Reb Yitzchak Aizik of Homil, known as Reb Aizil or Aizik Homiler, was one of the most famous and greatest Chabad chassidim ever to live. As a young man, he came to the Alter Rebbe, and after the Alter Rebbe’s histalkus, he became a dedicated chossid of the Mitteler Rebbe and the Tzemach Tzeddek. He was an exceptional gaon in nigleh and maskil in Chassidus, and wrote seforim in Chassidus. Reb Aizil served as the Rov in Homil for 58 years, and passed away on the th of Iyar, ז"תרי (1857).
One day, during his early years in Homil, Reb Aizil farbrenged with the local baalei batim and told them: “The true ‘mizrach’ is at the back of the shul, where the melamdim sit. You should listen and learn from the words of the melamdim just as you listen and learn from the Rebbe’s words.”
From that day on, the baalei batim began to appreciate the chassidishe melamdim, and the town of Homil became bright.
When the Frierdiker Rebbe related the above, he added: “In the past, people would study not only the words of a Rebbe but the words of a chossid. The young people would listen to the old folk, the baalei batim would listen to the melamdim – and things were brighter.”
Reb Aizil once overheard two of his students beginning a new mesechta. Reb Aizil called them over and rebuked them for not having made a siyum over the last mesechta that they finished. “It shows that you don’t hold the Torah dear,” he said.
A chossid once approached Reb Aizil and asked him to recite for him Chassidus, saying that it was a matter of life and death for him. Reb Aizil replied, “Reciting Chassidus ‘costs’ me fifty ruble. Now, if I came and asked you for fifty ruble, would you just give it to me?”
The man was quiet and the conversation continued on to other matters.
At the end of their conversation Reb Aizil said to the man, “Look at how you lied to me. If Chassidus truly mattered to you, would you have let me get away?”