The unbelievable humility of HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky can be heard in a video below in a conversation between the Gadol HaDor and his student.
On Sunday, Rav Shai Grucher, one of HaRav Chaim’s close talmidim, told him about the happy ending to a saga of a 19-year-old girl who hadn’t been able to move her arm for over four years. All the doctors had given up hope, saying that there’s nothing to do and surgery will only exacerbate the problem, causing even more damage.
Rav Shai had asked HaRav Chaim advice about the girl’s predicament and HaRav Chaim said that the girl should undergo surgery, despite the doctors’ dire predictions. The girl recently had the surgery and a week later she began to move her arm and her arm is now completely healed. The doctors were amazed and requested to publicize the story so other people with the same problem could also undergo the surgery.
Rav Shai returned to HaRav Chaim on Sunday to tell him the happy ending. “So they’re asking the Rav if they’re allowed to publicize it,” Rav Shai said.
HaRav Chaim: “Baruch Hashem.”
Rav Shai: “Baruch Hashem, it’s all in the zechus of the Rav’s bracha. So it can be publicized?”
HaRav Chaim: “Al tehi birchas hedyot kalah b’einecha.” [Don’t underestimate the bracha of a layman].
Rav Shai: When the Rav gives a bracha, it’s a gezeirah [decree].”
HaRav Chaim: “Bracha v’hatzlacha.” [Blessings and success].
Rav Shai: So it can be publicized?
HaRav Chaim nodded his head in agreement.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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7 Responses
The conversation is just so beautiful to watch! בו”ה
What on earth was disrespectful about my comment? Aderaba, I’m saying that we should not view the gadol hador in such a shallow manner as to assume that when he displays his holy chein we have to immediately teitch it up as something it isn’t. Rav Chaim doesn’t need fake stories to make him great! Fake stories only demean his stature as the gadol hador.
Thank you for this article. After an especially frustrating day and a depressing 30 minutes of the evening news, some good news with a positive message and outcome was just what I needed (and I suspect others as well). May the Rav be with us for many, many years to come.
Nice!
In my opinion, “hedyot” is better translated as “simple person” or “simpleton” than layman.
is the rav giving permission to be mefarsem that the operation was successful or – that the rav said to do it, with his blessing, and it was successful.
he said Don’t underestimate the bracha of a layman (or however you want to transalate hediyot) – a few more “hediyot’s” like the Rav and klal yisrael would be even greater – thank for the upload it brought tears to my eyes, i”ve told my kids 1,000,000 that we should be thankful that we have the zechus to be alive the same time as the rav – ad 120 – what a zechus! he should live and be well ad bias hagoal!
The Or HaChaim says that even the bracha of a nachri can be have an effect.