I Am a Simple Jew Too
When a town's leaders barred simple Jews from the crowded shul, the Rizhiner announced that he was one of them and would not go in.
It is told that the Rizhiner went out of his way to draw every Yid close, the learned and the unlettered alike, and even those who had strayed, because he wanted to help each one back to Hashem's service. One year he visited a certain town, and word spread quickly. Crowds gathered to ask for a berachah, to seek advice, or only to catch a glimpse of the tzaddik, until the shul could not hold them all.
The leaders of the community decided on a way to bring order. Only the prominent and respected householders would be let in, and the plain folk would have to stay outside. The news reached the Rebbe.
He turned to the leaders and spoke quietly. So simple Jews were not welcome? Then they should know that he was a simple Jew himself, as his father had been, and his grandfather before him. And with that he stepped back from the doorway and refused to enter the shul.
Chassidim retell the moment to show where his greatness lay. A man with thousands at his door and princes among his admirers still counted himself with the plainest Jew in town, and he would not accept an honor that shut anyone else out.
Source: Shevet MiYisroel, vol. II, p. 21.
Think of one place in your week where some people are quietly kept at the edge, whether a shul, a family gathering, a class or a group of friends. Today, make one small gesture that brings someone in: greet the person standing alone, save a seat, or ask a quiet question and listen to the answer. If you hold some position of honor, remember the Rizhiner and ask whether it is helping people come closer to Hashem or keeping them away.