"We will stay here tonight," the Maggid of Mezritch said to his students who accompanied him on his trip. They had stopped at a roadside inn, and requested from the Jewish owner lodgings for the night.
The innkeeper, a G-d fearing Jew, welcomed the party of tzadikim (righteous people) with great joy and honor. He thanked G-d that such a great merit had come his way, to host under his roof holy people like the Maggid and some of his greatest students.
He hurried to arrange a table for his guests laden with all the best food, after which he prepared beds for the whole group. When the guests had finished their meal the innkeeper approached the Maggid and asked to speak to him.
The Maggid agreed and the innkeeper said: "Already for a long time I wanted to come to the Rebbe to ask his advice. I was about to leave for Mezritch and here the Rebbe himself came to my house! Please Rebbe, give me your wise counsel."
After listening to the innkeeper, the Maggid pointed at one of his companions, the youngest of his students, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi.
The Soul of the Ramban
"Please go to him and ask him for his advice," he said to the innkeeper. He added an extraordinary remark, "he has exceptional wisdom, and the soul of the Ramban (Nachmanides, i.e. Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman) lives in him. He will merit a son like me. Do what he tells you."
The middle-aged innkeeper did as he was told. He approached Rabbi Shneur Zalman and told him what worried him. For years the inn has afforded him a generous livelihood, since many travelers stop there. He receives them, gives them a place to eat and sleep, and so makes a good profit. Thank G-d, till now the income he made was considerate. Lately though the expenses of operating the inn grew, the rent was raised markedly and, in addition, a heavy tax was put on his earnings. Now he couldn't make ends meet any more.
As a result, added the innkeeper, he thought to leave this inn, with its high rent, and move to a vacant inn on the other side of the river. The cost of running that inn would be less and he would make more profit.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman heard him out, thought for a while, then agreed to the move to the other inn. He told the man that the move would be for the best, in light of the saying: "Changing one's place changes one's fortune -- for good and for blessing."
The innkeeper was glad with these words and Rabbi Shneur Zalman went to his room.
“And Take Advice From Him”
It was early morning, Rabbi Shneur Zalman was in his room, learning Torah. When he left his room he was surprised to see the innkeeper waiting at the entrance. Looking around him Rabbi Shneur Zalman noticed that the inn was completely empty. There was nobody there, nor was there any furniture or any of the other household goods that had been there before.
The innkeeper saw his astonishment and explained: "I heard an explanation of the saying of our Sages '...and take advice from him', that the meaning is that after getting advice from a tzadik one should immediately act upon it, without waiting even one moment. That is why, after I got your advice last night, I right away started to pack all my possessions and transfer them to the other inn across the river."
He added that the Maggid and his other students had already moved to the other inn and they were waiting there for Rabbi Shneur Zalman to join them.
The innkeeper and Rabbi Shneur Zalman left the inn and got into the boat which would take them across the river.
Faith in Tzadikim
They had hardly stepped into the boat when there was a sudden blinding flash of lightening followed by a tremendous crash of thunder. The lightning struck directly on the inn, which they had left just a few moments before. The lightning strike caused a big fire and in no time the building went up in flames, leaving nothing but a heap of blackened wood and ash.
