The Rebbe's Kindness

When the Ponevezh Yeshiva built its new building, Rav Kahanaman, zt”l, assumed debts of massive proportion on his shoulders. The only conceivable way to cover this was an extended trip to collect funds in America.
This was his first visit to America, and he was fairly unknown in the New World. Not surprisingly, although he collected for many months he didn’t make much headway at all. As the day of his departure drew near, he decided to bid the Kapischnitzer Rebbe farewell.
The Rebbe asked, “How much did you succeed in collecting?”
The Ponevezher Rav burst into tears and confided to the Rebbe that he had not succeeded in making a fraction of what he owed and didn’t know how he was going to deal with the crushing burden of debt that remained on his shoulders.
After the Rav dejectedly left, the Rebbe started making phone calls. An hour later he had $10,000 for the Rav. The Rebbe’s son who told this story was not sure if this vast sum of money was borrowed or donated.
In those years this was a veritable fortune. The Rebbe asked his son to accompany him to the home where Rav Kahanaman was staying to give over the money.
When the Rav saw the money he again burst into tears. “In all the many weary months I spent soliciting donations I didn’t make anywhere near this sum!”
The Ponevezher Rav once said, “If I were to turn into a chossid I have a ready-made Rebbe, the Rebbe of Kapischnitz!”