Although the instructions often sounded extreme or the phrases inscrutable, if Rav Chaim said it, gates of salvation would open 

Photo: AEGedolimphotos.com

Sometimes following the directive of a gadol seems counterintuitive. Don’t the doctors know better? Doesn’t my sechel tell me otherwise? How can I trust someone who isn’t politically savvy? But both staunch adherents of Rav Chaim, and tens of thousands of others who visited for a brachah or eitzah, knew that although the instructions often sounded extreme or the phrases inscrutable, if Rav Chaim said it, gates of salvation would open 

Miracle Baby

The doctors said our baby would die. Would I have enough faith to believe in Rav Chaim’s blessing for life?

As told by Shaul and Rachayli Klein to Ariella Schiller

Shaul and I found out we were expecting when I was already 18 weeks along. We were excited about our upcoming addition. But our elation was short lived. After an ominous ultrasound reading, we found ourselves sitting in front of the department head, Professor Simcha Yagel.

“Due to a lack of amniotic fluid,” he said, “the baby’s lungs haven’t developed. They’re just two rocks in his chest. He’s getting oxygen through the umbilical cord, but chances are that when the cord is cut, he’ll die.”

I stared at this man as he outlined the birth and consequent death of my unborn child.

“Also, due to the lack of fluid, we have little contrast on the screen and can barely see the baby. If he lives, he’ll most probably be deformed, missing limbs and mobility. He’s being crushed in the womb, and again, if he lives, his arms and legs will permanently stay crushed. This baby won’t survive — this pregnancy will end, one way or another.”

We were scheduled for genetic testing on Monday. On Sunday, Shaul had an appointment to see Rav Chaim Kanievsky. Our rav, Rabbi Shmuel Weiner, accompanied him; together they wrote a letter for Rav Chaim, explaining the situation. Before entering, Rabbi Weiner turned to Shaul.

“Rav Chaim might make certain demands of you,” he stated. “And if he does, you need to be prepared to follow through on what he says.”

Shaul agreed.

Rav Chaim read the paper and looked up.

He gave no brachah. Instead, he said: “Don’t listen to the doctors. Everything will be okay. Don’t go for any tests. And daven.”

My husband looked down at the paper. It made no mention of tests. He looked up at Rav Chaim again.

“Should I do anything in particular?” he asked.

“Daven as much as you can,” Rav Chaim said. “Everything will be okay.”

My husband skipped into the house later. Joyfully, he told me what had occurred in Bnei Brak.

I was shocked. My father is a doctor. Most of my family’s in the medical field. Don’t do any of the tests? I broke down.

“Shaul,” I said, “we can’t not do the tests. What about hishtadlus? What if there are in-utero surgeries to be done? Rav Chaim spoke to you for five minutes. Maybe he didn’t understand what you meant. He’s not a doctor!”

Shaul looked at me. “But Rav Chaim said everything will be okay!”

I tapped into my emunas chachamim and agreed to go along with Rav Chaim’s instructions. At 26 weeks, I was hospitalized, at 32, I went into labor. They prepped me for the birth and death of my child. The surgery was quick and it was followed by harrowing silence. Shaul and I looked at each other in despair… and then we heard it. The thin wail of a newborn. Shaul ran to look, but there were too many doctors around. He jumped, snapped a picture, and ran back to me. We looked at his phone together.

“It’s a baby,” I whispered.

A gorgeous baby with jet black hair and — we zoomed in — ten fingers, ten toes, four limbs, one squished little nose. And tubes. Lots and lots of tubes. But it was a baby. A whole baby!

When he was six weeks old, he had his bris.

Rav Chaim was sandek. He smiled at our miracle baby, and it was a brachah of its own.

Today, our Shlomo is three years old. He just had his upsherin, loves to play with his siblings, eat endless snacks, and ride his tricycle. A “regular” toddler.

He fills our life with joy. It’s the sort of joy that comes from tasting reward in This World for making giant choices with emunas chachamim.