The Rebbe also told us of his great shyness. He said, “I used to be so timid before God, I could literally feel the shame on my face. Often I would stand before God and feel embarrassed, as if I had been humiliated in front of a friend. There were times when I would actually blush, so great was my shame.”
The great tzaddik, Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl,274Rabbi Nachum was one of the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov. He passed away on 11 Cheshvan 5558 (October 31, 1797), shortly before the Rebbe left on his pilgrimage to Israel. once saw the Rebbe as a youth in Medvedevka. He was astounded at the great awe that was visible on the Rebbe’s face. He said that on the Rebbe’s face, we can see the literal meaning of the verse, “So that His fear shall be on your faces, so that you shall not sin” (Exodus 20:17).
גַּם סִפֵּר מִגֹּדֶל הַבּוּשָׁה שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ. שֶׁהָיָה מִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְהָיָה מַרְגִּישׁ מַמָּשׁ הַבּוּשָׁה עַל פָּנָיו. וְהָיָה מַרְגִּישׁ כְּמוֹ מִי שֶׁמִּתְבַּיֵּשׁ מֵחֲבֵרוֹ מְאֹד. כִּי הָיָה מַרְגִּישׁ שֶׁמַּתְחִילִין מַרְאֵה פָּנָיו לְהִשְׁתַּנּוֹת לְכַמָּה גְּוָנִין כְּדֶרֶךְ הַמִּתְבַּיְּשִׁין מַמָּשׁ בְּלִי שׁוּם שִׁנּוּי.
The Rebbe also told us of his great shyness. He said, “I used to be so timid before God, I could literally feel the shame on my face. Often I would stand before God and feel embarrassed, as if I had been humiliated in front of a friend. There were times when I would actually blush, so great was my shame.”
וּכְבָר נִתְבָּאֵר, מִגֹּדֶל הַבּוּשָׁה וְהַיִּרְאָה שֶׁהָיְתָה מֻנַּחַת עַל פָּנָיו תָּמִיד אֲשֶׁר לֹא נִרְאָה כָּזֹאת.
This shame was always visible on the Rebbe’s face. No one had ever seen anything like it before (see “His Wisdom” #210).
וְהָרַב הַקָּדוֹשׁ מוֹרֵנוּ הָרַב רַבִּי נַחוּם ז"ל מִטְּשֶׁארְנָבִּיל, רָאָה אוֹתוֹ בִּימֵי נְעוּרָיו בִּקְהִלַּת מֶעדְוֶועדִוְוקֶע, וְנִתְבַּהֵל מֵעֹצֶם הַיִּרְאָה שֶׁהָיָה עַל פָּנָיו אָז, וְאָמַר שֶׁמַּה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר (שְׁמוֹת כ): "לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה יִרְאָתוֹ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם לְבִלְתִּי תֶחֱטָאוּ" זֶה רוֹאִין בְּחוּשׁ אֶצְלוֹ.
The great tzaddik, Rabbi Nachum of Chernobyl,274Rabbi Nachum was one of the disciples of the Baal Shem Tov. He passed away on 11 Cheshvan 5558 (October 31, 1797), shortly before the Rebbe left on his pilgrimage to Israel. once saw the Rebbe as a youth in Medvedevka. He was astounded at the great awe that was visible on the Rebbe’s face. He said that on the Rebbe’s face, we can see the literal meaning of the verse, “So that His fear shall be on your faces, so that you shall not sin” (Exodus 20:17).