The Tosher Rebbe once told over that Rav Yechezkel of Shinova had the custom to relate the following story regarding the Ateres Tzvi of Zidatchov.:
When the Ateres Tzvi recited Torah on Shabbos during shalosh seudos (the third Shabbos meal) and the clock would begin to chime, the Ateres Tzvi would silence the clock by yelling at it, “Sha! Derech eretz! (Silence! Do you have no manners?)”; whereupon the clock would freeze mid-chime and only resume working after the shalosh seudos Torah ended. This occurred quite often. Once the Torah recitation was indeed concluded, the clock resumed chiming and ticking where it left off, making up whatever it had missed during the break!
The Shinover Rav then concluded the tale with the following remarks: “See how even an inanimate object such as a clock demonstrated derech eretz (manners) with respect to the words of the tzaddik!” (Avodas Avoda Sichos Kodesh I p. 290)
