R’ Yaakov Galinsky Zatzal
R’ Galinsky would sing to himself Inyanei Mussar. I was sitting in a car with him, and he started singing הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה דּוֹמֶה לַפְרוֹזְדוֹר (this world is nothing more than an entranceway to Olam HaBah). Once, he started saying a Chazal that says that יְהֵא חֶלְקִי מִמִי שֶחוֹשְדִין אוֹתוֹ וְאֵין בוֹ (Shabbat 118b) I wish people would suspect me of wrong, when it’s really not true! He did all kinds of Pratim and he was a total Novardoker, despite living in a different world without his old Chabura. All the Gedolim loved him and respected him, because he was Mach'nia (humble) to the Derech HaOlam, and at the same time he had his Shitos.
This time of the year, Novardokers are involved in trying to emulate Mordechai. You may see yourself as a simple person but in truth you are a big Baal Mesiras Nefesh!
I once told him that I understood that R' Yisroel Salanter Zatzal who founded the Mussar movement (although they certainly learned Mussar previously) invented the idea of Mussar B'hispa'alus so it should kick into your system, and not remain just a dry Chazal or Passuk without feeling and without L'ma'aseh. (see Ohr Yisroel). Novardok was involved in laughing at the Yetzer Hara, since an action of: צְחוֹק laughter gets into your system just like Mussar B'hispa'alus. He jumped and got excited and he told me: “This is exactly Novardok!”
Somebody told him that he feels uncomfortable with a certain person because of a misunderstanding they once had with each other. He smiled and he said: “I know exactly what you’re talking about! You need to keep meeting him and saying a few words to him, and in time the ice will melt”. This is typical Avodas Novardok, who made sure they lived without: פַּחַד מִבְּרוּאִים fear of mere “creatures” of Hashem.
He was laughing at everything. His own problems and Chesronos were all jokes. Instead of having Agmas Nefesh from different issues in his family; he laughed. He calmed others down in this way: “So your child is a little modern, so what?” “So your Baal Kish'ron (smart) son isn’t using his Kishronos (abilities) for Torah”; he actually laughed. On one hand he was A-1 Yarei Shamayim, and concerned like everyone else and much more. (He was a big Moser Nefesh during the war).
Yet, he always laughed. Even when R' Shach Zatzal told him about his inability to accomplish something in Ruchaniyus, he was rolling! Novardokers loved criticizing themselves and calling themselves nobodies. Imagine somebody calling himself names of how much he’s messed up in Ruchaniyus and all with a laugh. I remember R' Ozer Shwartz Zatzal telling a concerned Oved: “You did Teshuva! So what’s the problem?”
In the outside world, a serious sin can stick on you and mess up your self-esteem, despite your Cha’rata (regret) and attempts at Teshuva. In Novardok, it was all a normal part of the process, like it says: שֶבַע יִפּוֹל צַדִּיק וָקָם (Mishlei 24:16) A Tzaddik falls seven times, and gets up! That’s what life is all about; and this person is a real Tzadik despite his many Yeridos!
