Tzaddikim expressed great wonder at Rebbe Mendele’s exceeding humility. When he was asked where he wished to be buried, he answered, “It makes no difference to me.... I only hope that there is someone who will agree to be buried alongside me.”
Once, someone asked the Rebbe to write a letter on his behalf. As the Rebbe handed him the finished letter, he said, “I must thank you deeply... for I did a reckoning of my deeds, and I realized that I don’t have a single redeeming quality. Now that you have given me the merit of doing a chessed, I owe you a great debt of gratitude.” The Rebbe would say, “When reciting המיטה שעל שמע קריאת, one can serve Hashem with purity, with no ulterior thoughts... for when we’re davening in public, we may daven so that others will see....”
