A Story of Wonder: The Rav Circled the Infant for Six Hours and He Was Healed

A shaking story about the power of silence: After a man disgraced the Rav, his son fell critically ill. The man's wife placed the infant in the Rav's home, and there the great miracle occurred after six hours.

R' A. related an awesome story that took place during the period when Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a still resided in Bnei Brak. It happened on one of the Shabbos days, following the holy Shabbos prayers and the regular class that followed. The Rav shlit"a was walking together with a group of students who were escorting him on his way.

As they passed by one of the study halls (Batei Midrash) in the city, a man emerged from the synagogue and began to revile and blaspheme the Tzaddik in a truly terrible manner. The students, hearing these words of venom, naturally wanted to protest against him and deal with him as was fitting for an affront to the honor of the Torah. However, the Rav shlit"a immediately turned around and said to the students firmly:

"Whoever approaches even one step — will be damaged, Heaven forbid."

Naturally, no one dared to transgress the Tzaddik's command. The Rav shlit"a stood with his head bowed until that man finished his words, while all this time the Rav listened, remained silent, and accepted everything with love and joy.

The Infant in Danger and the Wondrous Salvation

A week later, the entire city was in an uproar. The son of that man who had disgraced the Rav, a small infant, fell critically ill and was rushed to the hospital in a very dangerous condition. The doctors could find no medical solution for his situation, may Hashem protect us.

That man's wife was a God-fearing woman, and she immediately understood what she had to do. She arrived at the hospital and announced that she wanted to remove the infant from there on her sole responsibility. The medical staff tried to prevent her from doing so, since the child was in a very dangerous state, but finally, after she signed that she was taking him on her own responsibility, they agreed to release him.

The woman ran immediately to the home of the Rav shlit"a with the infant. The Rav was not home at that time, and she said to the Rebbetzin tichyeh (may she live): "If my husband is a criminal—but why am I to blame?"

She left the infant in the home of the Rav shlit"a. The Rebbetzin later related that Morinu HaRav shlit"a circled around the infant for six consecutive hours in supplication for his recovery. Baruch Hashem, the infant healed completely, and they returned him to his home healthy and whole.

---
From Issue 80 — Parshat Bereshit
From the series "Tzaddik Moshel Yirat Elokim" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" leaflets