THE REBBE SWEETENED THE BITTER DIAGNOSIS

I have written hundreds and thousands of stories in the past fifteen years, but the following story is my personal story. It was the first time that I experienced with all my senses, and not just hear about, a heavenly and miraculous event as the result of a blessing of the Rebbe.  This big miracle left the top doctors at the pediatric ward in Ziv Hospital in Tzfas open-mouthed. The cynics among them said it was a medical miracle. Others had the integrity to admit that there was no medical explanation for what occurred.

This story happened three years ago. It began like any other morning. Our oldest daughter, Ayala Tzippora, had not been feeling well for two days. We thought it was a passing virus, but by the third day, when she still had high fever, we knew we had to check it out. We made an appointment with a pediatrician at a nearby clinic, a Chabad Chassid by the name of Dr. Yona Vertzov. When he heard that she was constantly thirsty, he had us go to the nurses’ room.

A nurse ran a test that the doctor ordered and when she saw the results, she quickly called for the doctor. My daughter’s blood sugar was very high, 285, which indicated diabetes. Dr. Vertzov asked whether anyone in the family had diabetes and we said no. We saw how compassionate he was – those who know him, know how softhearted and caring he is. He wrote a referral to the children’s emergency room and asked us to update him as things developed.

I cannot begin to describe to you what parents go through in such a situation (even more so, with their oldest child). We were terrified. Our thoughts raced. We could already picture the great suffering she would begin to endure, suffering that would not end, but would continue throughout her life. There was life before that test and life afterward. I knew some bachurim in yeshiva who had juvenile diabetes and I knew how hard it was for them. I had tears in my eyes and pain in my chest.

My wife called her mother and together they took our daughter to the hospital. I rushed back home and sat at the computer to see what a number like this signified. Perhaps it was not necessarily diabetes? I saw that such high numbers indicated diabetes. I checked everything new in the field of diabetes, how to handle it, and how to help and make life easier for the child who suffers from it. After a while I suddenly got a hold of myself and regretted not having first written the Rebbe.

I went over to the bookcase where I have a set of Igros Kodesh. I proclaimed “Yechi,” gave tz’daka, make a good hachlata, and asked and repeated it like a mantra, three words that I will never forget: “just not this.” Please Rebbe, I write so many miracle stories that happened to people. I also want a miracle of my own.

I took out a volume, which was volume 7, and opened to letter #872. I read the first letter on the right side and was rooted to my spot. I read the letter again and again and was stunned:

… It is a pity that you are interesting yourself in and studying medical books regarding what you imagine is his illness. I think that all you need to do is what the Torah commanded, which is to do as the doctors say and occupy your mind and heart, meaning your power of thought, regarding your strong trust in Hashem, who is the Healer of the sick and does wonders. And do not get involved in medical matters because this does not pertain to you, especially if it disturbs your peace of mind and arouses depressing thoughts. It is known the saying that was said by several Chabad leaders, and they said this a number of times, tracht gut vet zain gut.

When I recovered a little, I rushed to call my wife and I happily informed her there was nothing to worry about. I told her about research that I did on forums for kids sick with diabetes and about this answer from the Rebbe in which he told me to stop checking out medical books regarding what I imagined is the sickness. The Rebbe’s answer was so clear, but despite this, a war still raged inside me between rationality and emuna, between being optimistic and sinking into pessimism.

What turned me in the direction of emuna was a phone call I got from my wife. She said that the test they did on Ayala as soon as she arrived at the pediatric emergency room showed 138. That was still relatively high, but I was happy at the lowered number. The doctors said to leave her there for three days of observation. During this time, she underwent all sorts of tests. One happy thing occurred in that her temperature went down the next day and so did the sugar level. The doctors did not know how to explain this.

I’ll never forget how, on the day she was released, there was a conversation among the doctors, including several interns who had stood at my daughter’s bedside in shifts. The doctor described the case and the reason for hospitalization and what happened since then. One of the interns interrupted her and asked how this was possible. She shook her hands and explained that medicine is not an exact science and things like this happen. I listened to what was said and in my heart I knew who made this miracle. It was the Rebbe’s bracha which came true in a wondrous way. Ayala was released with a recommendation to do a blood test in a week.

We did so, and she has done other tests since then, and there is no elevated blood sugar. We made a big seudas hodaa in shul for the young people in our city, and as the Rebbe wrote later in the letter, we started a weekly shiur in Chassidus on Thursday. “Give thanks to Hashem for He is good, his kindness is everlasting.” He sent us his faithful emissary, the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, whose holy blessings bring about miracles and wonders. We now pray for the fulfillment of his holy prophecy, the biggest miracle of all, the immediate revelation of our king, Moshiach.