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The Power of Bikur Cholim
by Dena Newman
There are many stories about various aspects of bikur
cholim, and how much good can come from visiting and
helping sick people. Although I always understood its
importance, it wasn't a mitzvah I was able to do very
often. After all, I was working and raising children, and
really didn't have much discretionary time. When the
mitzvah did come my way head on, such as a friend
calling me to go with her to visit a sick aquaintance, I knew
that I just had to squeeze it in. But sometimes I asked
myself if the patient really needed me. After all, if visits
usually took place in groups; did it really make a difference
if there was one person more or less? Then this amazing
miracle happened to a friend of mine. I was forced to
reassess my position on this issue.
A friend of ours, Rochel Cohen, was in a bad car accident and
was rushed to the emergency room. It was late at night, and
word spread fast in our warm, out-of-town community —
Rochel was undergoing surgery, and it was serious. Before
long, the waiting room was full — over 20 men had
gathered to say Tehillim and storm Heaven for a
complete recovery.
At one point, the surgeon came out, ready to tell Rochel's
husband that he had done all he could. He was taken aback
when he saw the crowd, swaying and crying as they said
Tehillim. Hesitantly, he tried to tell Mr. Cohen that
he had already exceeded the number of blood transfusions that
were allowed in the hospital. Before he could continue, men
lifted up their arms and called out, "I'll donate!"
The doctor, immediately energized and revitalized by this
second shock of the evening, quickly retreated to the
operating theater. An hour later he came out to report that
Rochel's situation had improved and the bleeding had stopped
. . . Although her complete recovery still took several
months, it was clear in the morning that the large crowd of
well-wishers had saved her life.
The doctor himself said it straight: "Mr. Cohen, when I came
out after all those transfusions, I really thought I had
given my all to save your wife. But when I saw all those
rabbis here, I was jolted out of my complacency. I realized
that your wife must be a very important person. Still, I
felt, what was there left to do? Could I go beyond the
hospital guidelines? When they offered to donate blood as
well, I knew I had to do whatever I could to pull her
through.
"I didn't save her life. Your community did."
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