All on His Shoulders  

The Novominsker Rebbe lived through many nisyonos facing Klal Yisrael, but he never gave into despair. “The Ribbono shel Olam had rachmanus,” the Rebbe would say. “So hold on tight. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is bigger and His chassadim are bigger — don’t be nispoel, don’t be intimidated.” With the Rebbe’s petirah during these challenging days, may his words serve as an anchor in the storm

From the podium, he waved his hand, once, twice. He grimaced, as if in physical pain. “Please,” he urged, “In yenneh velt, in the Next World, they take away for such things.”

The Novominsker Rebbe wasn’t just going through the motions of rejecting honor – for him, it was like an allergic reaction.

In was 1999, and he’d just been coronated Rosh Agudath Israel, a position created to reflect his unique suitability to the time and its challenges, the fusion of gadol baTorah, leader, diplomat and, perhaps the middah that bound them all together, a chacham — such a wise man.