Many touching articles have been written about Rabbi Lamm. When I was growing up, I lived across the street from where he lived and he would daven at my apartment in our Friday night minyan. There was a shul on 73rd street between Central Park West and Columbus called "Rabbi Gordon's shul", named after the Rabbi, [you guessed it] Rabbi Gordon A"H [if my memory serves me correctly he was the father of Mrs. Lee Weinbach and father in law of Rabbi David Weinbach A"H, the long time principal of MTA and owner of Camp Lavi]. Sadly, just about every person who davened there is no longer with us. [I have often passed nearby where the shul used to be on my excursions to NY and remembered it with bittersweet sadness]. It was an "old man's shul". My father was the youngster of the shul. Today he is 88 בלי עין הרע. Rabbi Lamm would daven there at times as would I. It was a zchus to daven with him. There is an expression "a gentleman and a scholar". He was both in the fullest sense of the word. He was a very rare combination of many different qualities that we rarely find in the same person. One example - He was both a Brisker Lamdan and also an academic scholar of Jewish studies. He could have been a maggid shiur in any Yeshiva and he could have been a professor in any university.
I unfortunately can't say that we were close but I will share one memory: It was my brother's wedding. I was the guy who was supposed to call people up to the chuppah. [I had to overcome my innate shyness😉]. Rabbi Lamm was slated to get a bracha. But how do I call him up? "Ha-Nasi Harav Professor Norman Lamm"? "Harav Dr. Norman Lamm"? "Moreinu Vi-rabbeinu Rosh Hayeshiva" [he was officially a Rosh Yeshiva] Harav Dr. Nachum Lamm"? The possibilities were limitless. I didn't know what to do but I didn't want to mess it up. Suddenly my cousin approaches me and says [this is a long time ago so the quote may not be exact] "Rabbi Lamm told me to tell you to call him up as 'Harav Nachum Lamm'. That's it. Nothing more."
Problem solved.
But we can also learn his humility and willingness to forgo honor. Just "Harav Nachum Lamm". Drop all the fancy titles.
Another story that didn't happen with me but a acquaintance of mine who lived in his building told me the story.
He goes into the elevator one day and sees an unfamiliar face of a new neighbor who had just moved in. The man introduces himself and extends his hand, fully expecting Rabbi Lamm to know who he is. "Hi, I am Harrison Ford, what is your name?" "Norman Lamm".
Rabbi Lamm came home and told to his wife with puzzlement that he met some fellow in the elevator named Harrison Ford who somehow thought that he [Rabbi Lamm] should know who he is. Who is this guy?
