From the remarkable beis midrash in the town of Brodi came forth
a dazzling number of Talmudic chachamim, many of whom went forth
to greatness. The most famous was the great Nodah B’Yehuda, Rav
Yechezkel Landau, who was the rav of the Diaspora during his
lifetime. But there were other towering scholars who were
members of the famous beis midrash. One of them, a giant in his
time, was Rav Chaim Tzanzer. Rav Chaim (not to be confused with
Rav Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, author of Divrei Chaim) had two
occupations. One was the study of Torah and the other was the
doing of good deeds and charity. As to the first, not only his
days, but his nights, too, were devoted to study. His candle
never went out and it was his custom to sit before a table that
had on it two glasses of water. As he learned, one hand would be
immersed in one of the glasses. If he ever began to doze off the
glass would overturn and the sound would awaken him. He would
then wash both his hands in the other glass and resume his
learning. He would o