By Rabbi Dovid Hoffman
Rav Ya’aklov Kamenetsky and Rav Menachem Shach
In the early 1980’s, the venerable Rosh Yeshivah of Torah Vodaas, R’ Ya’akov Kamenetzky z”tl, suffered an angina attack, and his doctor strongly recommended that he undergo an angiogram, a difficult and sometimes dangerous procedure for a man of that age. The Kamenetzky family was understandable concerned about the procedure and took extra measures to ensure the Rosh Yeshivah’s safety.
Among other things, family members went around asking and receiving berachot from various gedolim on behalf of R’ Ya’akov. A grandson of R’ Ya’akov was learning in Bnei Brak in the Ponevezher Yeshivah at the time and decided to approach the venerable Rosh Yeshivah, R’ Eliezer Menachem Mann Shach zt”l, with a request to pray for R’ Ya’akov’s welfare.
The Grandson Tries to Find Out His Grandfather’s Mother’s Name
When one prays for a sick person, he mentions the person’s name and his or her mother’s name in the blessing. The grandson did not know R’ Ya’akov’s mother’s name, since he could not recall a single time when there had been a need to mention his grandfather’s name in the blessing for the sick. As he was unable to call his family back in America to get the necessary information, the young man embarked on a search expedition throughout the city of Bnei Brak, to get the name. After much time and effort, he finally located a relative who thought he knew the name. Relieved that he had obtained this hard-to-find information, he prepared himself to go to R’ Shach.
Armed with the names and the most recent update on his grandfather’s condition, he approached the home of R’ Shach with trepidation. R’ Shach warmly welcomed him in and set his mind at ease. The elderly Sage knew the bachur and his lineage, and after inviting him into the sparsely furnished dining room and offering him a seat, he asked how his grandfather, R’ Ya’akov, was feeling.
The bachur turned white. “That is exactly why I came,” he stammered. “My grandfather is not feeling well and must undergo a procedure. I came to inform the Rosh Yeshivah...”
