• By Anonymous
  • Likes 4
  • Shares 0
  • Views 150
  • August 24, 2025

A Frum Yid Never Despairs

In the Zechus of Refuah Batya Shoshana bas Rivka
 

A “frum yid never despairs”, Ein od milvado”, “ Hashem can change things around in the wink of an eye”. These teachings have never resonated so clearly and directly to us as they did for our family following a very devastating and disheartening family meeting that my parents and brother in law had been called in for. This meeting took place in the hospital where my sister was hospitalized in the ICU for several weeks with life threatening complications from the machalah that she had been diagnosed with shortly before. The meeting was called by the attending doctor who wanted to share his "verdict".

We had been keeping things quiet and dovening amidst our family and close friends circle, as the recent diagnosis of my sister’s advanced cancer was still settling in and we were still trying to process. My sister was not quite ready to share openly about her diagnosis. Out of respect for her wishes, we kept things quiet. Amongst ourselves, we dovened fervently for her refuah and yeshua.

Then this meeting transpired whereby the doctors were essentially giving up on trying to help and heal my sister. Their decision dictated that moving forwards, the plan was to take a palliative “Keep the patient comfortable” approach, sharing a very grim and frightening prognosis. The medical team felt they had tried everything within their medical expertise and domain to try improving her condition, various tests, medications and interventions…all without success or improvement. She was too ill to undergo the necessary chemotherapy and the complications were extreme and insurmountable from their perspective. THEY were accepting defeat… but WE were not. A frum yid never despairs, never gives up because Hashem is “ein od milvado” and can change things around in the blink of an eye!!

We were not willing to surrender. We never felt so genuinely and sincerely, so purely and tangibly, that our one and only salvation is that of Hashem, in his infinite power and glory! We knew that the doctors had stopped fighting for us and that Hashem was our one and only salvation. As difficult and painful as it was to share with my sister how grim the situation appeared,  we begged her to allow us to enlist the help from our brothers and sisters through their tefillos and zechuyos that are more powerful than any ammunition, medication or treatment. With my sister’s consent, we began to share with our broader friend group and our community as a whole. We needed to join forces to storm the heavens with prayer and pleas to save my sister!!

Within hours, there were close to 1000 people who joined the  Tehillim chat whereby the Sefer Tehillim was being said over and over again, day and night, 24/7, reaching something like 20 times in the first 24 hours! A community gathering was arranged with heartfelt tefillos and bakashos for people to take mitzvahs upon themselves as a zechus for my sister who was given days to weeks to live according to the medical prognosis.

Within 24 hours of the outpouring of tefillos from our dear friends and communities near and far, we started to see a flicker of light. We were blessed to witness the power of tefillah start to change things, one step at a time. The changes  were initially small but they were meaningful changes whereby we started seeing things move in a more positive direction. There was no way to dispute that it was undoubtedly the power of the tefillos and zechuoys that were being poured out from people’s hearts that started to bring about the yeshuah that was so far out of reach just a day prior. The doctors could not believe that the complications started to subside and within a few weeks, she was transferred out of the ICU to a step down unit to continue to regain strength with the goal of discharging home and restarting her chemotherapy as an outpatient.

There were many hurdles along the way and a roller coaster of good days and bad days which can only be expected…but we experienced first hand that Tefilla is a lifeline. We experienced first hand the clear signs from Hashem that each and every tefillah was making a difference.

It has now been two years since the doctors gave her only days to live. The battle is still ongoing, and we need to remain focused on our tefillos and accumulating zechuyos to continue to bring refuah and yeshuah for my sister. The tefillos and support from our family and community literally lifted us all from the depths of almost despair and took our emunah to new heights, and continues to give us chizzuk every day. In the zechus of all the tefillos and zechuyos and the chizzuk this story will bring to others, may we continue to see Yad Hashem bringing refuah and yeshua to Batya Shoshana bas Rivka.

May we all be blessed to always see the yad Hashem so evidently and clearly in bringing yeshuos and refuos for all of klal yisroel.

Story Actions:

What the Sages Teach About This Kind of Hope

The Beis HaLevi teaches that a person must place his trust in Hashem even in situations that appear completely hopeless. Even if, G-d forbid, a crisis is right at hand and a person sees no possible way to escape, he must remember that the ways of Hashem are hidden from human eyes, and His salvation can come in a moment. As Iyov said: “Though He may kill me, still I will hope in Him” (Iyov 13:15). And the Gemara (Berachos 10a) explains: “Even if a sharp sword rests upon a person’s neck, he should not withhold himself from mercy.”

For Hashem alone has the power of life and death, as it says: “Hashem brings death and gives life, He lowers to the grave and raises up again” (Shmuel I 2:6). Even from the lowest depths, Hashem can lift a person. One should remember the story of Yonah, who was saved even from the belly of the fish.

So too, if enemies rise against a person, he should recall the verse: “When Hashem desires the ways of a man, even his enemies will make peace with him” (Mishlei 16:7). Regarding Amalek it is written: “The righteous will rejoice when he sees vengeance” (Tehillim 58:11). And we must remember the victories Hashem granted to Avraham Avinu against the kings, and to David HaMelech against Golyas the Philistine, who came with sword and spear, yet fell through Hashem’s salvation.

Even with livelihood, a person must trust fully in Hashem, as it says: “Hashem impoverishes and enriches” (Shmuel I 2:7). And in Tehillim: “Cast your burden on Hashem and He will sustain you” (55:23), and “Hashem is my shepherd, I shall not lack” (23:1). For forty years in the desert, our ancestors lacked nothing at all.

The message is clear: no matter how impossible a situation may seem, we place our hope only in Hashem, for His salvation can come instantly and from any place.