Sefer Sipurei Tzadikim relates the story of a certain chasid who was very sick. He went to many doctors but they were unable to help him. Finally, he went to see Rav Mordechai of Neshchiz zy”a to ask for his blessing. The Rebbe told him, “My advice to you is to go see the professor of medicie who lives in the city of Anipoli. He will provide you with your cure.”
The sick man wasted no time in setting off on the journey to Anipoli. There were no trains yet at that time, so he hired a wagon to take him on the long trip. After many days, he reached Anipoli and asked around where he could find the professor. Whoever he asked looked at him strangely and said that no professor lived in there city. He then asked, “Perhaps there is a doctor here?”
Again, he was told that there was no doctor in the city and no medical expert. The man couldn’t understand it. Why would the Rebbe of Neshchiz send him on a wild goose chase? He was very upset that he had wasted so much time. He went right back to Neshchiz and told the Rebbe that there was no professor or doctor in Anipoli.
The Rebbe asked him, “If that’s true, what do the people there do when they get sick?”
The sick man replied, “What should they do? Since they have no other choice, they place their trust in Hashem to help them.”
The Rebbe then said, “That is the professor of Anipoli that I was referring to. You must rely on the same professor that the residents of that city rely on when they get sick. You must put your trust in Hashem.”
Immediately after the man left the Rebbe and began trusting in Hashem, he started to feel better, and he eventually was fully cured.
Reprinted from the Parshas Vayeitzei 5786 email of The Way of Emunah: Collected Thoughts on the Weekly Parsha from Rabbi Meir Isamar Rosenbaum.
