Traveling with his inner circle of disciples, referred to as the Chevraya Kadisha, “the Holy Company,” the Maggid of Mezritch stopped at an inn where the Jewish host received the group warmly and with great honor. He put out a plentiful spread and set up comfortable beds for everyone to sleep.

Before the group retired for the night, the innkeeper approached the Maggid and said, “Rebbe, there’s an urgent matter I very much wish to discuss with you. I was actually planning to travel to you to speak about this matter in person, but now that you are here, I would be grateful if you could advise me.”

The Maggid turned to his disciple, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi—who would later become the famed Alter Rebbe, the founding Rebbe of Chabad—and told the innkeeper: “You see that man? He is an outstanding scholar who possesses the soul of the holy Nachmanides. He will one day merit to have a son just like me, and you should ask him. Whatever he tells you to do, follow his instruction.”

With that, the Maggid retired for the night.

The innkeeper approached Rabbi Shneur Zalman and explained his dilemma. For many years the inn had provided his family a decent living, but recently, the landlord had greatly raised the rent and it was straining his bottom line. He was considering giving up his lease and was looking into another inn on the side of town, across the river.

Rabbi Shneur Zalman agreed that it was a good idea and advised him to move to the other inn. “May you be blessed with our sages’ statement that, ‘A change of place brings a change of fortune,’ ” added the holy Rebbe-to-be. With that, he, too, went off to sleep.

When Rabbi Shneur Zalman awoke, he saw the innkeeper standing over him, waiting. Rabbi Shneur Zalman looked around and was surprised to see the inn completely empty; no people were around, and nary a table or chair could be found.

The entire building had been swept clean.

Noting Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s surprise, the innkeeper explained, “Rebbe, I was raised that when a righteous man gives counsel, it must be carried out without delay. The moment you advised me to move to the other inn, I wasted no time, gathered all my possessions, and took everything to the new inn. Your teacher and all your colleagues have already moved there as well, and now, the only thing left behind is you.”

Rabbi Shneur Zalman and the innkeeper boarded the ferry that would take them across the river to the new inn. Suddenly, a loud crash was heard, and a tremendous bolt of lightning lit up the morning sky, striking the old inn head on. The building was instantly consumed in a ball of fire.

This innkeeper lived for many years, and was still alive when Rabbi Shneur Zalman passed away and his son, Rabbi Dovber, known later as the Mitteler Rebbe, succeeded him.

He remembered the Maggid’s words that his disciple (Rabbi Shneur Zalman) would merit to have “a son just like me,” and he was immensely curious to meet Rabbi Dovber and see for himself. When he arrived in Lubavitch and met Rabbi Dovber—who was named for the Maggid—the innkeeper fainted, as indeed, he looked exactly like the way he remembered the saintly Maggid.

When Reb Abba Person (a chassid of the Tzemach Tzedek) would relate this story, he said that the Tzemach Tzedek would tell this story to his children as a lesson for how we ought to listen to our elders.