Scrolls and Poles
Physical suffering
was the lot of the holy Rebbe of Zutchka, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac Rosenbaum,
son of the main Nodvorna Rebbe of the generation, Rabbi Issamar Rosenbaum[1].
After surviving the Holocaust, he developed a leg ailment that frequently
caused him great pain. He kept his suffering to himself. He always wore an
expression of tranquility, even when he ought to have been screaming in agony.
After
years of suffering, the condition of his legs deteriorated. Before, he had
suffered from painful sores. Now they developed abscesses. After trying various
treatments, the doctors informed the Rebbe and his family that only one option
remained: to amputate both legs in order to save the Rebbe's life.
The
Rebbe received the news without blinking an eye, as though they were not speaking
about him at all. He lay in his bed in Ichilov Hospital, while around him
preparations were being made for the difficult operation scheduled for the
next day.
After
Maariv, the Rebbe began to conduct a cheshbon nefesh - a [spiritual]
accounting -- with himself. Suddenly, he rose up from his bed. He had figured
out why this terrible thing had befallen him! He put on his clothes and slipped
out of the room and exited the hospital. Outside, he hailed a taxi to his
Beis Medrash in the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood where he lived.
With
an energetic step he entered the shul and went directly to the place where
the bookbinder's tools stood. He pulled out a spool of thick thread and a
needle, and then went over to the Aron Kodesh ('Holy Ark'), From which
he removed one of the Torah scrolls and placed it on the table.
With
a sudden unnatural strength, he unrolled it to its beginning. The stitches
attaching the first panel of parchment to the wooden pole were extremely frayed,
and the rebbe took needle and thread in hand and re-sewed the stitches. He
then rolled the Sefer Torah to the end of Devarim, and made the same
repairs to the frayed stitches at the end. He returned the Sefer Torah to
the Aron Kodesh and then returned to the hospital.
He
quietly slipped back into his bed, unnoticed, even though earlier in the evening
shortly after he had "escaped", the medical staff had been shocked
to find his bed empty, and had conducted an unsuccessful search. The Rebbe
had vanished!
The
next morning, when the surgeon came to check on him shortly before the scheduled
surgery, the Rebbe surprised him by saying, "I'd like you to check my
legs again." The doctor felt it was an exercise in futility. The Rebbe
responded firmly, "If you do not re-examine my legs, I will not agree
to have this operation under any circumstances!"
The
doctor took this as an affront to his professional reputation. The situation
was saved by R' Nosson, one of the hospital administrators, a pious Jew who
had been a chasid of the Rebbe's father. He convinced the surgeon to re-examine
the Rebbe's legs.
The
doctor was astounded. A slight improvement was clearly evident. The infection
was receding. Amputation was no longer urgent. Conservative treatment using
ointments and bandages was recommended instead. Several days later, the Rebbe
was released from the hospital - walking on his own two feet!
The
Rebbe later told his stunned family, "Why are you surprised? When I made
a cheshbon nefesh, I remembered that I had known that the parchment panels
of one of the Sifrei Torah in the Beis Medrash had been detached from the
wooden poles for some time. I wanted to deal with this at once, but because
of my busy schedule, I did not manage to get around to it.
"I
thought to myself: G-D deals with us measure for measure. I neglected to attach
the Sefer Torah to its 'feet' - so I, the one responsible, was struck with
an appropriate consequence. It was as though the Heavenly Judgment was crying
out, 'Just as you did not attach the atzei chayim poles, so, too, will
your legs be detached from your body!' So I hurried over to quickly make the
repairs. And, indeed, when the end parchments were properly attached to the
Torah, my legs were no longer in danger of being cut off!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Freely adapted and supplemented by Yerachmiel
Tilles from Shabbos Stories for Parshas Mishpatim 5778 (2018).
Why
This Week? The 2nd parasha of the double reading, Vayeilech, describes
how the very first Torah scroll ever was handled and protected.
Biographic
note:
Rabbi Yitzchak-Isaac Rosenbaum of Zutchka [21 Tevet 5666/1905 - 14
Tammuz 5760/2000] was named after his holy ancestor, Rebbe Yitzchok Isaac
of Komarno. He experienced many miracles during the Holocaust, often marveling
at how he was able to save all his children, some of whom had been captured
by the Nazis. In the late 1940's he emigrated and settled in Boro Park, Brooklyn,
until 1973, when his holy father, Rabbi Issamar Rosenbaum, passed away
in Tel Aviv. Soon thereafter he moved to Israel to take his father's place.
In 1981, he opened his own beis medrash/shul in Bnei Brak. (based
on NerTamid.com)
Footnotes:
[1] Rabbi Issamar Rosenbaum [1886 - 22 Sivan 1973], was a rebbe in Europe
since age 15. After WWII he lived in the USA for 20 years. In 1969 he moved
to the Land of Israel, settling in the Yad Eliyahu neighborhood of Tel Aviv,
and soon was considered the elder of the various Nadvorna and Kretchnif rebbes
in Israel. (based on inner.org). [Rabbi Yaakov Yisachar Ber Rosenbaum of Nadvorna-Bnei
Brak was his grandson.]
Yerachmiel
Tilles is co-founder and associate director of Ascent-of-Safed, and chief editor
of this website (and of KabbalaOnline.org). He has hundreds of published stories
to his credit, and many have been translated into other languages. He tells
them live at Ascent nearly every Saturday night.