One of the Jerusalem Torah giants about whom so many legends have been related was Rabbi Shmuel Salant. Not only was he outstanding in his Torah scholarship and communal leadership, but in his humility as well. Although he headed the community in the Holy City for nearly seventy years with firmness that shaped its character, he was extremely modest, refusing to be called the Rabbi of the city.

How humble he was in his relations with others was expressed in an incident which occurred when his rabbinical court was forced to take action against a local merchant who defied a ruling of the rabbis. After an edict was issued against him, the merchant soon burst into Rabbi Salants home and threatened to break all his windows if he did not retract the edict.

"What do you think Ill do," responded the Rabbi, " remain silent? Ill send someone to the glazier and order new windows!"