1. The Purim Seudah and True Anxiety
At the Purim seudah, when everyone was joyful and drinking, the Beis Yisroel would sit quietly and in great anxiety. His chassidim asked: “Rebbe, why are you so anxious specifically on Purim?”
He answered: “On Purim, when the whole world is rejoicing, I am anxious that we not forget the real danger — joy that does not stem from holiness.”
In contrast, at the seudah mafsekes (the final meal before Yom Kippur), when everyone is sad and fearful, he would be very joyful and say: “Now, when everyone is praying and confessing, my joy is genuine — because I see the people of Israel returning to their Father.”
(Told in Darshu and Chassidic sources about his conduct during the Days of Awe.)
2. The Boy Who Was Not a Gerrer Chassid – and the Kindling
On one of the nights of Chanukah candle-lighting, a young man arrived who was not one of the Gerrer chassidim, but he frequently visited the Beis Yisroel to fill his heart with Torah and yirah (awe of Heaven).
The next day he returned again, and the Rebbe blessed him warmly. Some time later, the young man told the chassidim: “I was not a Gerrer chassid, but the Rebbe saw me as a simple Jew — and gave me strength to strengthen myself.”
The Rebbe said to him: “Every Jew is part of me — even if he is far away.”
3. The Polish Thief and the Joy That Repels
The Beis Yisroel would often tell a sharp parable about the importance of joy:
“In Poland there was a grocery store full of customers. At the end of the day the cash register was overflowing with money. Outside stood a Polish thief waiting to steal. But the store owner was so happy about his success that he didn’t notice the thief at all — and the thief remained outside.”
The Rebbe explained: “This is how true joy works — it repels evil and protects a person. When the heart is full of joy from holiness, no ‘thief’ (the evil inclination) can enter.”
(Told in Chabad sources and Chassidic books about his approach to joy.)
4. The Hidden Connection with the Rebbe of Lubavitch
A young Gerrer chassid traveled to the United States and visited the Rebbe of Lubavitch at 770 during the Days of Awe. When he returned, the Beis Yisroel asked him to describe in detail all his experiences — how the Rebbe spoke, how he prayed, what he said.
The young man told everything, but to his surprise — the Rebbe knew exact details he had not mentioned! The Rebbe said quietly: “I feel what is happening there.”
This teaches about the deep spiritual connection between tzaddikim, even if they come from different Chassidic groups.
(Told on Chabad.info and in first-hand accounts.)
5. The Frozen Hand in the Sukkah – Identification with the Soldiers
During the Yom Kippur War, while the Rebbe was sitting in the sukkah, his hand froze from the intense cold. The chassidim wanted to bring him inside to warm up, but he refused and said: “If our soldiers are cold out in the field, I too should feel cold. I am sitting here and praying for them.”
He continued sitting in the cold sukkah, praying with tears and identifying with the suffering of the people of Israel.
(Told in Chassidic shiurim and sources about his conduct during wartime.)
These stories beautifully capture the Rebbe’s inner world: outwardly restrained and demanding in matters of kedusha, but inwardly filled with profound love, tears, and genuine joy in the service of Hashem and His people.
