In Bialystok, they taught you again and again that the current era is: דַמְשַׁה תַﬠְשׁ a time of religious persecution, which means that you don’t surrender an inch of Yiddishkeit. By constantly hearing these fiery words during their Mussar Vaadim, the Novardokers were able to hold strong throughout the worst Nisyonos. Getting used to being Moser Nefesh was their Derech, and by constantly hammering in these concepts, they became more and more real.
This is a #1 Yesod of Novardok: Repetition, repetition, repetition is what it takes. If you have some weakness [like Ka'as], don’t just hear a nice vort about this issue; when you constantly talk about it, it sinks in and you become a new person. I personally witnessed how the Tzaddik R’ Pinchos Menachem Malach was reading a Novardok song about being a tough soldier and becoming like Rabbi Akiva, who was ready to have iron rakes destroy his body.
Novardokers never make Cheshbonos and plans, like the Gemara warns: ַא ָתּ ל ַצ ָצ ר ַר ָמ ת ָח ר יבמות סג ב Don’t worry about tomorrow’s problems. Their situations were so difficult, they would not have been able to last even one day, if not for the fact that they threw all their Cheshbonos and worries on Hashem. They weren’t involved in Protec’tzia, flattering the rich, and trying to get on the good side of important people. ˃יֶק˄ֱא 'ה םִﬠ הֶיְהִתּ םיִמָתּ Trust completely in Hashem your Controller was a favorite Mussar refrain.
There is a picture of all the Gedolei Novardok together - but Reb Gershon Liebman Zatzal - although he was sitting up front, you don’t see his full face; he was facing to the side. Despite the fact that all those giants of his own Shita were posing normally, he made sure to do what he felt was good for him, and he wasn’t impressed. No Hispa'alus in Novardok!
He probably felt that normal posing for a picture is a form of Redifas HaKavod and trying to impress others, and he didn’t care if he would look slightly weird. Those days, the youth of Klal Yisroel were going off the Derech left and right; becoming Communists and Zionists. A mother once gave her son the Bolshevik a box of Matzos for Pesach [when he was in a Polish jail for his anti-government activities]. Instead of thanking his mother, he kicked the Matzos and broke them saying: “I don’t need this!”
Yankel from Warsaw was a Jewish Bolshevik, and despite his utmost devotion to the cause, they betrayed him, and he ended up in a Russian “forced labor” camp. A Novardoker met him there and told him: “You deserve what you’re getting.” This was Novardok Hashkafa vis. all those who are involved in Olam HaZeh, with Kin'ah Ta'ava and Kavod etc. “In the end your lifestyle will betray you”. They believed that the only practical option is to become a Novardoker, who always makes fun of Olam HaZeh and its fake lures.
Novardokers would spend years in Yeshiva without ever going home. The Bachurim were captivated by the tremendous Ruach of the Yeshiva. The Torah and Tefilla were full of His'lahavus, with loads of Cheshek and energy. They were given a Chinuch to be like this. They were animated and on fire. Truth is, a person who is always working on Bitachon and has no worries in his head, keeps himself young and fresh.
