The Rebbe’s grandfather, Reb Meir Shlomo Yanovsky, was the Rav of Nikolayev. Once, there was a typhus epidemic and Reb Meir Shlomo fell ill. At that time there was no known cure for the illness. All the victims were quarantined in a building outside the city to avoid spreading the disease, and they were treated by a doctor who visited daily. Very few people returned from the building alive.
When the great chassid, Reb Asher Grossman, found out that Reb Meir Shlomo was quarantined he came to visit him. He was not allowed to go into the building, so he stood outside, as close to Reb Meir Shlomo’s room as possible. He started to read aloud from Tanya, Igeret Hakodesh “Lehaskilach Bina”. In that letter the Alter Rebbe explains that nothing bad comes from Hashem and if a person is imbued with this awareness, he will merit to see open good. Reb Asher did not even know if Reb Meir Shlomo heard him or not; he just hoped. He returned every day and read the section of Tanya again.
After a few weeks, Reb Meir Shlomo was discharged from the quarantine, having made a full recovery. When he saw Reb Asher he called to him excitedly, “You saved my life! The reading of those holy words gave me the strength to overcome all the pain and depression and I was able to overcome the illness!”
