Reb Nota was hired by a simple villager to teach his two sons. Everything about Reb Nota seemed rather ordinary. He taught, he prayed, he studied, he ate, he rested. On Shabbat he would join the family at their Sabbath meal and then retire to his room, to enjoy a little Shabbat rest.
One Friday, the lady of the house woke up at midnight and heard noise. She quietly followed the sound. After a moment of confusion, she realized that it was the melodious voice of the tutor and he was singing the Shabbat evening prayers! She resolved to observe the tutor more closely the next day.
At the daytime Shabbat meal, the woman noticed that Reb Nota was only pretending to eat. Every so often he would place a few morsels of food onto a handkerchief on his lap. How had she never noticed this before? After the meal she listened again by Reb Nota's door. This time, too, she heard the same beautiful voice singing the Shabbat morning prayers with great devotion.
Through the keyhole she saw that after Reb Nota completed his prayers, he made kiddush on wine, washed his hands for bread and said the hamotzee blessing. He then partook of the modest meal he had set aside in his handkerchief.
The woman realized that Reb Nota was no simple tutor and revealed to her husband everything she had seen and heard. Together they approached Reb Nota with the following offer: "We know that you are a holy man. We ask that you remain with us and we will provide your every need. You can pray and study to your heart's delight. Our sons are simple like us and we know that they will never be great Torah scholars. We only ask that in return you spend time with them each day, imparting the weekly Torah portion, simple laws and ethical teachings so they can live upright lives filled with love of G-d and love for their fellow Jews."
Reb Nota agreed to the couple's generous offer. Time passed and the villagers began to take note of Reb Nota's modest yet holy ways. They turned to him for advice and Torah teachings. The villager and his wife graciously welcomed into their home the scholars who began coming from afar to hear Reb Nota's Torah teachings. G-d blessed the couple and their business prospered.
Eventually the elders of Vladova asked Reb Nota to move to their town and Reb Nota agreed. A few years later the community of Chelm in Poland invited Reb Nota to be their rabbi. Reb Nota acceded to their request and it was there that he became renown as the rebbe, Reb Nota of Chelm.
Years passed and the villager's business began to flounder. Eventually he had to resort to selling his possessions until he had nothing left to sell. At this point, his wife said to him, "Perhaps you should travel to Reb Nota of Chelm and ask for his blessing. Surely Reb Nota will remember us and he will bless us."
The villager traveled to Chelm. Imagine the good man's surprise when he arrived at Reb Nota's court and, after waiting in line to be received by Reb Nota, was greeted in the same identical way as all of the other visitors!
The villager reminded himself that it was the eve of the Sabbath and that Reb Nota was busy. Surely it would be different later. Throughout Shabbat the villager was accorded the same kindness and recognition as every other person who had come to spend the Sabbath with Reb Nota, but nothing more.
The villager was so disappointed he could hardly contain himself. When it was time to take leave of Reb Nota, he presented his note as did all of the other visitors. Reb Nota read the note and blessed him, as he did all of the other visitors.
The villager could contain himself no longer. He mustered his courage and said, "Rebbe, I have a question that is bothering me."
"Ask," said Reb Nota gently.
"Every day, during each of the three daily prayers, we mention the merits of the Patriarchs. In the days preceding Rosh Hashana, we also ask that G-d 'Remember the covenant You made with Abraham and the binding of Isaac.' From Rosh Hashana until Yom Kippur, we ask G-d to help us because of the merits of the Patriarchs. Finally it is Yom Kippur and throughout that day we remind G-d of the merit of the Patriarchs. In the last prayer on Yom Kippur, Neila, we remind G-d of, 'Our father (Abraham) who knew You from his childhood.' Haven't we mentioned Abraham, Isaac and Jacob enough? What is added here?"
Reb Nota smiled, "Surely you have an answer. Please share it with me."
"Well," began the villager, "at the climax of Yom Kippur, we are concerned that a prosecuting angel will say, 'What of the merit of the Patriarchs? Had they never existed everyone would still know the greatness of G-d, Who created heaven and earth and sustains them.' And this is why we say, 'Our father who knew You from his childhood.' Abraham recognized G-d's greatness when no one else recognized Him. It was Abraham who first made G-d's name known.
"It is the same with me," the villager continued bashfully. "Without me, the Rebbe would have still been a holy man. But who knew of the Rebbe and who had ever heard of the Rebbe years ago. Was it not I who made the Rebbe's name renown? Why then, Rebbe, do you not take care of me when I am in such need?"
Reb Nota smiled his kind smile once more. "Go in peace and G-d will surely make your business prosper henceforth."
And so it was. From that time forward the villager's business prospered until he once again attained his former wealth.
Reb Nota would recount this incident to his Chasidim, praising the simple villager and his speech. The Chasidim, for their part, added that it was not for naught that Reb Nota withheld a warm welcome from the villager. For it was through this that he merited to have such a powerful insight.
