A Jew who lived in Vitebsk, White Russia, had always enjoyed good health, but one day he suddenly fell ill. He did not know what was wrong with him and despite the various remedies he took, he became worse from day to day. He saw a doctor, who prescribed a medicine, but that did not help him either. Finally, he decided to see the greatest doctor in town, who was known as the Professor, reputedly the greatest medical specialist in the whole region.
The Professor gave the patient a very thorough examination, asked him many questions, and then told him he was sorry he could not help him. "Only G-d can help you," he said gravely. Understandably the poor Jew was greatly alarmed.
Then he remembered hearing that in the nearby small town, Liozna, there was a saintly Rebbe who had helped many people. So he set off for Liozna to visit this great man, the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman.
Arriving at the Rebbe's house he found many other Jews waiting. He was admitted to see the Rebbe among the first ones on the list.
When he came into the presence of the Rebbe, he could not hold back his tears, and poured out his heart describing his desperate condition, begging the Rebbe to help him for the sake of his wife and children.
The Rebbe replied, "A doctor's job is to heal, and not to make his patient feel worse. Actually your condition is not at all serious; it is just a kind of fever and will pass."
Astonished, the Jew asked, "But Rebbe, if it is a fever shouldn't I be shivering?"
"So you well shiver," answered the Rebbe, reassuringly.
The Jew could hardly believe what he had heard and was, of course, overjoyed.
No sooner had he left the Rebbe than he felt cold, and began to shiver slightly. And, as he continued on his way home, the shivering increased. As soon as he got home, he went straight to bed.
He stayed in bed for a few days, and then suddenly the shivering stopped. He felt so much better that he was soon able to get out of bed, feeling like a new man!
Some time later, as the Jew was walking down the street, he came face to face with the professor, who recognized him at once. "Aren't you the patient who came to see me some time ago, critically ill?" the Professor asked him.
"Yes, sir," answered the man.
"I am certainly delighted to see you looking so well," the professor continued. "Tell me, my friend, what happened to bring about such an unexpected recover, and what medicine did you take?"
The Jew told him that after the professor had given him up, he went to see the famed Rebbe in Liozna, who told him that his illness was nothing but a kind of fever.
"That I also knew," said the doctor. "But a fever can be extremely dangerous unless it develops into hot and cold shivering. For that is the way the body can rid itself of the sickness. The trouble with you was that you showed no signs of shivering. I knew of no medicine that that could bring about such shivering. That is why I told you I could not help you."
"As a matter of fact, when the Rebbe told me I had a fever, I asked him, 'If I have a fever, would I not be shivering?' to which he replied, 'So you will shiver.' And sure enough no sooner did I leave the Rebbe's presence than I began to shiver. I got into bed and shivered hot and cold for several days. Then, with G-d's help I recovered completely from my illness."
"'With G-d's help' you said. Wasn't that what I also told you, 'I cannot help you, only G-d can help you!"' the professor exclaimed happily.
All smiles, the professor and his erstwhile patient shook hands, wishing each other good health.
Added the professor, "Some day I hope to see your Rebbe, but not in a professional capacity. No doubt he can do more for me than I for him."
Reprinted from Talks and Tales, Kehot Publications
