a local melamed. After some time passed, he too wanted to go home, but Rav Shaya asked him to stay. A half hour later, he again wanted to leave, but Rav Shaya once more asked him not to go.
By now, it was almost 2am, and the melamed’s wife was very worried about. In panic, she went out to look for him. She hurried to the place where Rav Shaya was staying and knocked on the door. When Rav Shaya heard the knock, he told the melamed, “Now you can go home.”
The melamed walked home with his wife. When they got to their house, they saw that the wall of their bedroom had collapsed. Large bricks had fallen right onto his wife’s bed. If she had been asleep, she would have been gravely hurt. Thus, Rav Shaya saved her by telling the melamed to stay.
