Shabbat songs save a life
A moving story took place at the Intensive Care Unit of Laniado Hospital recently. Two yeshiva students from the Sanzer community in Netanya, who live near Laniado Hospital, have a beautiful custom: every Shabbat morning they go through all the Hospital’s departments to give encouragement to the patients. They distribute sweets and wish everyone a heartfelt “speedy recovery.”
On a recent Shabbat they arrived at the Intensive Care Unit. They went from bed to bed, and discovered that a member of their own community, a yeshiva student, was hospitalized there. In his honour, they began to sing songs for Shabbat. After they had finished, they went to another bed in the room. When they opened the curtain, they found a woman, 60 years lying motionless. The medical staff had already informed the family that her chances of recovery were almost nil. She was connected to various devices and her eyes were shut. This did not prevent the young men from doing what they do. They wished her a heartfelt speedy recovery, laid down a bag of sweets next to her bed, and bade her a “Shabbat Shalom.”
The following Monday morning, to the amazement of the entire medical staff and family, the woman began to show signs of revival. After several hours, she opened her eyes and motioned to her son who was standing next to her bed to come closer. He bent down and his mother asked him weakly: “Where are the two yeshiva students who sang so beautifully? It is only because of them that I had the strength to cope. Thanks to them I am alive.” The young men could only give thanks for the extraordinary privilege of saving another life.