When you hear stories like this you get a taste of what makes our Gedolim stand apart. I heard this story first hand from someone who davens with me each morning in Shul. A few weeks ago he was sitting Shiva for his sister together with his brother-in-law in Yerushalayim. One afternoon a person walked in but seemed confused. It turned out that he was in the wrong house and needed to be at the home of someone with the same name a few streets over.
One of the family members explained to him that this was a Shiva house and now that he already walked in, he can be Minachem Avel. As it happened this person was one of the Gabbaim of Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman. The husband of the Nifteres had been a talmid of Rav Aharon Leib over fifty years ago. They traded stories of Rav Aharon Leib's greatness then and now and the gabbai was Minachem them and went on his way.
Later that day when the Gabbai arrived at Rav Aharon Leib's house back in Bnei Brak he mentioned that he he met a talmid from Rav Aharon Leib's youth through a crazy mix up. Although Rav Aharon was not familiar with the long forgotten name as soon as he heard this from the Gabbai he said that if his talmid is sitting Shiva he must go be menachem him. He asked the gabbai to get his things and please take him immediately to Yerushalayim, where he sat with the Avel for twenty five minutes before going back home.
Rav Aharon Leib is close to one hundred years old and has a schedule busier than almost anyone on the planet. His trips to Yerushalayim and not very frequent and are planned in advance. Yet when he heard a a talmid lost his wife there was nothing to discuss, only to drag his feeble body to comfort him.
[From revach.net]
