וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי ה’
And you shall love your fellow as yourself — I am Hashem (19:18).
The ahavas Yisrael displayed by the holy Rav David of Lelov zt”l, was legendary. He was prepared to sacrifice himself for the well-being of the Jewish people, as was known.
Once, his beloved son, Rav Moshele of Lelov, fell gravely ill during childhood. His condition worsened day by day, and his strength waned. Naturally, this threw the entire court into turmoil, with everyone deeply concerned for the child’s health. Renowned doctors and professors came and went, their grave expressions signaling the severity of the situation.
Immediately, around-the-clock Tehillim recitations were organized in the Lelov shul for the child’s recovery. The power of such prayer is famously invoked in Tehillim (69:7), ›ה נָי-אֲדֹ קוֶֹיךָ בִ י יֵבֹשׁוּ אַ ל - יִ שְׂ רָ אֵ ל אֱ לֹקֵ י מְ בַ קְ שֶׁ יךָ בִ י יִכָּלְ מוּ אַ ל צְבָאוֹת May those who hope in You not be shamed through me, Hashem God of Hosts; may those who seek You not be dishonored through me, O God of Yisrael. This [implication that David Hamelech will be shamed if the tefillos are unanswered] indicates that the unified recital of the entire Sefer Tehillim is a potent plea that reaches the Heavenly Throne.
Many chassidim from towns across Poland gathered to join these intense prayers. The continuous outpouring of prayer and tears broke through all barriers, ascending to the Heavenly Throne. The powerful collective prayer was answered: the child’s condition suddenly turned around. Within a short time, he fully recovered, left his sickbed, and resumed his usual activities.
The joy among the chassidim was indescribable. Just as they had fervently prayed during the crisis, they now celebrated with immense gratitude and praise to Hashem for His boundless mercy.
Yet amid this great joy, the attendants were shocked to find Rav David himself in his room, weeping bitterly. Perplexed, they asked, “Rebbe, why are you crying? The tefillos were answered, the child healed, and everyone is rejoicing. What causes your tears now?”
Rav David explained through his tears: “I realized, during my son’s illness, that my love for my child exceeds my love for other Jewish children. You saw how deeply pained I was by my son’s suffering and how many prayers and tears I poured out. The entire town was overcome with concern, and unceasing Tehillim was recited because he is my son, and everyone knows how precious he is to me. But why do we not see the same level of fervor when another Jewish child falls ill? Why is my child different from any other child in Lelov?”
He continued: “If I truly loved every Jewish child as much as I love my own, then every sick child would inspire the same level of concern and prayers. Yet, it is clear that my love for my son is greater than my love for others. And for this, I weep—that I have not yet achieved the full measure of the mitzvah, לְ רֵ עֲ ךָ וְ אָ הַ בְ תָּ כָּמוֹךָ - You shall love your fellow as yourself.”
Go and learn how far this precious mitzvah reaches, for if a giant among giants expressed such self-reflection, how much more so must we, the lesser, aspire to such ideals!
