Novardok
בִּ רַ י בִּ מִּ יָ נְ ין הַ דִּ צַ יק זִּ ילְ בֶ ר
נפטר כ "ה אלול ת שסח - ומנוחתו כבוד בהר הזיתים
Elul was a time that Yidden would work on detaching themselves from Olam HaZeh. Some would disappear from home for Elul. I remember during the 60’s when I learned by Rav Sheinberg Zatzal, we met such a Yid. He was a big Talmid Chochom, and was a Novardoker Talmid. His name was R’ Binyamin Zilber Zatzal, and he was known as R' Binyamin HaTzaddik.
He had been in Novardok for about a year and a half, and for the rest of his life he remained a Novardoker. He was a Gadol in Torah and Yiras Shamayim, and was respected by the Chazon Ish and R’ Chatzkel Levenstein. R’ Scheinberg Zatzal was addicted to his Sefer “Bais Boruch” (on Hilchos Shabbos). The Novardokers cared for him like a brother, and were able to get him to go to Eretz Yisroel with Nisei Nissim.
He lived in Bnei Brak, but he spent his Elul at the Diskin Orphanage in Yerushalayim. There, he spent his time alone and away from the world. He was: מִ תְ בוֹדֵ ד secluded himself, and he was very quiet. Every year, he went into Galus, from Rosh Chodesh Elul until after Yom Kippur, with a Taanis Dibbur for forty days.
Every morning after Shachris during Elul he would read Orchos Chaim of the Rosh. He was the chazzan, and everyone would repeat after him. His Talmidim remembered his special niggun he would sing for every word, especially for the opening words: הִּ לְ חֵ רַ תְ ק מִּ ן הַ וָ א גַ ה בְ תַ כְ לִּ ית הָ רִּ יחוּק ! Stay far-away from Ga'ava!
