When R’ Yisroel Meyer Zatzal would meet a child, he would get excited with Simcha like he was meeting a very Chashuva person. They asked him about this, and he explained that he was beholding yet another Tzelem Elokim besides the people that he knew, and he was overwhelmed! People are impressed by cute kids, but they forget Hashem, who Created them cute in order to make life easier for those who have to deal with them.
A person with depth realizes this, and he grows in Emuna; instead of just being infatuated with a “cutey-pie”. What a beautiful Chinuch they gave you in Novardok! R’ Yisroel Meyer Zatzal was once at a Bris, and he started to collect Tzedaka from the people in shul. I would assume that this was a “Prat” to break his fear of people.
R’ Yisroel Meyer and R’ Chaim Mordechai Wainkranz both told me that the main Avoda should be to fight Redifas HaKavod. How much poison to your Neshama is Kavod! Of course, we can’t jump and do things that we aren’t ready for.
R' Yitzchok Gurwitz was a Talmid of R' Gershon during the war. After the war, he came to America, and was learning in Novardok Bais Yosef of Boro Park. One day, the news came that a certain famous Novardoker was coming, a real “Shem Davar” (celebrity). The Bais Medrash was abuzz with excitement. Finally, this Novardoker arrived at the Yeshiva. Noticeably sticking out of his jacket pocket was a newspaper, in English (which to him was like Chinese, and he obviously couldn’t read it). He was aware of all the “hype” around him, and he wanted to downplay all the Kavod he was getting.
Reb Shmuel Birnbaum Zatzal was unusually Lebedik at Chasuna’s. When asked about this, he said that he was copying his Rebbe, Reb Yisrael Yaakov Lubchansky Zatzal, son-in-law of the Alter of Novardok. Reb Yisrael Yaakov was known to fall on the floor during Chasuna’s. They say that he would lay by the feet of Reb Elchonon Wasserman Zatzal, in order to be M’kayem: םֶהיֵלְגַר רַפֲﬠַבּ קֵבַּאְתִמ יֵוֱהֶואבות א ד Cling to the dust of their feet [of the sages].
R’ Yisroel Yaakov Lubchansky would say: Do you know why are there are so few people in this world who seem to “have it all”? Because before a Neshama is born, it is shown the Neshamos of these “lucky ones” as they are dying and coming back to Shamayim. The incoming Neshama sees how ugly these “lucky” people’s Neshamos look, and he begs: Please! Don’t give me that person’s “good” Mazal!
