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In Haifa lived R' Menachem Raplowitz of blessed memory, a close associate of the Beis Yisrael, whom we used to call "the Foreign Minister." About a month before R' Menachem's passing, he told me two things that he asked me to publicize so that future generations would know them.
He related that the Rebbe was hospitalized at Rambam Hospital, where he underwent surgery due to the severe illness that had spread in his intestines. The hospital doctors treated him with commendable devotion. After he was discharged, the Rebbe instructed R' Menachem (who was his aide) to give a large sum of money to the hospital as an expression of gratitude. The Rebbe said to him: "It is forbidden to be ungrateful. See to it that you join the administration and from there help Jews as much as you can."
The second story that he told me was that he often accompanied the Rebbe on walks through the streets of Haifa. One morning, a secular Jew passed by them. As soon as he saw the Rebbe's face, he fainted. The Rebbe ordered that he be revived and asked the Jew: "What is this? What happened to you?" The man replied that he had once been religious, but over the years he had deteriorated. Now, upon seeing the Rebbe's face, he saw such a great light that it shook him until he fell and fainted.
After the Jew went on his way, the Rebbe turned to R' Menachem Raplowitz and told him not to tell anyone what the Jew had said. Later, that same Jew returned to full repentance.
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R' Chaim Mandel of blessed memory—who was a great close associate of the Beis Yisrael—related that he was once with the Rebbe, and the Rebbe told a story from the Sfas Emes with a great moral lesson.
And so the Rebbe related:
Among the elders of the Sfas Emes there served one named Zelig'l. At dawn, he would bring the Sfas Emes a cup of tea. Once, a wealthy chassid arrived late at night, very eager and wanting to enter urgently to the Rebbe to mention a sick person. The gabbaim told him that now was not the time and he would have to wait until the next day when it opened. The rich man thought to himself that by the time it opened the next day, a long time would pass, and he came up with an idea. He went to Zelig'l and slipped a generous coin into his hand so that he would let him bring in the cup of tea in his place at dawn. Zelig'l agreed to the matter. And so that rich man, at dawn, entered before the Rebbe, placed the cup beside him, and took the opportunity to mention the sick person. The Rebbe blessed him with a complete recovery. The rich man was overjoyed at his invention and immediately set off on his way without having to wait.
When Zelig'l later entered again before the Sfas Emes, he [the Rebbe] rebuked him for having done such a thing. Zelig'l tried to justify and explain why he had done what he did. The Sfas Emes stopped him and said to him: "It is better that you know that you did wrong and not do such a thing again, than that you justify yourself and remain a "kaliker" [a cripple] your whole life.
Important lesson: You made a mistake? Admit and learn from it not to repeat it.
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Before the Yom Kippur War, I received an urgent call-up order. My wife insisted that I go to the Rebbe of Gur for a blessing before setting out on my way. I tried to avoid it because time was short and I didn't want to be delayed—it takes time until they open at the Rebbe's place, and then there might be a long line afterward. But my wife wouldn't give in and insisted that I go. With no choice, I went.
They sent us to the Sinai Desert, and in the place where I was, there was very heavy fighting. Many soldiers from my brigade were killed before my eyes, and many miracles happened with me. I returned in peace, with God's help, and went to greet the Rebbe. The moment I entered, the Rebbe smiled and said: "On ben Peles—his wife saved him".
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A Jew sent a sophisticated lock as a gift to the Rebbe Beis Yisroel (the Gerrer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Alter zt"l). In those days, such locks were not common in the Land of Israel, only abroad.
The Rebbe instructed that it be installed in his home.
Later, it became known to the Rebbe that the aforementioned Jew had donated the lock for the Aron Kodesh (the Holy Ark in the synagogue), and not for the Rebbe's private home.
The Rebbe Beis Yisroel sent a question to Rabbi Hersh Pesach Frank zt"l (Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank, the Rav of Jerusalem) asking whether they needed to remove the lock and reinstall it on the Aron Kodesh.
Rabbi Hersh Pesach replied: Indeed, if that Jew said he was giving it for the Aron Kodesh, there is a significant question here (of intent and dedication). However, in the case of the Rebbe Beis Yisroel, his private home is also on the level of holiness of an Aron Kodesh.
[This is amazing — after all, he was not from the Chassidic community (i.e., Rabbi Frank was a non-Chassidic Litvish/Lithuanian-style rabbi, yet he gave such an exalted assessment of the Gerrer Rebbe's home).]
The messenger returned to the Rebbe Beis Yisroel and stammered out Rabbi Hersh Pesach's response.
Immediately, the Rebbe ruled in a thundering voice (in Yiddish):
"Nein! Es arup shnel on leyeg es beim Aron Kodesh!"
(Translation of the Yiddish: "No! Take it down quickly and put it on the Aron Kodesh!")
The Rebbe insisted that despite the high sanctity of his own home, since the donor had specifically intended it for the Aron Kodesh, it must be placed there as per the donor's explicit intent.
