An eye eyewitness describes what he saw in the Siberian Prison during World War II. On the first day the prisoners arrived, they were all sitting in their hut, deeply depressed about the sudden Gehinom they found themselves in. Shalom Kaiber from Yeshivas Pinsk was totally different. He was singing Simchas Torah Niggunim, with the words: םוֹאְתִפּ דַחַפִמ אָריִתּ לַא don’t be afraid of sudden fears from Reshaim לֵק וּנָמִﬠ יִכּ because Hashem is with us.
Suddenly, the head of the prison broke into the hut, ordering everyone to go outside in order to be counted. They all ran to do his bidding for fear of dire consequences. Shalom didn’t run like everyone else. He walked slowly to the entrance of the hut, saying Pesukim of Tehilim to himself. He didn’t come out until everyone had been counted several times. When the chief warden noticed him, he cursed him with horrific threats: He would skin him alive, etc. Everyone was terrified, except for Shalom, who continued singing Tehilim in a loud voice, and saying:דיִמְשַׁי םיִﬠָשְׁרָה לָכּ תֶאְו ויָבֲהוֹא לָכּ תֶא 'ה רֵמוֹשׁ Hashem protects all His loved ones, and will destroy all the Resha’im.
The warden told him to get in line, but Shalom ignored him, and continued to daven with his eyes to Shamayim. The warden pushed him and ordered him to go to the tent. Shalom didn’t budge, and the warden shrugged his shoulders and left him alone! Shalom was never broken throughout the war. He wouldn’t eat the Treife food, and instead ran to bring his food to the sick and starving inmates. Believe it or not, R’ Shalom survived the war! This is a real Tamim, who believes in Pesukim of Tehilim more than he believes in nature.
R' Ahron Kotler [whose Yahrzeit is 2 Kislev] was the same way. He came to the U.S.A without a chance B'derech HaTevah of succeeding to build Torah in the old style he wanted. He fought the world with the power of his Temimus, and won. He did the impossible: He brought Torah to America. R' Ahron would quote the words of Avraham Avinu יִנֲאַו יִמֻּתְבּ ˂ֵלֵא תהלים כו יא I will do Hashem’s bidding with Temimus.
