ואתכם יהיו איש איש למטה איש ראש לבית אבותיו הוא (במדבר א:ד)

The holy Reb Mendel’e Vorker zt’’l spent his final days in the city of Warsaw since he was receiving medical treatments there.  He ended up passing away in Warsaw where his levaya (funeral) took place.  The minhag – custom in Warsaw was to transport  the niftar (dead person) by wagon.

The Vorker Rebbe had a talmid the holy Reb Yechiel from Alexander zt’’l who was very distraught about this custom since it wasn’t his Rebbe’s custom.

The Alexendar Rebbe approached the Warsaw Rav and asked that they shouldn’t carry his Rebbe by wagon but the Warsaw Rav didn’t want to agree since it was their custom and they can’t change.

The Alexander Rebbe kept begging until he said that he can bring proof from the Torah that it’s more b’Kavod – honorable for a tzaddik that his body is carried by hand.  “It says כי עבודת הקודש עליהם   בכתף ישאו – tzaddikim whose whole lives were dedicated to “עבודת השם” – serving Hashem, “בכסף ישאו” – they should be carried on the shoulders.

Understandably, the Warsaw Rav agreed to carry the tzaddik on their shoulders.