לקט רשימות (ממרן המשגיח דלייקווד רבנו נתן מאיר וואכטפויגל זצוק"ל, נכתב על ידי תלמידו הר' ראובן הכסטר שליט"א, בעניני אלול וימים נוראים, שנת תשסו, הדפסה חדשה, עמ' ה ) אמר המשגיח, עיקר העבודה באלול צריך להיות בעשה טוב דוקא, ולא בסור מרע ! וסיפר איך שרבנו ישראל סלנטר, עשה סדר לתלמידיו בחודש אלול, סדר לימוד של שמונה עשרה שעות במעת לעת, והיינו ששמו דגש על עשה טוב . וביאר המשגיח, הרי הגרי"ס ותלמידיו שהיו גדולי עולם היו לומדים כל השנה כפי כוחם, וא"כ למה דוקא באלול למדו ח"י שעות? והיינו משום דבאמת כל השנה לא היה בכוחם ללמוד כ"כ הרבה, ורק בימים אלו שהם ימי רחמים ורצון, נפתח המוח ומתרחב הלב , ומתקרבים יותר להקב"ה שהוא המלמד תורה לעמו ישראל, ואז הרגישו שהם יכולים ללמוד ח"י שעות.
Novardok
There is a famous story with a Novardoker who was learning in Bais Yosef of Boro Park, and his wife called. He told his friend who had answered the telephone that he was too busy learning, and he could not accept the call. So his friend told him it was his Kalla who called. He got the hint, and he took the telephone. People take everything for granted, including their wives.
When you remember the good old days when your wife was once your Kalla, you think differently. R' Chaim Langleben Zatzal was a tremendous Masmid, and his learning Gemara was always mixed with Mussar Seforim.
Every Erev Shabbos he always stayed in the Bais Medrash until 3 o'clock, no matter what. He was super Geshmak at home, always joking and making everyone happy (despite his many Nisyonos). His wife once asked what he preferred for dessert, ice cream or ices. He said: “I’ll have both”. Then he put his yarmulka on his knee, and said (pointing to his knee) “Give this guy also an ice cream”.
He got married right after the war. His wife said that she was especially impressed with him since he had just lost his entire family, and yet he looked so happy as if nothing happened. This is what Novardoker Chizuk does to a person. He was a practical person, and he used to tell people to learn Mussar for ten minutes a day.
But once he told me in a low tone: “Sometimes a person can learn Mussar all night”. He would always give the same Bracha: לֹא יָּמוּשוּ מִפִיךָ וּמִפִי זַרְ עֲךָ וּמִפִי ז רַע זַרְ עֲךָ אָּמַר ה' מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָּם (the words of Torah shall never leave your mouth, your sons, or their sons, forever) and you should live a life of bending your Middos”. When he bought a new hat, he would say: “Please give me Class D”. He was a very normal and decent person, but how he dressed, was not important to him.
Like all Novardokers, he did not have the need to dress up for people. He would always learn with his grandchildren, and his family loved him very much. He was full of encouraging words, and I once saw him at a family Simcha, how he was rolling and laughing at all the smart, comical things that one of his children was saying. He used to always tell me that a person has to act normal.
The old Mirrer Talmidim were also very involved in acting normal. However, Novardokers could often do subtle, weird things when they felt it was necessary in breaking Middos. Yet, they were careful how they did these things, and everyone respected them.
The Alter of Novardok ALWAYS MOVING AND DOING
The Alter was a big “Zariz” who was always moving and doing things. On Yom Kippur, he made a Kabala (resolution) to build 25 Yeshivos. (Guess what was R' Nosson Wachtfogel’s Kabala on Yom Kippur? To build Kollelim all over the United States). They say that the Alter Zatzal didn’t even take some food to break his fast. Right away, on Motzei Yom Kippur, he got on a train with his Talmidim and went to the next town to build his first Yeshiva - the very next day (and in the middle of WWI).
He took over an old shul, and there was his first Yeshiva. He said that he was afraid to go to sleep in a comfortable bed, since he would start having Rachmanus on himself after a fast-day, and get involved in his Gashmiyus. R' Gershon Liebman Zatzal once told a Yungerman to keep away from his house, and spend a whole week in the Yeshiva to get a recharge.
A great Torah-builder once called a Talmid into his office, and asked him if he’s willing to build a Yeshiva in a far-off place, at the other end of the world. The Talmid said that he has to first ask his wife. The Rebbe said: “If you need to ask her, then you're not for us”. The Novardokers were extremely devoted to their Rebbe, and their wives were trained to live for Klal Yisroel and not for themselves.
