The Rebbes of Lelov, zt”l, were all known for their incredible Ahavas Yisroel. Rav Dovid of Lelov’s Ahavas Yisroel was so intense that he simply could not believe that a Jew was capable of doing an Aveirah. He always judged his fellow Yiden favorably. Once, Rav Yitzchok of Vorka tried to prevent Rav Dovid from entering the home of a Jew who would brazenly commit terrible Aveiros in public. He protested, “Rebbe, this man is truly a Rasha!” But Rav Dovid exclaimed, “But look! There is a Mezuzah on his doorpost! How can you say he’s a Rasha?!”
One day, a visitor came to Rav Moshe Mordechai of Lelov and asked him to daven for a woman who was suffering from a heart condition and was in critical condition. The next day, the Rebbe asked a member of his family to find out how the woman was feeling.
When the family member later returned to the Rebbe to inform him that the woman’s condition had improved, the Rebbe sighed with relief and told his son, “Now you can bring me a warm drink.” Rav Moshe Mordechai was so concerned about the woman’s welfare that he couldn’t take a drink until he knew she was feeling better!
When Rav Moshe Mordechai fell ill, his pain was so intense that he couldn’t sleep for more than a few minutes at a time. One day, after a rare fifteen-minute nap, the Rebbe told his Shamash that his grandfather, Rav Dovid Tzvi Shlomo, had visited him in a dream.
The Shamash said hopefully, “I’m sure the Rebbe took advantage of this opportunity to ask for a Refuah Sheleimah.” But Rav Moshe Mordechai replied, “When I saw my grandfather, I didn’t think of my personal troubles. I asked him to plead with Hashem to put an end to the Tzaros of Klal Yisroel!”
Reprinted from the Parshas Chayei Sarah 5786 email of Rabbi Yehuda Winzelberg’s Torah U’ Tefilah.
