Yahrtzeit next Tuesday, Aug 4
LIVED 1880-1957
69th yahrtzeit 21 AV BURIED Har Hamenuchos
Rebbe Aharon of Belz was one of the greatest tzadikim of the last generation. He miraculously escaped the Nazis during the Holocaust, and eventually made his way from Belz to Eretz Yisroel, where he rebuilt the Belzer Chassidus. He was known to live almost like a malach, eating and sleeping very little.
Once, after his tish in Tel Aviv, the Rebbe asked his gabbaim, “Could you check if any Chassidim
are still around?” They checked and told him that everyone had already gone home. The Rebbe then said, “Quickly, call a doctor.”
When the doctor arrived, he said, “Rebbe, it is too dark in here to examine you.” The Rebbe replied, “It is pikuach nefesh. You may turn on the light.” The doctor turned on the light and examined the Rebbe. He was shocked to find a large bone stuck in the Rebbe’s throat and immediately removed it.
The doctor then asked, “How long has this bone been stuck there?” The Rebbe thought for a moment and answered, “About an hour and a half.”
The doctor was stunned. “The Rebbe was in such pain for an hour and a half and didn’t say anything?”
The Rebbe explained, “I know my Chassidim love me very much. If they had seen that I was in pain, it would have hurt them. I didn’t want to cause another Yid pain. That is why I first made sure no one was around before calling the doctor.”
Let’s all try to be like the Belzer Rebbe, always thinking good things about other Yidden and trying not to cause any Yid pain.
The Rebbe was always thinking positively about Yidden. Once, while he was in the middle of a medical procedure, the doctor asked him, “What is the Rebbe thinking about right now?” The Rebbe answered, “Good things about Yidden!”
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 92.