In recent days, there has been an improvement in the state of health of the President of the Torah Sages Council, the Gaon Rav Rafael Shimon Badani shlit”a. After twelve days of being anesthetized and on a respirator, Rav Badani woke up.
The grandson and assistant of our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a, Rav Dov Zucker, tells the Kav HaMeda about the visit of Rav Berland to Rav Badani, who has been hospitalized for close to a month at Maayei HaYeshua Hospital:
“First of all, to thank and praise we are now speaking at this stage that, baruch Hashem, Rav Badani has woken up, and we need to pray for the recovery of Rav Rafael Shimon ben Haviva. Indeed, the Rav visited him on Thursday [just 3 days before he miraculously woke up] in the afternoon-evening hours. It’s known that there is a strong bond between our Rebbe the Rav and Rav Badani already several years, while through all the persecutions, Rav Badani stood as a steadfast rock and continued to come to visit our Rebbe the Rav. The Rav shlit”a somehow heard two weeks ago that Rav Badani was anesthetized and on a respirator in serious condition and expressed his wish to go visit him. At that stage, Rav Badani was diagnosed as ill with Corona and it wasn’t possible to enter the ward. In spite of this, there was the consideration that the Rav shlit”a would come and stand until [the point] where it was possible, next to his room. It’s known the mitzvah of visiting the sick, and especially our Rebbe the Rav shlit”a – many, many are the stories of the sick who have been saved through his prayers. Baruch Hashem, an opportunity was created last Thursday, when we heard that is was made possible for our Rebbe the Rav shlit”a to approach the room solitarily. The Rav traveled to Bnei Brak on Thursday for the occasion of a family celebration of his grand-niece, and we received a positive answer from Rav Badani’s family that it was possible to come. The Rav arrived at the room of Rav Badani around five in the evening. Rav Badani’s son opened the room to our Rebbe the Rav, only he warned that there is Corona and it’s not a good idea to come close. The Rav shlit”a stood at the entrance to the room and said the Tikkun Haklali. After we asked the medical staff if it’s possible to get close to the sickbed of Rav Badani, they answered that it’s dependent on us. Then the Rav mamash drew close to the sickbed of Rav Badani.
“The Rav came out with a happy facial expression. It’s written in the Gemara that they asked how you know if your prayers for the sick were accepted. Then he said that when I see that the prayer is fluent in my mouth, then certainly the sick will recover, and if not, I know that it’s torn up… We saw the light that was poured out on the Rav, that certainly we’ll see here some salvation, and understandably, we need to pray that it will continue, and Rav Badani will be healthy in his old age, and in his role as president of the Council, certainly the generation needs him. The Rav said already that many have been saved through the prayers, and with Hashem’s help, he will also be saved, and behold, we mamash see a dramatic improvement at this age and in this situation and baruch Hashem that the Rav sacrificed himself also to repay good and from personal obligations to pray for a great sage of Israel.”
Interview courtesy of Breslov Information Line (Kav HaMeda) *9148
To hear the interview (in Hebrew), click here
