No Complaints Against Him in Shomayim:
Rav Hersh of Rimanov zy”a was the attendant and student of Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zy”a, and eventually became his successor. For this reason, he is sometimes referred to as “Rav Hersh Meshares” (Rav Hersh the Attendant).
Sefer M’Zekeinim Esbonen quotes Rav Mordechai Chaim of Slonim zy”a as relating that a Rov once was in the bais medrash of Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov for davening on Rosh Chodesh. Rav Hersh, who was known for his extremely enthusiastic davening, was also praying there that day. He would often become so passionate while he prayed that he would grab people and shake them as he paced from corner to corner. That day, he grabbed the visiting Rov and shook him up and down, even knocking him to the ground and tearing his long coat before walking away.
The Rov first thought that he might be a great Rov who davens with much enthusiasm, so he should not get mad at him. After davening, when Rav Menachem Mendel held a tish in honor of Rosh Chodesh, he saw that Rav Hersh setting up the food and realized that he was the attendant. He then told Rav Mendel what happened and asked, “Why are you keeping a ‘shor hamazik’ (an ox that does damage, i.e., a wild, unruly person who harms others) in your home?”
When Rav Mendel heard these words, he put his head down on his hands for a long time. He then looked at the Rov and said, “How can I be upset at him? If they aren’t upset at him in Shomayim, how could I be upset at him?”
Standing Behind His Door:
The Ropshitzer Rebbe zy”a once told his sons, “A day will come when you will stand behind Rav Hersh’s door to try to get inside.”
Rav Eliezer of Zhikov zy”a once came to Rimanov and found Rav Hersh’s door locked. He was given a chair to sit on but he refused to sit because his father had told him that he would stand behind the door – so he preferred to stand than to sit.
His Hand Only Stretched Out For Good Things:
The Yeshuos Yaakov zt”l found it hard to believe that a Rebbe’s attendant could become a Rebbe. Therefore, when Rav Hersh visited him, he did not want to show him any honor and he told his grandson in advance to remove all of the chairs from the house so that he would not have to offer him a seat.
The time Rav Hersh had made up to come arrived, but he did not show up. The Yeshuos Yaakov sent his grandson to find him, and he came back and said, “Rav Hersh is standing next to the mezuzah. He keeps touching it with hand but he is not making a move to kiss it.”
The Yeshuos Yaakov asked for the mezuzah to be checked, and it was found to be pasul. He now saw that Rav Hersh was indeed a great man and he told his grandson to bring the chairs back into the room so that he could sit. He then asked him, “If you sensed that the mezuzah was pasul, why did you keep touching it. Why didn’t you just say that it is pasul?”
Rav Hersh answered, “I didn’t know that it is pasul. However, I have trained my body to only be drawn to good things. When I saw that my hand refused to kiss the mezuzah, I knew that there was something wrong with it.”
Eating Little:
While Rav Hersh was staying with Rav Uri of Strelisk for a Shabbos, Rav Hersh could see that Rav Uri ate very little. He told him, “Rav Mendel of Rimanov worked on himself all week to be able to eat on Shabbos. Why don’t you eat as well?”
The Strelisker chasidim were upset that their Rebbe was spoken to in this manner, but Rav Uri replied, “If I had the type of attendant that Rav Mendel had, I also would eat.”
Full Teshuva:
Rav Hershel of Liska zy”a related that he once spent Rosh Hashanah in Rav Hersh’s bais medrash and Rav Hersh told the crowd on rosh Hashanah night, “Teshuva is not a bear that one fear. One must merely fix the past and not mess up in the future.”
With these words, he taught the people that it is not hard to do teshuva and that they all had the ability to do it.
His Eating Was Greater Than His Praying:
Rav Noach Weinberg zt”l (quoted in Sefer M’Zekeinim Esbonen) would say in the name of Rav Hersh that we may ask the following quesiton: We know that “one’s table” (the way that one eats) atones for one’s sins. If so, it would seem that we should eat before we daven. Why do we daven before we eat?
The answer is that we must ascend in holiness and not descend. (We first do the holy task of davening and then the even holier task of eating.)
May the Memory of the Tzadik be a Blessing for Klal Yisroel.
