A young married man living in Jerusalem began to experience symptoms of a serious illness, and although at first he hoped it was nothing to be concerned with, it soon became clear that he required medical attention. He was friendly with a prominent and influential Israeli layman who had contacts with numerous doctors in various hospitals, and he turned to this man for advice.
The kindly man arranged for him to be evaluated by a renowned doctor, and it was shortly thereafter that he received the devastating diagnosis of cancer, r”l. Treatment options were limited, he was told, as his rare form of the malignant disease was practically incurable. The doctor was not unsympathetic, but he ultimately advised the young man to go home and spend as much of his remaining time as possible with his wife and their little ones.
The young man came home and basically retreated into himself. He became depressed, and there was nothing anyone could do to raise his spirits. His wife, however, was a fighter, and she refused to give up. Within days after the diagnosis, she contacted the same layman and asked if he had connections to speak with the Gadol Hador, R’ Yosef Shalom Elyashiv ZT”L. She wished to bring her husband to the tzadik and let him decide if and what course of treatment should be taken, rather than rely on the ultimatum of a secular doctor in a Tel Aviv hospital. The layman did indeed have connections and arranged a private meeting between R’ Elyashiv and the couple, with him being present as well.
A few days later, on Friday morning, the three met at the tiny, modest home of the tzadik. The older and more experienced man laid out the entire situation in heartfelt, moving terms, including the words of the doctor who insisted that there was no treatment for this form of the disease. R’ Elyashiv listened with great empathy and asked a few pertinent questions when necessary. Then, he was silent for a few minutes, weighing his words carefully. Finally, he spoke.
“Unfortunately, based on all that you’ve told me, I do not see any natural course of action. At this point, all I can tell you is to increase your tefilos and Torah study, and in this merit, may Hashem grant you a complete and speedy recovery.”
The room was silent. If they were hoping for a radical new approach or kabbalah to effect a recovery, they were sorely disappointed. With a sigh, the layman stood up and prepared to walk out. The sick man also stood up, his final hope seemingly dashed. But the young wife, a look of fierce determination etched on her face, did not stand up. Instead, she looked at the tzadik and spoke up. “I realize that in a few short weeks, I will be a widow and my children will be orphans. Now they are young, but when they grow up and ask me, ‘Ima, did you do everything in your power to help Aba?’ can I answer that I did? Is this it? With all due respect to the Rav, can I truly say that I - that we - did everything we possibly could to help?”
The desperation in her voice was palpable, and the question hung in the air, as if impelled by its own gravity-defying propulsion. Suddenly, R’ Elyashiv turned to the layman and announced, “Go to America with the sick man right now!”
“Right now?” asked the man. “It is Erev Shabbos. Shall I book the tickets for Sunday, on the earliest flight out?”
R’ Elyashiv was adamant. “No! Right now means right now! Go this very minute to the airport and fly to America.” Without another moment’s hesitation, the two men drove straight to the airport and took the next flight out. Arrangements were made at a renowned hospital, and the young man was successfully treated. B”H, he recovered completely!
When the story was told to R’ Chaim Kanievsky Shlit’a, he was asked what had changed his father-in-law’s mind. First, R’ Elyashiv said there was no normal course of action, and then he urged them to run to America! “My shver realized,” said R’ Chaim, “that this woman has a great deal of emunah and belief in Hashem. She refused to rely on a doctor’s diagnosis and understood that no matter what the doctor said, Hashem is always able and ready to help. Based on the level of emotion in her voice, the Rav recognized that she truly believed there was more to do. Therefore, he quickly sent them to America because even if by nature there is no path to salvation, with true faith and belief in the Ribono shel Olam, one can actually change the course of nature (she won’t become a widow) - and to do this, one is permitted to be mechalel Shabbos (desecrate Shabbos)!”
Rabbi Dovid Hoffman is the author of the popular “Torah Tavlin” book series, filled with stories, wit and hundreds of divrei Torah, including the brand new “Torah Tavlin Yamim Noraim” in stores everywhere. You’ll love this popular series. Also look for his book, “Heroes of Spirit,” containing one hundred fascinating stories on the Holocaust. They are fantastic gifts, available in all Judaica bookstores and online at http://israelbookshoppublications.com. To receive Rabbi Hoffman’s weekly “Torah Tavlin” sheet on the parsha, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.