Now, after the tragic shooting death of the head of the family, the wife and children of Rabbi Meir Avshalom Chai HY”D revealed the story that the family heard about 12 years ago, after he emerged from a coma, the result of a serious vehicular accident.
R’ Chai was involved in an extremely serious accident, and his condition was listed as critical, with doctors explaining he was clinically dead. He was resuscitated at least twice.
The rav emerged from his coma after about two weeks, and with his family around his bed, he explained that he was in the Olam HaEmes and returned. He told the family that in the Heavenly world, he told them “my son was born a few days ago and I want to be there to help raise him. I do not wish to leave a widow and orphan”. He went on to explain that he cried bitterly, and received the response that his request was answered, and he was returned to this world for 12 additional years. This story the family explains was told to many children, part of the rav’s tool to compel people to strengthen their faith and belief in HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
On Thursday, the day of the murder, that son marked his 12th birthday, the boy for which the father was returned to assist in raising together with his rebbitzin.
Another son, Eliyahu, 16, gave a moving hesped, explaining to honor his father’s memory; there should be increased adherence to mitzvos as well as learning Torah, not acts of revenge.
He called on the tzibur not to use sticks to beat up Arabs, but to increase Torah study and kiyum mitzvos, adding “we are human beings and we do not shoot people in the head without reason. We are human beings and this is not our way”.
Eliyahu also turned to Defense Minister Ehud Barak, to respect the dedication of the youths, the young men and women of Yehuda and Shomron.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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11 Responses
Wow. This is such an amazing story. Thanks for posting it.
Amazing! And scary! Imagine being told exactly how much time you were going to be in this world!
Of course there are still plenty of questions one could ask HaSh-m about this tragic murder, but the bottom line is that we can never see the whole picture from here, and we should never question TOO much, lest HaSh-m respond that if we need to know the answers so urgently, He can bring us “upstairs” so we will understand…
#2 haifagirl – Not to take away from an amazing story, but I don’t think he was told that he was being given DAVKA 12 additional years, -just that his request to return was being answered.
Now, b’dee’eved, we know that it was for 12 years.
Wasn’t Chizkiyahu Hamelech told exactly how many years are being added?
My response to this story is the same as R. Avigdor Miller’s when he was told similar “amazing” stories. I heard him say more than once, “We are not mechuyav to believe these stories.”
Yitzchok Levine
6, of course you’re not “mechuyav” to believe it, but you should apply to it the same reason and the same acceptance level you do when you read any other news item on the internet, which most of us beleive almost %100 although we’re not either “mechuyav” to.
To a Maamin there isn’t any logic to reject this story over any other…
Any way, from the fact he used the term “mechuyav” obveously Rav Miller was talking about a story that implied some “nafka minah”, but here the only conclusion would be a chizuk in Emunah and Yiras Shomayim, so what exactly do you mean?
I’ve heared a tremendouse vort in the name of R’ Elya Meir Bloch Ztz”l: Sarah Imeinu was rebuked for laughing at the words of the angles. One could wonder why? is she “Mechuyav” to believe there’s any significance to their words? the Ramba”n explains that yet, after all, Hashem could make their words happen so she should have said: “Amein, so should Hashem do”. So he explains, every person has in him the Midah of rejecting, not beleiving, as one of the different characters of the soul, and a person is supposed to use it for all kinds of unworthy reports. But a Maamin doesn’t have much critical cases to use it, since we all have to believe in the Torah etc. so therefore when a person hears a story of Emunah which we don’t HAVE to believe, then that Midah pops up with an extra force, more than appropriate according to logic. The right response is to calmly say that although there’s a chance it might have not happened – just the same as any other report you read on YWN – chances are it probebly did, and wasn’t made up… and of course when it comes to changing a course of action you need more verification, but for a chizuk in Yir’as Shomayim why should that be worse then other areas which we all believe everything that’s told to us?
When you go to the pharmacist to pick up your medication, do you verify to make sure he didn’t mix your name with another? Do you ask to see his Digree to make sure it’s not forged? are you mechuyav to believe that?
#7
I received the following email.
“My son is in Yeshiva with the eldest son of Rabbi Chai HYD, and just got back from the shiva, they are very close and he never heard the story of the “additional 12 years” given to him after a ‘near death experience.’ He does not believe it is true – but agreed to ask – after the shiva.”
The person “signed” his name to this message.
As far as your comments about the pharmacist, let me point out that I get most of my medications over the Internet from http://www.medco.com. This is a national company that has an excellent reputation. I always check to see if my name is on the bottle, the name of the pharmacist on the bottle, and that the label says it is the correct medication. Don’t you?
At times I do get some medication from a drugstore. The name of the pharmacist is prominently displayed along with his/her degree. Take a look the next time you go into a pharmacy. And if you do not see this, then I strongly suggest you ask for this information.
Yitzchok Levine
#8
if were you I would not get prescriptions from any mail order. do you know who is filling those scripts?
THIS is what The Yeshiva World NEws should be reporting! Not some of the other news wholly insignificant and really NOT pertinent to us, the viewing audience who wishes to know the news about the Torah world and the Yeshiva Velt!
THANK YOU YWN
שלום וברכה, היום בשבעה אשתו של הרב מאיר , אלישבע, אמרה בין השאר שהיא לא יודעת מאיפה המציאו לבעלה את השם אבשלום. אנחנו מצפים לפחות מהכתבים מהציבור “שלנו” להקפיד על הדברים. אז אנא תקנו. שנזכה לגאולה במהרה ולרוב שמחות. בת השומרון