Someone who serves as a rabbi properly and sincerely, thereby merits attaining prominence towards the end of his life. Whatever is considered greatness in that generation is the greatness to which he rises. For example, in this generation, in which the main prominence and honor are to be considered a famous tzaddik, he merits at the end of his life being accepted as a well-known personage. Even though this is really not the case—he is in fact just an ordinary, kosher Jew—they give him his reward before he leaves the world. And afterwards….
מִי שֶׁנּוֹהֵג רַבָּנוּת בְּכַשְׁרוּת וּבִתְמִימוּת כָּרָאוּי, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה זוֹכֶה שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה לִגְדֻלָּה לְסוֹף יָמָיו, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁנֶּחֱשָׁב לִגְדֻלָּה בְּאוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר, הוּא עוֹלֶה לִגְדֻלָּה זוֹ. כְּגוֹן בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה, שֶׁעִקַּר הַגְּדֻלָּה וְהַכָּבוֹד הוּא כְּשֶׁמַּחֲזִיקִין אוֹתוֹ לְצַדִּיק מְפֻרְסָם, אֲזַי זוֹכֶה שֶׁיִּתְקַבֵּל בְּסוֹף יָמָיו לִמְפֻרְסָם גָּדוֹל, אַף שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ כֵּן, רַק שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר פָּשׁוּט, וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ קֹדֶם שֶׁיּוֹצֵא מִן הָעוֹלָם, וְאַחַר־כָּךְ וְכוּ':
Someone who serves as a rabbi properly and sincerely, thereby merits attaining prominence towards the end of his life. Whatever is considered greatness in that generation is the greatness to which he rises. For example, in this generation, in which the main prominence and honor are to be considered a famous tzaddik, he merits at the end of his life being accepted as a well-known personage. Even though this is really not the case—he is in fact just an ordinary, kosher Jew—they give him his reward before he leaves the world. And afterwards….