#119 (s5760-19/ 12 Shvat 5760) AN
ANGEL OF ONE THOUSAND ‘I heard that the Lubavitcher
Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, is now in the United States.’
AN
ANGEL OF ONE THOUSAND
In the early 5700's (1940's), Rabbi Shmaryahu Gurary of blessed memory, who
was married to the eldest of the three daughters of the sixth Lubavitcher
Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (Rayatz), was sent by his father-in-law
on a mission to Toronto along with Rabbi Shlomo-Aharon Kazarnovsky. They arrived
to find the city completely paralyzed by a blizzard. Deep snow had buried practically
everything and storm winds blasted through the streets. Since no transportation
of any sort was available, they were forced to take refuge in a nearby hotel.
A number of chassidim and admirers of Lubavitch found their way to the place
where they were staying in order to pay their respects to their city's distinguished
guests. Among them was a prestigious local rabbi, a leading Torah scholar in
the city, who expressed great respect for the Rebbe Rayatz and explained
why with an amazing story.
"Not so long ago, one of the members of my shul, Reuven, a wealthy man,
fell seriously ill. It actually happened in shul, on a Shabbat. His was called
for an aliyah, and on his way to the platform he suffererd a stroke! An ambulance
was summoned, and he was taken quickly to the hospital.
"As soon as possible after Shabbat, I went to visit him. When I arrived
at his floor, I encountered the members of the family who had stationed themselves
in the room next to the patient's. They told me the frightening details of his
condition: in addition to one of his legs being paralyzed, he was also barely
able to speak.
"Their mood was gloomy. The unpleasant situation of the head of the family
would have been reason enough. In addition, his son was supposed to be getting
married but had postponed his wedding because of the sudden tragic development.
"They warned me not to go in the room. However, the patient heard my voice
while I was speaking to them and asked his nurse to call me in. I entered.
"As soon as he saw me, he managed to say: 'I heard that the Lubavitcher
Rebbe now lives in the United States.'
"'That's true," I replied. He came in 5700 (1940)."
"'Please!' he implored, gasping the words. 'Write to him on my behalf
and ask him what I can do to save myself from this ghastly illness and regain
my health.'
"Of course I agreed. As soon as I got home, I dispatched an urgent telegram.
The Rebbe's answer arrived very quickly, also by express. He instructed me to
tell the stricken man that a branch of Lubavitch's Tomchei Temimim Yeshiva was
being established in Montreal and that he should donate $1000 to it, for 'tzedakah
saves from death.' Specifically one thousand, because the angel [advocate created
by the mitzvah*] of [giving] a hundred is incomparable to the angel of a thousand,
as it says [in the Book of Jobe*], 'If a man will have an interceding angel-one
of a thousand...'. In this merit he will get well, and have full use of his
legs, the Rebbe concluded.
"I hurried back to the hospital with the Rebbe's letter in hand. The relatives
were all still there. When the patient's wife saw me, she said in surprise,
'What! Did you already get an answer from the Rebbe?'
"I told her what the Rebbe had said. Her brother, who had also come to
visit, overheard. He remarked to her sarcastically, 'Ah! They've already started
to try to squeeze money out of him. You know how these people are.'
"I didn't bother to respond. Instead, I went directly inside to the patient.
I told him what I had written and that the Rebbe had answered right away. I
then read to him the Rebbe's letter. When I finished, he turned to his son,
who had been standing next to the bed the whole time. 'Son!' he said, as emphatically
as he could manage; 'I want to live! Please take one thousand dollars and deliver
it in person to Montreal, to whatever address that the Rabbi tells you.'
"The son, the one whose wedding was postponed, did exactly as his father
requested, without hesitation. A few days later, a doctor in the hospital who
was known to be a leading specialist for this particular problem, came to do
an examination. The room was cleared for him, and he remained alone with the
bedridden man for some time. When he came out, his face was contorted with fury.
He went directly over to the relatives of the patient, who were still maintaining
their faithful vigil.
"'Who gave you permission to bring in an outside doctor and for him to
initiate treatment?' he demanded. 'And without informing me, no less. This is
outrageous!'
"The relatives looked at one another and then back at the doctor, thoroughly
perplexed. 'Doctor, please, we don't know what you are talking about. We haven't
consulted any other doctor, nor do we know what extra treatment you are talking
about.'
"'If that's so,' responded the doctor in a calmer tone, but with lingering
overtones of suspicion, 'then a miracle has occurred here. The patient's condition
has changed radically. There are no longer any internal signs of the disease.
I can't understand it. Still,' he said, shaking his head, 'if this present situation
persists, we will discharge him very soon.'
"And that's what happened. Shortly thereafter he was released, and although
he needed crutches to help him walk, it wasn't too long before he was able to
discard them. His condition continued to improve rapidly until he was better
completely.
"The rescheduled wedding was celebrated with exceptional joy."
Source: Translated and freely adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles (and first
published in Kfar Chabad Magazine - English) from Shemuos v'Sipurim
by Rafoel Nachman Cohen (vol.1, p.191-192), who heard it directly from Rabbi
Kazarnovsky. (Subsequently expanded in 2016 based on Sichat HaShavua #1515.)
NOTE:
In Avos 4:11 it says, "With every mitzvah a person does, he acquires
for himself an advocate- angel...." The full quote from Iyov is:
"If [he has a merit, then] there will be for a man an interceding angel,
one of a thousand, to declare his uprightness on his behalf; then He will be
gracious to him, and say, 'Redeem him from going down to the grave; I have found
atonement for him'" (Job 33:23--24-this verse is utilized in the Kapparos
atonement custom on the eve of Yom Kippur, see Siddur Tehillat HaShem,
p.198).
Biographical note
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak
Schneersohn (1880-10 Shvat 1950) was the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, from 1920
to 1950. In 1940 he moved to the USA, established Chabad world-wide headquarters
in Brooklyn and launched the global campaign to renew and spread Judaism in all
languages and in every corner of the world, the campaign continued and expanded
so remarkably successfully by his son-in-law and successor, Rabbi Menachem
Mendel Schneerson. Yrachmiel Tilles is co-founder and
associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and editor of Ascent Quarterly and the
AscentOfSafed.com and KabbalaOnline.org websites. He has hundreds of published
stories to his credit. back to Top
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