This Wednesday, 23 Iyar 5785, marks three years since the passing of Rav Simcha Hakohein Kook, ztz”l, the renowned Rav of Rechovot and the founder of its Torah institutions.
In a chizuk speech at a Bney Emunim gathering about ten years ago in Bnei Brak, the Rav related a story that teaches us about the power of answering amen, which he heard from Rabbi Dr. Abraham Sofer Abraham, author of Nishmas Avraham, who served at the time as a department director at the Shaare Zedek Hospital.
One day, an elderly Jew was brought to the department in the hospital after contracting severe pneumonia accompanied by very high fever. His medical condition evoked worry, because such an infection – especially at his advanced age – could be a risk to his life, and could rapidly deteriorate to a situation of pikuach nefesh.
The doctors, headed by Professor Abraham, immediately began administering treatment for his complex condition. Baruch Hashem, within a few days, the improvement was evident: The fever began to decline, his breathing stabilized and his overall condition was much better. The doctors were preparing to release the man so that he could continue convalescing at home, with his family.
Two days passed, and to everyone’s dismay, his condition began to deteriorate again. The fever spiked again, and the doctors began giving him intensive medications. A few more days passed, and once again, the condition stabilized: The fever went down, and the man appeared to be recovering. But then again, the fever went up – even higher than it had been previously.
The situation began to get worrying. It seemed like the standard treatment was not effective enough, and it was necessary to administer even stronger medication. But that medication had serious side effects, and also posed a risk, and therefore the doctors decided to hold off for a bit.
Suddenly things took a sharp turn for the worse. The patient lost consciousness and his life was in danger. The doctors quickly began to administer care, as the family stood around his bed anxiously. Baruch Hashem, the new medication was effective and a short time later, the man was stabilized yet again. A few days passed and he opened his eyes and looked around him. From the expressions on his family’s faces he realized how severe his condition had been. As soon as he had the energy to speak, he began to relate the following extraordinary story:
“A short time after I lost consciousness, and was at death’s door, I found myself standing in front of the Beis Din Shel Ma’alah. The beis din was discussing a question about something. I listened and realized that the discussion was about me: The beis din was discussing whether to give me an opportunity to come back down to this olam hama’aseh or not. There were supporters of both sides. The prosecuting angels stood on one side and the defenders on the other, and ultimately, it appeared as if the former were going to prevail and I was being judged to end my life in this world.
But then, a voice could be heard – and it was remarkably familiar. At first, I couldn’t place where it was familiar from, but then I remembered. It was the voice of the Rav of the shul where I’ve been davening for the past thirty years. I listened again and I heard how the voice was trying to offer a defense and a limud zechus for me:
‘Rabbosai, please listen! For the past thirty years, I have served as the Rav of the shul where the person being judged has davened. I can testify that for all of these thirty years, he never missed the shiur before Shacharis.’
When he saw that this claim was not effective, the Rav added, ‘And I testify that in the past thirty years, I never heard him speak lashon hara about anyone.’
That, too, seemed ineffective, so the Rav added:
‘For thirty years that I have served as Rav of the shul, he was never late to davening – even once. If that is not enough, he rises early and comes to shul, listens to the Birchos Hashachar of other mispallelim, and has also influenced the other mispallelim to start this practice. And therefore, the shul has become known as a beis knesses for onei amen.’
Upon hearing this, the beis din agreed to nullify the decree. A voice emerged announcing that the Beis Din Shel Ma’alah was ruling that the man could live, and that he could return to this world to continue his avodas Hashem.
At that moment, I opened my eyes, and here I am, in front of you, bechasdei Shamayim, on the road to full health,” the old man concluded his moving story.
When he was about to be discharged from the hospital, his children came to Professor Abraham’s room to thank him for his role in healing their father. In response he said: ‘You want to thank me?! My colleagues and I had already given up on his life. You have experienced an absolute miracle, and the thanks for that goes only to the Ribbono Shel Olam!’
“This story moved me very much,” Rav Kook concluded his words, “especially since I remembered the words of the Chofetz Chaim in his introduction to sefer Shemiras Halashon, which answers the question that many ask as to why the Jewish people have prayed for thousands of years, millions of tefillos, for the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdash have yet to be answered, and the answer to that is simple: When a person speaks lashon hara, his mouth gets sullied, and tefillos that are said with a sullied mouth have only limited power.
“In this story that happened to this Yid,” Rav Kook ended, “I saw a clear illustration of the words of the Chofetz Chaim: Even after all the claims that the defendants offered were ineffective, the two minor mitzvos relating to the mouth – answering amen after Birchos Hashachar and refraining from lashon hara –together tipped the scales for good.
