The Illness and the Most Precious of All

B"SD B"RH

"Our connection with the Rav (Rabbi Berland) began five years ago, at the time when my wife was first diagnosed with the illness (cancer)." Doron Avivi (a pseudonym) began to unfold his story; his tone of voice seemed calm, but one is quickly drawn into a chain of events that are out of this world. "Since then, we began to draw closer to Breslov, to the books and the advice of Rebbe Nachman, and we even merited to reach his holy gravesite in Uman several times."

"In Nissan 5775 (Spring 2015), just a few months ago, while my wife was in her nineteenth week [of pregnancy], she began to feel pain in her upper body on both sides. To our horror, they discovered the illness had returned." Doron says that as if that wasn't enough, over time, additional lumps began to appear in other parts of her body. "The problem from the doctors' perspective was that the 'condition' my wife was in [pregnancy] causes processes that accelerate the illness. Therefore, in the surgical department, they said we must give up on what is most precious to us (the unborn child). But no! My wife was determined that we must protect it." Therefore, they went to an expert oncologist.

It is difficult to digest the ordeal of suffering this successful family endured, and Doron continues. "In the meantime, unfortunately, they found another lump. Therefore, the doctors said that if the test revealed the tumor was spreading, we would be forced to make that sacrifice. If not, they would wait until the 31st week, after which they would continue with more intensive treatment."

"During this period, we visited many graves of the righteous, and lehavdil (to distinguish between the living and the dead), we visited the Tzaddikim (righteous leaders) of the generation, Rabbi David Abuchatzeira shlit"a (may he live long and good days) and Rabbi Yoram Abergel zt"l (of blessed memory). They said there would be miracles and wonders, but they emphasized that we must follow the doctors' advice, even if it involved a painful sacrifice. 'You must accept this with love and you must be strong,' they added before sending us off with a radiant countenance. Their words strengthened us greatly, but we did not want to give up on what was most precious to us under any circumstances."

"We knew in our hearts that with Rabbi Berland shlit"a there would be a yeshuah (salvation), remembering the great love he showered upon us the previous time we were with him. Although we hoped the spiritual work we had done would be enough, deep down we knew we would eventually turn to him." Before the results of the final test arrived, the Avivi family decided to contact the Rav shlit"a through his gabbai (attendant), Solomon, and indeed the Rav said to send a Pidyon Nefesh (redemption of the soul). "This did not surprise us; given the severity of the situation, we already knew we would need great salvations." To their joy, the Rav repeated several times and emphasized that they must protect what was most precious to them. Although they yearned for this, they were still afraid of the illness due to her difficult condition, so they mentioned this to the Rav. "When the Rav heard this, he immediately changed his tone and told us to follow the doctors' advice, even regarding what is most precious to us. We fell into a state of brokenheartedness, added to which were the memories of the treatments we had already experienced in the past."

"In a supernatural way, when we went to receive the test results, even though a tumor was unfortunately found, the doctor told us to keep what is most precious to us until the 31st week, just as the Rav had said initially."

Doron is an avrech (Torah student) in a respected kollel (institute for advanced Torah study) in the center of the country, and his external appearance does not betray the inner connection formed between him and Breslov Chassidus. But he is certainly alert to the chain of miracles that accompanied them along the way. "I have a friend who was previously a meshabaq (personal attendant) to the Rav, and he told me that in his opinion, the Rav wants to reveal the power of emunah (faith) within you and bring it from potential to reality." Strengthened by this, they decided not to give up, and indeed after a few days, they contacted Solomon, who informed them that the Rav had invited them to Holland. "My wife and I traveled together. At first, we were concerned about the 'impurity of the land of the nations' (outside the Land of Israel), but when we were with the Rav, we felt like we were in Gan Eden (Paradise). Even though Holland is a spiritually difficult place, we felt as if the place had become sanctified. We even merited to pray Shacharis (the morning prayer) with the Rav shlit"a while he held my hand for a long time. At the same time, my wife spoke with the Rebbetzin (the Rav's wife) tlit"a (may she live long and good days), and by the will of Hashem, she even touched her heart. And so, while we were there, the Rebbetzin went in to the Rav and asked him to let them enter. The Rav shlit"a said that within 40 days everything would pass, and he even gave us a personal prayer, as well as natural drops. Additionally, the Rav gave us a schedule for shared study. However, strangely, as the forty days drew to a close, my wife felt increasing pain, and a strong pain in her hips was added, to the point that all the doctors feared the illness had spread there. Therefore, they spoke again with the Rav shlit"a, who calmed them and said that within a week everything would be fine."

"It didn't end there," Doron smiles. "At this stage, something strange happened again. Suddenly, as if from nowhere, we heard about a certain natural clinic. Although its purpose was only to ease the pain and it was doubtful if it could help at all, suddenly after the treatment, a great improvement began which continued until everything went away. We merited great miracles, the fruit of the womb (a child) that came, Baruch Hashem (thank God), in its proper time, with health for him and the happy mother. Afterward, tests were conducted on the mother, and the doctors were amazed by the results."

As a concluding anecdote, Doron adds a small story. "When we came to the Rav the first time, we left a letter in an envelope with questions and requests for a blessing. At the end of the letter, we noted in one line, which seemed marginal, a request for parnassah (livelihood) for my brother. He had been stuck for years," Doron adds apologetically. Even though he is a respected professional, he was still living in his parents' home. And so, against all statistics and the bleak past, that same week he found a dignified job where he has been working until now."