One Shabbos, the Rimanover was sitting with all the other chassidim when the shamash brought in the Rebbe's soup and placed it in front of the Rebbe. The Rebbe took the bowl of soup in his hands, overturned it, and spilled its contents onto the table. Suddenly gripped with fear, the Rimanover shouted, "Oy! Rebbe! Surely they will put us all in jail. You must stop immediately!"
The other guests almost burst out laughing at hearing such strange remarks coming from Reb Mendel, but they restrained themselves in the presence of their holy Rebbe. Rebbe Elimelech said to Reb Mendel, "Relax, my son, we are all safe. We are all here right now." The others were astonished at the Rebbe's remarks until Rebbe Elimelech explained what had transpired that had led him and Reb Mendel to say what they did.
"A high-ranking government official had decided to pass a harsh decree against the Jews. He had tried many times before, unsuccessfully, to write out charges and have the king stamp and seal them with his ring. Today he wrote out the charges once again, determined that this time nothing would stop him from carrying out his wicked plan. He was about to use sand to blot the ink and dry it when I overturned my soup bowl. The official became momentarily confused, picked up the inkwell instead, and proceeded to spill ink all over the accusatory letter he had just written! This young man," the Rebbe concluded, indicating Reb Mendel, "was able to witness what I did, but only by divesting himself fully from the physical world. He forgot that we were in fact here in this room. He imagined that I had actually used my hand and physically overturned the inkwell. He became frightened, and in his terror he called out for fear that we would be arrested for my actions."
Now everyone understood what lofty a level of ruach hakodesh this young man could perceive. (Ohel Elimelech 185)
(Ohel Elimelech 156)
Shem Tov:
"My holy master and teacher Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk used to meditate on the awe and fear of the Almighty every day. Each day when he would do this, his whole body would shake and tremble, and fear and trepidation would seize him. Everyone present could see him trembling violently from the sheer awe of Hashem and the majesty of the Almighty. All his tendons and ligaments could be seen, thick and taut as ropes; his face would change colors and a certain vein below his ear would begin bulging. I received a tradition from my Rebbe that there is a vein located below the ear that only trembles from fear of the day of death. With my Rebbe, this vein trembled daily from his great fear of Hashem." (Eser Tzachtzachos 2; Seder Doros HeChadash, part 4)
Reb Zisha declined. This is what he told them:
four paths, and they are the holy Rebbe the Chozeh of Lublin, the holy Rebbe the Koznitzer Maggid, the holy Rebbe Reb Mendel Rimanover, and the holy Ohev Yisrael the Apta Rav. You need no Rebbe other than them."
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
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