How much more so is this the case in regard to the Creator to Whom man is so truly indebted that if all the good works of all the people throughout history were to be credited to one individual, all these would not suffice to repay the Creator for even one of His favors to him. How, then, can this brazen individual not be ashamed to ask of the Creator that in addition to past favors, He should grant in advance fresh favors? This will only increase his debt, while he may never be able to fulfill those vows of service he has already made because his days will be over, and his life ended. pg459
Once, on a Motzoei Shabbos, the chasidim were sitting in the bais medrash of the Ruzhiner Rebbe zy”a for Melave Malka. Suddenly, the Rebbe opened the door of his room next to the bais medrash, stood at the entrance, and said, “The Baal Shem Tov was not a deity, and the zaida, the Magid, was not just an ordinary wagon driver. And once, when the holy Baal Shem Tov prayed, his talis fringe fell out of his gartel and dragged on the floor. The Magid approached, picked it up, and put it back in the gartel, but he was trembled with such tremendous fear that he fainted and his life was in danger. They were compelled to rouse the Baal Shem Tov from his deep dveikus in order to calm him.” He then added, “I told you that the Baal Shem Tov was not a deity and my zaida, the Magid, was no wagon driver. Still and all, when he touched the Besht’s garment, he fainted from fear. The entire world is Hashem’s garment. How much fear must we feel to touch this world!” May the memory of the...