Gornisht

The Chasm Sofer explains the tefilla ונפשי כעפר לכל תהיה [My soul should be as dust to all] to mean that even though everyone treads on dust nevertheless it makes fruits for the whole world. So, too, we daven that the world should receive sustenance in our merit.

When a student showed this Chasam Sofer to Rav Avraham Genechovski it was clear from his reaction that he didn't understand the problem with the tfilla that required such an ingenious explanation. He understood it in it's most simple meaning. My soul should be dust to all. I should have ZERO arrogance.

The Rebbe Shlita told the following story at my son's bar mitzva:

When Reb Mottel of Chernobol passed away he left 8 sons, all of whom became Chassidishe Rebbes [including Reb Dovid'l Mi-Tolna]. The brothers split up the inheritance before their brother Reb Yochanan of Rachemstrivka arrived. He said that at least he would like to inherit his father's "gornisht" [being nothing]. But then he was apprised of the fact that his brother, Reb Moshe'le Mi-Koroschev, already took their father's "gornisht".


Now there was "nothing" left. Not even "nothing".

[I love chassidishe myses!!!:-)]

So, said Reb Yochanan, I decided to take my father's "gornisht mit gornisht" [nothing from nothing]. He in fact was an extremely humble person.

We should all be zocheh to take a little "gornisht" for ourselves. It absolves us of the need to always be right, to know it all, etc. etc. It just makes for a better life. 

ונפשי כעפר לכל תהיה