"We Have With Us a Master of Stories"
As I Heard Them, Vol. 1, pp. 458-459, no. 29
Select elder chassidim joined the Frierdiker Rebbe for the Yom-Tov meals in his home, with the Rebbe seated to his left; after the Frierdiker Rebbe's histalkus the meals continued and the Rebbe kept attending, still sitting at the side of the table in his customary silence. Over the years chassidim began asking the Rebbe to explain difficulties in Chassidus, minhagim, or chassidic stories, and much of what was said there was later published in the two volumes of Hamelech Bimesobo; R. Zalman Duchman was an active participant. At the day meal of Acharon Shel Pesach 5727 (1967) the Rebbe said, "We have with us a 'master of stories'; tell a story!" and R. Zalman related that the Rebbe Rashab insisted one wear silk on Shabbos, even selling one's gold and silver to afford it, and that some who would not part with their valuables were in the end arrested on account of them. At the evening seuda of Shemini Atzeres 5729 (1968), R. Zalman mentioned he had made kiddush on mashkeh; the Rebbe approved but added that R. Zalman was over forty and this should be made clear so that others would not follow, and when R. Zalman asked the Rebbe to say something about the Frierdiker Rebbe as the ushpizin of Shemini Atzeres, the Rebbe answered, "Here he is not a guest, but the baal habayis!"
Holiday: shemini_atzeres (4/5): The kiddush-on-mashkeh exchange and the 'baal habayis, not a guest' reply both took place at the evening seuda of Shemini Atzeres 5729, and the ushpizin question turns on that day belonging to the Frierdiker Rebbe.