by Rabbi Moses Joshua Hoffman

משה יהושע בן יונינה

My Rebbe, Rav Ahron Soloveichik zt"l, suffered a stroke (in his mid-sixties), and was paralyzed partially by it. He derived a great lesson from that, which he explained in an article "A Glimpse of Eternity from a Hospital Dungeon". There he wrote "I think that the fact that I am now constantly under the impact of a biological sensation of carrying a foreign, detached object consisting of the left side of my body corroborates the preposition that the human soul is a separate entity having an identity of its own and extraneous to the body."...."Prior to the stroke on Sunday evening, May 29, 1983, my belief in the extraneous existence of the soul was grounded exclusively in emunah. Now my belief in the extraneous character of the soul and immortality of the soul is grounded in a physical perception through the biological senses." (p. 33)

This emunah inspired him to continue teaching Torah for 18 years subsequently.

In this week's parsha, the building of the Mishkan and the making of the priestly garments is given on a practical [physical] level, and the stress is on the practical [physical] level. Our emphasis in Torah is on a practical [physical] level to carry it out.

As Rav Ahron showed us, I will try, with G-d's help, to continue in that tradition.

Special message from Netvort's medical editor Eliyahu from Wednesday evening: Perspective and context: Rabbi Hoffman wrote this (on Sunday) with tremendous mesirus nefesh, two days after being resuscitated three times. It seems that he physically experienced a similar physical sensation while his heart was stopped (and perhaps afterwards, as well) to the experience of his Rebbe, zt"l. He wrote this in critical condition while on a ventilator (which he is still on at this time.) We pray that Rabbi Hoffman (שליט"א) will continue to be zoche to follow in the glorious example of his Rebbe zt"l for a very long time to come. Please pray for his Refuah Sh'laima.

(משה יהושע בן יונינה, בתוך שאר חולי ישראל - among the other ill of the nation - editor)