ועשו ארון עצי שטים אמתים וחצי ארכו ואמה וחצי רחבו ואמה וחצי קמתו (תרומה כה:י)

The holy Chozeh (seer) of Lublin zt”l once told his talmid (disciple) Maran the Sar Shalom of Belz zt”l that he should stand behind the oven at the back of the Shul, to overhear a conversation between two Yidden.  As he approached the rear of the Beis Medrash, he heard the Yidden lamenting the hardships they had endured on their travels until they reached Lublin. The trips coming and going are costly and strenuous, and they don’t feel any purpose in straining themselves to travel to Lublin.

The Sar Shalom understood why his Rebbe wanted him to overhear the conversation and approached the Yidden and said. “In heaven, they once weighed the merits of the Yidden and the Goyim (non-Jews.) The Yidden’s Gemilas Chassadim(good deeds), their Hachnasas Kallah (helping marry off a poor bride), Hachnasas Orchim (hosting guests), giving tzedakah, and many more good deeds…

Satan argued that the other Nations also perform Gemillas Chassadim and all these mitzvahs.  The Malach Michal brought broken Jewish hearts and placed them on the scale, and the merits of the Yidden outweighed.  Satan stayed quiet and couldn’t talk badly against the Yidden since he couldn’t bring a broken heart from the other Nations.”

Maran, the Sar Shalom of Belz, expounded on the greatness of a broken heart until his words penetrated the hearts of the two Yidden who gained strength from his words.