Reb Nota Freund zt'l of Yerushalayim told the following story after hearing it from the Tzelemer Rav zt'l.
The Tzelemer Rav was visiting a friend in an old-age home when an old person approached him and asked to speak to him. The old man said that he was 116 years old and requested that the rav daven that he die. The Tzelemer Rav said, "You appear healthy, with a sound mind; why do you want to die?"
The old man said, "My son is ninety years old; he is also here in this old-age home. But he suffers terribly. I can't bear to see him suffering. That's why I want to leave the world."
The Tzelemer Rav went to visit the son. He saw him lying in bed, in terrible pain. The son said, "I know I will live another four years." The Tzelemer Rav asked, "How do you know that?" but the son didn't have the strength to answer. So, the Tzelemer Rav returned to the 116-year-old father and asked for an explanation.
The old man said, "I lived in Kalamaya as a youth. When I turned twenty, I worked in the local post office, delivering letters in Kalamaya. Soon, they saw that I was strong, so they gave me the job of delivering heavy packages to their intended addresses.
"Erev Succos, I came to the post office, as I did every day, and I saw a package of sefarim for Reb Hillel Kalamaya zt'l. I understood that Reb Hillel might want to learn from these sefarim on Succos, so I immediately took the heavy package and brought it to Reb Hillel's home. I saw him sad, and that surprised me, especially since it was erev Succos, שמחתנו זמן! His succah was standing and decorated, he had the four minim, so I asked Reb Hillel why he was so sad.
"He replied that he is afraid to sleep in the succah, because lately, the goyim in his neighborhood were getting drunk and rowdy at night. His succah was centrally located, and many people passed it. The wild goyim might break into his succah in the middle of the night, and they might harm him.
"I said, 'Reb Hillel! I am strong. I will sleep with you in the succah and protect you from the goyim.' Reb Hillel was delighted with this arrangement.
"I stayed in his succah the entire yom tov. I slept with a stick near my bed. On the first night, after we went to sleep, the goyim came to the succah. I chased them away. They returned the next night, and the night after that, but they received a beating from me each time, until they figured out they would be better off not coming back anymore. There was peace and quiet for the second half of Succos.
"At the end of the yom tov, Reb Hillel gave me a brachah that I should live until 120 years with good health, and that none of my children should die in my lifetime. And as you can see, the brachah has come to fruition. My son apparently understood from this story that he has another four years to live..."
The Tzelemer Rav was very inspired by this story and told the old man not to daven to die. He should instead daven that his son should have a refuah sheleimah.
Before leaving the old-age home, the Tzelemer Rav spoke to the staff and asked them to contact him if anything changed regarding the old man’s health. He also visited the old man from time to time.
Four years later, the home contacted the Tzelemer Rav to tell him that the old man was niftar, at exactly 120 years old. An hour afterwards, they informed him that the son was also niftar.
We learn from this story that (a) if you help others keep the mitzvah of succah, you can merit long life. (b) Have hakaras hatov for those who help you, especially those who help you perform the mitzvah of succah. (c) We also see from this story the influence of the brachos of tzaddikim. Reb Hillel's brachah fulfilled to the last detail.
