STORY
R’ Dovid Bleicher Zatzal was the Rosh Yeshiva of one of the main Novardok branches, in Mezritch. He was a person who wouldn’t Chanfa (flatter) anybody. The “Rosh HaKahal” in Mezritch was a wealthy person, and powerful person. He was part of the government, and was “in” with the most important people of the country. He was active in helping the community with Chesed organizations. He was very tough, and people were terrified of him. Everybody bowed his head in his presence.
He wasn’t known for Ahavas Torah, and he was openly against the Yeshiva. R’ Dovid Bleicher once needed a permit, which was available only through getting this person’s signature. Without having another choice, he went to him with his brother-in-law, R’ Shmuel Panitz Zatzal. The “Rosh HaKahal” ridiculed them, and made fun of all the Yeshivos in general, and especially Yeshivas Mezritch.
Needless to say, he refused their request. R’ Dovid immediately gave him a tongue lashing for his chutzpa, and his hatred for Torah and Yeshiva’leit. Then he turned to his brother-in-law and said: “Come, let’s get out of here. We have no Eisek (business) with this person”. Those who were present were horrified. They never saw anyone talk like this to this person. The whole world melted in his presence.
This made a big impression on the “Rosh HaKahal”. The next time there was a community meeting concerning the Yeshiva, he got up, and said: Although I am is against the Yeshiva, I still can’t refuse the Rosh Yeshiva who is an Adam Gadol.
Most of his students had been part of the great exodus of all the Novardokers who escaped from Russia to Poland. When the communists took over Russia, they banned learning Torah. (The Steipler, R’ Gershon, R’ Nekritz, etc. were all formerly in Russia, and they all crossed the border with tremendous Nissim). Later, they had trouble from the Polish government, since they were missing citizenship papers.
This is typical Novardok; crossing the border without any concern how they will manage in a strange country without papers. Bitachon! Hundreds and hundreds made it across with tremendous Nissim, and the Novardok movement was replanted all over Poland. Now, the Mezritcher Talmidim had to report to the police station from time to time.
At one point they got into lots of trouble, because the chief of police misunderstood them. Many Talmidim were thrown into jail. Guess who helped them in their hour of need.... This same “tough guy” Rosh HaKahal went together with R’ Dovid to the government officials, asking them to withdraw all the charges relating to their border crossing. This is exactly what happened, and the charges were all withdrawn.
R’ Dovid was a major Mutzlach in whatever he did (including winning lotteries!). R’ Shlomo Fieger Zatzal told me that R’ Dovid was always carrying Sifrei Bitachon (if I am not mistaken, he had a small briefcase with these Seforim). Every move he made was with Bitachon. The famous picture of him has him standing like a straight-backed general, with a relaxing smile on his face.
He had a tremendous love for Klal Yisroel, and a feeling of Achrayus for the Klal. In the beginning of WWII, the Brisker Rav and R' Chaim Ozer Grodzensky sent two Novardoker Talmidim on a mission to Mezritch (this meant sneaking across the Russian-Polish border) to try to convince R' Dovid (in the name of these two Gedolim) to escape to Vilna, but he refused, saying that hundreds of Yidden are relying on him, and he would not abandon them in such perilous times. (The Brisker Rav himself related this story).
