When the Amshinover Rebbe wanted to appoint Reb Simcha as the Rav of Zcechanov so that he could earn parnassah (a livelihood), Reb Simcha accepted the position on two conditions: That he doesn’t have to give public speeches to the community and he wouldn’t need to render a p’sak – verdict to halachic questions that would come his way.  He made these conditions from pure humility.

The community leaders accepted his conditions.  One day, they decided to renovate the Shul in Zcechanov. They approached their Rav, Reb Simcha, and asked if he would make an exception this one time by addressing the congregation on the importance of donating towards the Shul’s renovation costs.  They claimed that if the Rav made this exception, it would impact the congregation to give warmly to this important communal cause.

The Rav humbly replied that he didn’t know how to deliver such a speech.  Reb Yechezkel, one of the community members, who was fondly called Chatzkal, chimed in: “Since I knew that the Rav wouldn’t want to give a speech, I already prepared a speech for the Rav” and handed a finished speech to the Rav.

The tzaddik Reb Simcha stepped up to the podium and humbly started the speech, saying, “The community activists approached me saying that we need to renovate our Shul and that I should give a speech on the topic.  I told them that I couldn’t give a speech, so Chatzkel told me that he had already prepared a speech for me and said I should say so and so…”.  After every few words the Rav said: “Chatzkel told me to say so and so…”.

Suddenly the Rav exclaimed: “The Kedusha (holiness) of a Beis Medrash is so great!” and from great awe he fell to the floor in a faint – and with this, the public address came to a sudden conclusion.

After witnessing their Rav faint from fear, the congregation fully understood how worthy a cause they were dealing with and graciously came forth with donations to renovate their sanctuary.