PART I
The year that this story took place, the Baal Shem Tov changed his usual practice and immediately after Havdala on Motzaei Yom Kippur, went to the beis midrash to partake of the holiday feast. It was a joyous day and it was a mitzva to eat and be happy.
The glow on the tzaddik’s face was completely unlike the avoda of the day, which had been done with great gravity and merirus (bitterness). Apparently, a black cloud hovered over the Jewish people and the Baal Shem Tov had worked to remove the evil decree.
“It was hard work this year,” began the Baal Shem Tov. “A severe decree hovered over Am Yisroel, and only thanks to the mitzva of hospitality of our brethren in the western lands, were we saved. In the merit of this mitzva, Avrohom Avinu was overjoyed. Avrohom himself sealed the mouth of the accuser.”
The Baal Shem Tov’s joy was enormous and he lingered at the table until dawn.
The day after Yom Kippur was Erev Shabbos, and the preparations for Shabbos were different than other Arvei Shabbos. The great simcha extended into the night and Shabbos day.
As the Shabbos day drew to a close, during the third meal, the tzaddik responded to the request of his disciples and he said, “When they rejoice up above over the mitzva of hospitality of village Jews, it would be fitting to travel there to see how they conduct themselves.”
After the bentching, Maariv, and Havdala, the order was given to Alexi the wagon driver to prepare the wagon and horses. Within a short time, a small group of disciples was ready to go.
PART II
The horses traveled swiftly. The passengers could see cities, towns and villages passing by. They were accustomed to traveling with k’fitzas HaDerech (shortening of the road), and yet, each time they were astounded anew by the open miracle.
When it turned light, they saw they had arrived in a city. Some guessed they were in Germany, but they could not ask anyone until the horses stopped. This they knew, that the horses went where they were led by the tzaddik.
The horses traveled through the streets of the city and left the city behind. In another little while they had stopped in a village, opposite a big house that looked like an inn.
As soon as he heard the neighing of the horses, the innkeeper came out. When he saw that they were Jews, his face lit up. He ran to greet the guests with arms spread wide as he said, “Thanks and praise to G-d! Guests like these for Yom Tov! Ah, we will surely have a joyous holiday.”
The Baal Shem Tov told him he intended on staying in the city for Yom Tov where he would have a shul, a mikva and a fine esrog, which was not commonly found in the home of every Jew in those days.
The man said, “We also have a mikva, a shul with a kosher Torah and a beautiful esrog. If you would like, we can daven in the big shul in town, but please dear Jews, do me this favor and stay with us for Yom Tov.”
The Baal Shem Tov saw how the man longed to host them and he agreed to stay. He told his talmidim that this is where they would spend Yom Tov.
The joy in the man’s house was indescribable. The family members began quickly preparing both for Yom Tov and for their guests.
After Maariv, they all entered the villager’s spacious sukka. The tzaddik’s face shone. The mitzva of sitting in the sukka filled him with enormous joy. The villager now found out that the man he was hosting in his home and in his sukka was none other than the Baal Shem Tov, whose name had spread even to western Europe.
The next day, the host said to his illustrious guest, “In your honor, let all the villagers go to the city and daven there in the big shul.”
The Baal Shem Tov said that he wanted to daven in the villager’s home that day, and the next day, they would daven together in the city. Indeed, the following morning, dozens of villagers walked with the Baal Shem Tov’s disciples to the big city, an hour away. The city welcomed the Baal Shem Tov with great honor. The heads of the community begged him to be their guest during the meals.
The Baal Shem Tov said that it depended on the consent of his host. The host, with his golden heart, agreed to forgo the great privilege and allow the Jews of the city to enjoy the tzaddik’s presence. So the Baal Shem Tov remained there until the end of Yom Tov, to the delight of the people of the city.
PART III
Shortly before they set out again, the Baal Shem Tov asked his host how he could bless him for his hospitality. The simple man said, “Holy rabbi! I don’t lack for anything. G-d gave me a family and money. I have but one request, to merit life in the World to Come.”
The tzaddik smiled and said, “If you want my promise, you must come to me in Mezhibuzh.”
“Yes, Rebbi,” said the man. “In order to merit Olam Haba it is worth going through fire and water!”
“If so,” said the Baal Shem Tov, “take my advice and bring along some wagons laden with barrels of wine. They are worth a lot in our area. May Hashem help you make a nice profit.”
After the tzaddik departed, the villager set aside all his work and began preparing for the long trip. He had several weeks of traveling ahead of him, since he did not have k’fitzas HaDerech. He bought many barrels of wine and hired wagon drivers and set out.
At a certain point, it suddenly began to pour until they could travel no further. The wagon drivers brought them to the nearest inn.
The next day, the skies cleared and the sun shone. The villager woke up early, davened and was ready to leave. However, when he went to the place where he had left the wagon drivers and merchandise, he did not find a trace of them! He rubbed his eyes in astonishment, trying to remember where he had left them. He went right back to the inn to see whether they were there, but did not see them and not even the inn!
The villager could not understand what had happened. Was it all a dream or had he been hallucinating? He ran about like a madman, but saw nothing. Frightened, he fell to the ground in a faint.
He did not know how much time had elapsed and what had happened in the interim. He slowly woke up and found himself in an open field. He tried recalling how he had gotten there, and began to remember the bizarre circumstances. His head hurt and his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t eaten in some time.
He did not know what to do next when a group of paupers appeared and were surprised to find a Jew lying on the ground. They quickly offered him help and he began to get back to himself. He drank a little bit and had some dry bread that one of the men took out of his bag. When he had recovered, he joined their group.
He went with them wherever they went. Within a short time, he had grown accustomed to his new friends. He wandered with them from place to place, from town to town, and whatever they did, he did too.
PART IV
One day, the group arrived in Mezhibuzh. He knew this because the paupers said so. Nothing was hidden from the Baal Shem Tov and upon their arrival in town, he said to his servant, “A new band of paupers has arrived. Go and find them and invite them to eat the Shabbos meal with me.”
When the paupers came to the Baal Shem Tov’s home, he said that each of them should enter to be received by him. When it was the villager’s turn, the Baal Shem Tov said to him, “You will remain with me.”
The Baal Shem Tov asked his servant to bring new Shabbos clothes for the guest and to take him to the bathhouse to prepare for Shabbos. During the davening, the Baal Shem Tov had the villager stand next to him, and at the table, he seated him right next to him.
The villager had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, all eyes were upon him. The tzaddik had placed him at the head of the table and he wondered why he was being so honored. What made him better than his fellow paupers?
With the tzaddik’s influence, the fog of forgetfulness began to lift and he slowly remembered what had happened to him, including all the travails he had undergone since he had left home to travel to the tzaddik in Mezhibuzh.
“Do you recognize me?” suddenly asked the Baal Shem Tov.
“Yes,” said the villager, his teeth chattering in fright. “You are Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov.”
The tzaddik looked pleased. “Do you remember that when I visited you last Sukkos, you asked me to promise you Olam Haba?”
All at once, the villager remembered everything. He shuddered. He had gone through so much since then. “Yes, yes, though so much time has elapsed since that day.”
“You are mistaken,” said the Baal Shem Tov with a smile. “Not even two months have passed since then. As far as the wine, don’t worry. Tomorrow morning all the merchandise that disappeared will arrive.”
The villager stared in wonder, not taking his eyes off the tzaddik. He could not believe everything that had taken place. It was all still confusing. He was only beginning to realize that he had gone through a terrible hallucination beyond all comprehension.
“You asked for a big thing,” said the tzaddik after a prolonged silence. “Obtaining Olam Haba is not easy. A person needs to work hard, be refined as silver is refined, and distance any blot from his soul. It can be said in your merit that you accepted your suffering with love; you inclined your head in acceptance of the heavenly judgment to the point that you completely forgot your past. In this period of time, your soul was purified. Fortunate are you that you merited to inherit both worlds!”