I was told that in Antwerp by the shul of R’ Itzikel Pshevorsker Zatzal there was a Novardoker Yid by the name of R’ Ephraim Fulgar Zatzal. He would come early every day to daven at the first Minyan. He davened very, very, slowly, and he stayed there for 4 hours, finishing Shachris by the time the last Minyan was over.
I was told that although he wasn’t the most capable businessman, he made a nice Parnasa during the hours he worked. Spending extra time with Hashem puts you in a new world, and gives you Si'ata D'shmaya to get Hatzlachos even with less work and less capabilities.
People who live with the Nissim of Mitzrayim in their mind, have a different “reality”. They are truly intelligent, because they live with the truth of Emuna and the greatness of Hashem. They are always reminding themselves of their private Nissim, and this causes Bitachon and more Nissim in their lives.
Rabbi M. Zatzal was married to a woman who wasn’t well, physically and mentally. They say that the war affected her. I was once on the telephone with her, and I saw how weird she was. She was screaming and kvetching on the phone about something that bothered her, and she didn’t sound appropriate at all.
Yet, when Rabbi M. Zatzal (who was a Gadol B'torah) couldn’t figure out a Tosafos for a week, he blamed himself, since he had complained to his wife about the gefilte fish that she made. So he made up with his wife, and right afterwards the Tosafos became clear to him! He didn’t say “I'm married to a crazy lady and it’s all her fault”.
This Rabbi M. Zatzal once told me that there is nobody in a person’s life except himself and Hashem. People are all tests to make you great, some way or another (by doing Chesed with them, or by being Sovel (tolerating) them, etc.).
When a Novardoker sits at his Shabbos table, his main goal is “not to fall into Ka'as”, more than singing Zemiros nicely and having everyone behave.
