The parents of the Baal Shem Tov were famous for their hospitality. Every week they invited a beggar wanderer to their home so that he could celebrate Shabbos with them. They fed the poor man, gave him shelter, and at the end of Shabbos they gave him money and food for the journey. God noticed their generosity, and, as often happens, after God, Satan, the Accuser, also noticed them.
God decided to bless this family with a child, but Satan wanted to first test the hospitality of the spouses in order to find out whether they really do good for nothing or whether there is hope in their hearts for some kind of heavenly reward. Realizing that Satan would try in any way to lure these people into some kind of trap, the prophet Elijah asked the Lord for permission to go to them instead of the Tempter. God gave his consent, and on the nearest Shabbos, Elijah descended to earth.
He disguised himself as a beggar, took a staff and a backpack in his hands - which is a violation of Shabbos - and on Saturday afternoon he knocked on the door of the righteous. As soon as Eliezer opened the door, the beggar pushed him aside and entered.
“Good Saturday,” he said, “I’m hungry and need shelter.”
Eliezer greeted the stranger, and his wife placed the third Sabbath meal on the table. The guest ate and lay down to rest, without thanking either the owners of the house or the Creator. In the evening, when Shabbos ended, the couple prepared a Melave Malka (solemn Shabbat meal) for him. And again, after eating, he did not show the slightest gratitude. The stranger spent the night in this house, and the next morning he was given food and enough money so that he could continue his journey. Then the beggar revealed that he was the prophet Elijah.
“I came to test your hospitality,” he said, “to check how sincere you are.” You passed the test with flying colors because, despite everything, you were kind to me and did not say a word about my outrageous behavior or shame me. God is pleased with you and considers you worthy of a son who will become a light to the eyes of all Israel.
Soon they actually had a son, the Baal Shem Tov.
Commentary by Rami Shapiro What does it mean to open the door to a stranger? What gives this action a spiritual dimension? The Torah speaks about the need to love one’s neighbor (that is, one’s neighbor) only once (Leviticus 19:18), but more than thirty times it reminds us of love for the “distant”—the stranger, the stranger! Why? Hospitality involves moving beyond dualistic thinking (me - others, us - them). You open the door only after you open your heart. Thus, hospitality is a reflection of your spiritual world.
Anyone who loves God but fears the unknown stranger does not understand God at all. God is the Other, revealing Himself in all others. Love of God and hospitality are completely similar, they equally express the same truth: everything is God. Besht's parents saw the manifestation of God in every wanderer, in every stranger, and therefore they were not strangers to the Lord. Their closeness to God reflected the closeness between the two of them, and as a result the Baal Shem Tov was born, showing the world the One in whom all others dwell.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru