A Belzer Chassid told me a story about how tens of thousands of Galician Yidden were killed by the Nazis Y'mach Sh'mam. However, a large group was sent to Siberia. He remembered how as the Trans-Siberian train made a stop, a Novardoker entered the train and started screaming: כָּל מַאי דְּעָבֵיד רַחֲמָנָא לְטַב עָבֵיד (Everything “The Lover” [meaning Hashem] does, is for the good). He went from section to section of the train, encouraging everyone that going to Siberia is actually good.
At the end of the war, they saw the truth of his words. All those “fortunate” ones who didn’t go to Siberia, ended up perishing by the Germans. And all those “unlucky” passengers on the train to Siberia, ended up surviving.
I heard similar stories about Novardokers during the war, making their rounds to be M'chazek people. Especially R' Shalom Kaiber Zatzal who was a Rosh HaVaad in Pinsk. There are legends about his conduct of fearlessness during the war. Encouraging and helping was their line. This comes from a Chinuch of not fearing people [by loads of public speaking etc, and by learning to have an Achrayus for the Klal]. We do this in our Novardok shul in Lakewood, and the “Olam” becomes more and more happy and self-confident.
In Boro Park there was a Novardoker who lived in utter poverty. He lived right under the elevator train, which can make anyone crazy. Some say he had rats in his house. But his Simcha level was much higher than all of us. They say he would always be humming to himself. I suspect he was really learning Mussar, like saying to himself all day: “Olam HaZeh is only a preparation for Olam HaBah”.
[I heard R’ Galinsky say these words to himself: “Olam HaZeh is only a preparation for Olam HaBah”]. It truly puts you in a different world. It makes you happier when you live with the truth, and realize that all your pecklach are temporary. Yissurim don’t depress you and make you run to a therapist all your life. Aderaba! חֲבִיבִין יִסּוּרִין (Yissurim are precious!)