Giving Everything Away:
Sefer Toras Hamidos (Tzedakah, page 375) quotes Sefer Tiferes Mordechai as relating that Rav Meir of Premishlan zy”a once asked a chasid of the Yismach Moshe zy”a to describe to him how his rebbe gave tzedakah.
The chasid replied, “He gave a fifth of all of his income to tzedakah!”
Rav Meir said, “That’s enough for tzadikim. But Meir’l is not so great. I even need to give the feathers from my pillows to tzedakah.”
Two Tzadikim Carrying Bundles of Wheat:
The same sefer relates (page 352) that Rav Moshe Leib of Sosov zy”a would go every day after Shacharis to every widow in the city in order to wish them a good morning and see how they were doing. If any widow would say that she needed anything, he would immediately try to get her what she needed.
Rav Moshe Leib once came to the city of Yaroslav, where he was spotted by Rav Shimon of Yaroslav zy”a, who was then a very young man. When Rav Shimon saw him, he ran over and exclaimed, “Shalom aleichem, rebbe!”
Rav Moshe Leib responded, “Put ‘the rebbe’ aside for now. There is a pregnant lady here who doesn’t even have straw to rest upon.”
The two went right away to buy two bundles of straw. Each one put a bundle on their shoulder and the two tzadikim walked through town with this burden until they got to the woman’s house. The people of the city were awed and amazed upon seeing this sight.
