Shimon worked as a mashgiach kashrus in a restaurant in Poland. A non-Jewish kitchen assistant noticed Shimon sitting bent over, oblivious to his surroundings. She called his name, but he didn’t respond. She tossed a large empty pot near him to see his reaction, but he didn’t stir. Not wasting a minute, she quickly called for an ambulance. The paramedics arrived and performed CPR without getting any response. They were ready to give up. The woman cried out, “He has a wife and family in Israel waiting for him. You can't give up.”
The paramedics tried some more, and baruch Hashem, Shimon began to breathe on his own. He was flown to Eretz Yisrael, where he fully recovered.
There's a story behind this story. That woman in the kitchen enjoyed singing, and Shimon asked her not to sing when he was around. She'd often “forget” and begin singing, and Shimon would say, “Sha! Sha!!” and she would stop singing. That day, she was singing and was expecting to hear “Sha!” but it didn’t come. Shimon’s silence prompted her to see what was wrong, and that ultimately saved his life. Had Shimon been discovered later, it would have been too late.
This is as it states, ימים תוסיף 'ה יראת, “fear of Hashem lengthens days” (Mishlei 10:27).
