The Apter Rav once wanted to travel to R. Baruch. Being that R. Baruch was harsh and the Apter Rav liked to exaggerate – the Gaboim [his assistants] were afraid that they would quarrel, and they did not let him travel. He stubbornly insisted that he wanted to go, so his distinguished[?]1 associates told him the truth about why they were scared of him meeting R. Baruch. So he promised them that he would be careful not to speak in an exaggerated manner.
On Friday night, R. Baruch, knowing that the Apter liked to eat a lot, served him a large portion – as was his custom, the Apter ate straight out of the bowl.
They thought that this would bother R. Baruch. He said however that he saw how they [i.e. the Aptar Rav] was bringing sacrifices.
When the Apter Rav started to recount hyperbolic tales, R. Baruch called out: “there is a golden weight in his mouth.”2
Friday night and Shabbos morning they requested that the Apter honor them by reciting words of Torah. But at the third meal, he did not want to [recite words of Torah].
So R. Baruch repeated a simple section of the Zohar.
When he [the Apter] left the meal, he told his assistant: “Quickly make my bed because I want to rest. With his Torah, he completely broke me.”
I.F.
Elazar Zohn
