At the height of the 1948 Israeli Independence War, as bombs and shells exploded throughout Jerusalem, a young Torah scholar risked his life to run through the streets towards the home of the city’s Rav, R’ Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky. R’ Chaim Brimm’s young wife, Hindel, was laying gravely ill, and R’ Chaim had come to R’ Dushinsky for a blessing, for advice, for anything that would effect a cure for his young wife, the mother of small children.
The Hesitant Humility of the Rebbe
R’ Dushinsky suggested that he hurry to the holy Rebbe, R’ Gedaliah Moshe of Zhvil (son of the holy R’ Shlom’ke of Zhvil) and beg him to pray for his wife. R’ Chaim flew to the Rebbe’s home in Katamon, which was farther away from the constant shelling. When R’ Chaim poured out his tale of woe to the Rebbe, stating that R’ Dushinsky had suggested he come, the Rebbe humbly said, “What does he want from me? Does he think I am like my father?”
R’ Chaim understood that there was nothing more to say. The Rebbe had no intention of helping to affect a salvation. He left dejectedly, making his way back to R’ Dushinsky’s home. His sorrow made him oblivious to the menacing danger in the streets.
R’ Dushinsky told R’ Chaim, “Return to the Rebbe’s house and tell him that I command him, in the name of the Mara D’Asra, to bring salvation to your sick wife.”
R’ Chaim was taken aback. Could the Rav actually decree that the Rebbe bring salvation? Though it was difficult to repeat such harsh words to the holy Rebbe, the thought of his poor wife hovering between life and death prodded him onwards.
This time, when R’ Chaim conveyed R’ Dushinsky’s message, the Rebbe relented. “Your wife is in a state where only adding a name won’t make a difference. What I need are fifty signatures, each of them from a man willing to donate one year of his own life, for the healing of Hindel, daughter of Sarah, may Hashem send her a speedy recovery. When I have the necessary signatures, we can, with heaven’s help, do something together with a name change.”
How Could He Get the Signatures
R’ Chaim mentioned to the Rebbe that he felt he might have a hard time obtaining such signatures, as in these hard times when people were dying of hunger, thirst, illness and from the shelling, people were clinging to every moment of life.
R’ Chaim was so distraught, that he burst into tears.
The Rebbe calmed him and said, “You can tell them, in my name, that I guarantee that anyone who signs up to give a year of life on behalf of your wife will emerge from this war unharmed.”
The Rush to Benefit from the Rebbe’s Guarantee
R’ Chaim figured that the quickest way to obtain the fifty signatures was to race to the nearest bomb shelter, where many Jews were congregated. R’ Chaim entered one such crowded shelter and cried aloud, “Gevald!” Silence fell, and R’ Chaim seized the temporary lull to plead, “My wife is very sick. She is the daughter of holy people, a modest and righteous woman. Please take pity on her. I need fifty people to donate one year of their lives for her. Here is the page in my hand. Please, I beg of you, fifty signatures. Save her!”
Based on his first impassioned plea, some people thought R’ Chaim had lost his mind – for wasn’t the Angel of Death picking new victims day by day during those dangerous times?
Then R’ Chaim added, “The Rebbe of Zhvil guarantees that anyone who signs will survive the war unharmed!” There was a sudden surge in the crowded shelter, as everyone tried to reach R’ Chaim at once, desperate to sign the life-saving document. Within minutes, he already had more than fifty signatures, and he hurried back to the Rebbe.
Beneath the signatures, the Rebbe wrote, “I HEREBY PLEDGE MYSELF AS A GUARANTOR THAT NO HARM WILL COME TO THEM. GEDALIAH MOSHE GOLDMAN, THE REBBE OF ZHVIL.” The Rebbe then added the name “Ruchama” to R’ Chaim’s wife’s name, and blessed her with a speedy recovery, a long life and good years.
Indeed, Rebbitzen Ruchama Hindel Brimm recovered from her illness. Within a short time, she left her sickbed. She lived 51 years longer, until her death in the year 1999. The yahrzeit of R’ Gedaliah Moshe ben R’ Shlomo (Goldman) of Zhvil zt”l is on 24 Cheshvan (1950). May his merit protect us. (Tales for the Soul Vol. 4)
Reprinted from the Parshas Vayeira 5784 email of The Weekly Vort.
