Siman 85

(5.) 5569 [1808/9], the first night of Chanuka, after the lighting of the Chanuka lamp: a guest entered to the master of the house. And he asked the master of the house: What is your livelihood? And he answered him: I have no fixed livelihood at home — I sustain myself from the world [that is, from people]. And he asked him: What do you study? And he answered him. And they were conversing together, until they entered into words that come from the heart. And the master of the house began to yearn and long greatly — how does one attain and reach some spiritual matter of holiness? The guest said to him: I will teach you. And the master of the house was astonished and began to think: perhaps he is not a human being at all. But he reconsidered and saw that he was speaking with him in the way of human beings. However, immediately the faith was strengthened within him to believe in him. And he immediately began to call him "rabbi," and said to him: Before anything, I request to learn from you how to conduct myself toward you with honor — and it is needless to say that I would not actually besmirch your honor, G-d forbid — but even still, a person finds it difficult to be wholly careful as is proper. Therefore I want you to teach me how to conduct myself toward your honor. And he answered him: At this time I have no leisure — at another time I will come to you and teach you this. And at this time I need to leave from here. And he said to him: For this too I need to learn from you — how far I am to escort you. And he said to him: Until after the entrance. And he began to think how he would go out with him — for now I am with him among people, and if I go out with him alone, who knows who he is? And he asked him and said: I am afraid to go out with you. He answered: If I am able to do such a thing [as teach you holiness], then even now — if I wished to do you some harm — who could prevent me? And he went out with him from the entrance. And then immediately [the guest] grabbed him and began to fly with him. And it was cold for him, and [the guest] took a garment and gave it to him, and said to him: Take this garment — and it will be good for you, and you will have food and drink and all good, and you will sit in your house. And he flew with him. Meanwhile he looked and behold — he was in his house. And he could not understand how he had returned to his house so quickly. And this man was a talmid chacham [Torah scholar] and was very joyful that he had merited this. And he began to investigate and search: who could this guest have been? And it appeared to him that it had been Elijah the Prophet. And he was very joyful. And there is much more to this story that I have forgotten, for it was not written at the time — and the general principle, as he said then: "The world tells stories, and I saw the story." May Hashem Yisburach cause us to understand his holy and awesome words.