Rabbi Chaim Naeh zt”l related that during his journey to participate in the gathering of the Great Assembly convened in the capital city of Warsaw, he prayed Shacharis there together with Maran Rabbi Chaim of Brisk zt”l. When the time for kerias haTorah arrived and Rabbi Chaim was called for an aliyah, he was suddenly overtaken by profound dread from fear of the Shechinah. When he ascended and recited the blessings, he trembled greatly, and especially at the mention of the sacred Name—I saw that all the veins in his neck quivered and protruded outward from the intensity of awe and fear of God!
Indeed, he attempted to conceal this and did not thunder the blessing aloud, but when I looked at him carefully, I saw him filled with wondrous fear of God.
When this was later recounted before his son, Maran Rabbi Yitzchak Zev zt”l, he said that the gaon Rav Chaim Naeh was a “great man,” and knew how to look deeply and recognize such awe. For his father, Rabbi Chaim, would conceal it with all his strength, and ordinary people who did not look closely would not recognize it at all... but Rav Naeh knew how to discern the inner measure of a person.
On that occasion the Brisker Rav added testimony about his father, Rav Chaim, that not only during an aliyah was this so, but even during all other blessings and prayers. Each time he uttered the sacred and awesome Name, his entire body would tremble and shudder from fear of Hashem and from awe of His exaltedness!
Woe unto us from the Day of Judgment—woe unto us from the Day of Rebuke!
