The Tzaddik and the Rebbe

Reb Rafael Nachman Kahn relates:

My mother related to me:

Once when the Rebbe Rashab and his son were in the country near Liozna, I was there as well. At the time I was pregnant.

One day I was walking with a chicken in my hand to the shochet, and in the other hand I was carrying my son’s hand, so I would be able to reach the shochet, who lived on the mountain.

The Rayatz was then sitting on the balcony, and when he saw a woman in such a situation (he did not know who I was then), walking with difficulty with a child and a chicken in my hands, he stopped me and said, “If you wish, I will slaughter the chicken for you.” In this way he saved me the walk to the shochet.

Here we see the tremendous ahavas Yisrael of our holy Rebbe’im.

Shemu’os V’Sipurim, Vol. 1, p. 193.

Reb Folle Kahn ע"ה relates:

In the year 5683 (1923) Reb Simcha Gorodetzky travelled to raise funds for Tomchei Temimim. While he was staying in Charkov, two Chassidim asked him to convey a message to the Frierdiker Rebbe. The first Chossid asked him to inform the Frierdiker Rebbe that he was unable to perform a particular mission that he had been assigned because his son had tragically passed away, lo aleinu. The second Chossid asked him to convey that he had become entangled in his business dealings, and requested a blessing.

When Reb Simcha returned from his journey, he entered Yechidus and amongst other things conveyed the words of these two Chassidim. This made a tremendous influence on the Frierdiker Rebbe. His heart was broken and he began to weep profusely. They had only observed such weeping at the time of blowing the Shofar.

When he left Yechidus, Reb Simcha told the Rebbetzin Shterna Sara (the Frierdiker Rebbe’s mother) about the Frierdiker Rebbe’s response. He added, “I regret having conveyed these messages to the Rebbe, because even the Chassidim themselves (who suffered personally) weren’t as broken as the Rebbe.”

The Rebbetzin responded, “I don’t know what to do. After every Yechidus the floor is soaked with tears.”

Shemu’os V’Sipurim, Vol. 3, p. 218.

Explanation: Why did the Frierdiker Rebbe feel the pain of the Chassidim more than the Chassidim themselves? The answer appears simple: The Rebbe is the head (see here and here), and the head feels the pain of the body more than the body itself (see here).