Crying to understand Tosefos

The Alter Rebbe was once learning with the Berditchever, when they encountered a Tosefos that they had difficulty deciphering. While they were struggling with the tosefos, R’ Zushe passed by, and asked them what they were involved with. R’ Zushe was not considered – by his colleagues – to exceed inlomdus, and they suggested that this was not for him, but he persisted, so they shared with him their question.

R’ Zushe left the room, and returned a few minutes later with an answer. The answer was so brilliant and profound, that it amazed even two scholars such as the Alter Rebbe and the Berditchever, and they asked him how he had come up with such an answer.

R’ Zushe answered them with his characteristic simplicity: “I went into the next room and cried about the difficulty I had in understanding the words of the tosefos, until the baal hatosefos came to me and personally explained himself. [Thereafter, the Alter Rebbe referred to R’ Zushe as a “gaon”].