We planned a Shabbos together in a city in Europe. This was a Shabbos arranged by the Institute where I work, and I realized it would be of great benefit to me to join.
Despite all odds: What overpowered the difficult illness?
The long time during which my son dealt with a difficult illness was not a simple nisayon for us. When a complex treatment was suggested – one whose chances of success were low and whose side effects were threatening – I felt that I had to do something that would add merits for us. I decided to participate in the dissemination of emunah and bitachon and signed on a set significant monthly donations for a full year. It seems this was the right thing to do. My son underwent the treatment with success, and contrary to all the predictions, he was completely healed without suffering from the side effects. Hodu laHashem ki tov!
The family feud that broke out regarding Saba’s inheritance was difficult for all of us. As a grandson, I found myself involved against my will: Saba wrote in his will that each grandson would receive a significant sum. The tension between the yorshim was tangible. At the time, I sought support from Rav Mandel’s shiurim on the Hashgachah Pratis phone line. The sentence I repeated over and over again to myself was, “Whatever is coming to me will come, and whatever is not — is simply not meant to be mine.” Not only did this belief remain with me, it was shared with everyone around me. This was what gave me the inner serenity and the strength to avoid getting involved in extraneous arguments. The amazing thing occurred when this chapter came to a close: Without my asking, demanding, or arguing, I was the first person to receive his part of the yerushah.
