Reb Yosef Zundel was a disciple of the gaon, Rav Akiva Eiger, and in some opinions even more modest than the Gaon.
Once Reb Zundel built a shtender with an enclosed closet for his tallis and tefillin. Reb Zundel would place his siddur or sefer on top of it and pray or study while standing. Reb Zundel followed the advice of the Vilna Gaon that one should daven from a siddur and not by heart, for in this way there was less chance of errors and one could concentrate better.
One day another member of the congregation saw the lectern and moved it over to his bench. Reb Zundel didn’t say a word. He just waited until the man finished studying and then he moved the heavy shtender back to his bench. When this continued for a few days, Reb Zundel asked the scholar if he would be kind enough to return the shtender to its place when he completed his studies.
This person was hotheaded and exclaimed: “You mind your own affairs; I will do as I please!”
Reb Zundel was taken aback, but he humbly begged the man’s forgiveness if he unintentionally insulted him. The other man became abusive and angry and began to insult Reb Zundel. Reb Zundel ascended to the bimah and knocked on the table for attention.
In a crying voice he exclaimed, “Rabbosai! I have just insulted this scholar and I caused him to become angry. Therefore, in front of this congregation I humbly beg for his forgiveness and ask that he pardon me.”
Only then did the “scholar” forgive Reb Yosef Zundel.
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Once while Reb Zundel was walking through the streets in Jerusalem, he bumped into a merchant. Mistaking him for one of his competitors, the merchant began to scold and ridicule him.
Soon a crowd gathered to listen. When one of the people recognized Reb Zundel, he attempted to reprimand the merchant for daring to speak so harshly against this humble gaon. Reb Zundel stopped him and allowed the man to continue.
That night Reb Yosef Zundel paid a visit to this merchant and begged him for forgiveness for causing him so much aggravation, even though he was the innocent victim.
The Life Of Privation
Many of our gaonim, our righteous sages, suffered a poverty-stricken life of privation, but they never complained as long as they were able to devote their time to the study of the Torah. The gaon, Rav Dovid of Navardok, truly knew the meaning of our Sages in Pirkei Avot, who advocated only eating a crust of bread with salt and sleeping on the ground. For although he was one of the leading sages of his generation his congregation was very poor and many times he suffered the pangs of hunger.
“Thank G-d that He gave us the opportunity of fasting Monday and Thursdays,” he used to say. “Otherwise I would starve, for so little is my income.”
The arguments, however, could never appease his wife and one Thursday she came to him for money to purchase food for Shabbos. Reb Dovid kept quiet and paid no attention to her requests, for he didn’t have a kopek in his pocket.
The poor woman, realizing the situation, exclaimed in a bitter tone, “Look at the difference between myself and the next door neighbor! Her husband is a tailor, an ignorant person and yet his wife has already prepared all the food for Shabbos. She has already cooked the fish and meat. While I, the wife of the rav of the town, haven’t even a kopek to buy flour to make challah for Shabbos.”
“True,” answered the humble sage, “but look at the difference between your husband and her husband. Your husband sits and studies the Torah all day while her husband doesn’t. Isn’t that bigger compensation?”
Paid For Knowing Nothing
Reb Dovid would sit all day in the Beis Hamidrash studying the Torah. From far and wide, questions pertaining to laws of the Torah would come to him and Rabbi David would answer each and every one.
One day, one of the prominent merchants of the town entered the Beis Hamidrash and said, “I would like your advice about a business transaction which I am about to enter into.”
“Sorry,” answered Reb Dovid, “I know very little about business.”
A few days later the same man again approached him and asked, “Could you give me some advice about a certain shidduch?”
Again Reb Dovid answered him, “Sorry, but I know nothing about shidduchim.”
The man became angry and said, “Rebbe, I wonder why the congregation pays your salary. Is it because you know nothing?”
Reb Dovid answered him jokingly, “On the contrary. The congregation pays me for the very little I know for if they were to pay me for what I do not know all the kingly treasures could not suffice.”
Never Enough
When his wife would complain about their extreme poverty, Reb David would say, “Do you know why certain people never have enough money? Because they are never satisfied with the amount they have. If they were satisfied with their lot, they would always be content and would have more than they need.”