Rebbi Akiva Eiger And The Chavas Da'as Escort An Empty Wagon
Rebbi Akiva Eiger was renowned for his modesty. His totally unassuming character is the subject of many stories. One time Rebbi Akiva Eiger And Rebbi Yaakov MiLissa, the author of the Chavas Da'as and Nesivos HaMishpat, traveled together to Warsaw for a gathering of Rabbonim. Eagerly awaiting the arrival of these two great gedolim whom they had never seen, the people of Warsaw waited for them at the outskirts of the city.
When
they arrived, the horses were immediately unhitched from the wagon so
that the people could have the honor of pulling the chariot of these
twogedolim by hand. Upon seeing this, Rebbi Akiva Eiger jumped out of the wagon and joined the crowd pulling assuming that this great honor was done for the great Rav of Lissa. Unbeknownst to him the Chavas Da'as assumed that this great honor was for Rebbi Akiva Eiger and had jumped out of the wagon from his side.
Together with the leaders and the lay people of Warsaw, these two gedolim humbly pulled the empty carriage to the city honoring the missing Gadol inside. (Sarei HaMei'ah 1:251)
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