WARSAW, MONDAY, 3rd of IYAR 5593
It was the last moments of HaGaon Hakadosh Rav Aryeh Leib Tzintz, also known as "Hamaharal Tzintz" or "The Gaon from Plotzk". Around his bed stand his greatest students, among them, The Chiddushei Harim from Gur, The Rebbe of Tchechnov, Rav Yakov Gezuntheit.
Fear and awe filled the room, tremor and the tension was felt; soon the great soul would depart from the pure body and rise to dwell in the holy and pure dwelling. An atmosphere of Yom Kippur permeated the room, the likes of the Neila prayers. The students look at their Rebbe, the one who taught Torah to thousands, and brought salvation for all who knock on his door. The tzaddik's lips mumble incessantly. Some of the students bend their ears towards him and hear: "And what is the difference if I study Torah here or study there in the Upper World?"
Suddenly, with a new force, he awakened. His eyes opened wide, the Tzaddik pointed his holy hand to a wooden plank in the corner of the room, and asked that it be brought to him. With the last of his strength, he engraved on it the text he wished to be written on his tombstone. His students followed his every action and were amazed to see him write: