The Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a related that when his grandfather, the Magid of Mezheritz zy”a, was learning under the Besht, he davened with the Besht’s minyan, but because he was frail and weak, he would daven in a side room, while the rest of the chasidim davened in the main bais medrash. On one occasion when it is customary to put on kittel before Tefillas Mussaf (either on Pesach for Tefilas Tal or Shemini Atzeres for Tefillas Gashem), the Besht entered the side room to get his kittel. The Magid wanted to help his Rebbe, so he went to fetch the kittel and, as soon as he touched it, he began to tremble with fear of the Besht’s kedusha. He had to grab onto the table to avoid falling but he was trembling so much that the entire table started to shake.
The Ruzhiner Rebbe said, “My grandfather was no shoemaker and the Besht was not a G-d. Still and all, just touching the Besht’s kittel caused him to tremble. But us simple people stand on Hashem’s earth, which is His clothing, and we don’t shake at all!”
