By Dovid Zaklikowski for COLlive and Hasidic Archives
Once the famed Chassidic leader Yisrael Friedman of Ruzhin (1796-1850) arrived in a small town. The locals told him that there were two guests houses in the city. One was owned by a non-observant Jew. The second one was owned by an observant Jew, but he was an arrogant man.
Rabbi Friedman told them that he wanted to stay in the guest house owned by the non-observant person.
When asked why, he explained that he prefers staying in the home of one upon whom it is said: “even in their impure state, the [divine presence] camps with them (Leviticus 16:16).”
Regarding an arrogant person, however, G-d says: “He and I cannot dwell together (Talmud, Sota 5a).”
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