If anyone were to tell me a few years ago that I would return to work here in Eretz Yisrael and through my work, I would be able to spread Emuna, I would have said that person was losing it. No, I did not become a rabbi – I am still just an anesthesiologist.
I guess I should start with a little history. I came on Aliyah with my wife and three children in 1997 from NY (Long Island). Although I worked in Israel for over two years, I never really enjoyed nor adjusted to working in the system of socialized medicine here. We began to try to find a solution that would work for us. So, rather than giving up and going back to the old country, we decided that I would try “commuting” for work in the US and my family would manage without me for fairly long periods of time (sometimes as much as 12 weeks). On the upside, when I was back in town, I was really “there”. Since I did not have to work, I could help in the house, run errands, go to shiurim, volunteer at a soup kitchen, and even cook a little too.
I first heard Rav Lazer Brody interviewed on Arutz 7 and found his story intriguing. When The Garden of Emuna came out, I read it and could not read it just once. About 2 years ago, we made a small Kiddush at Yeshivat Reishit in honor of our son’s bar mitzvah which we celebrated the previous week. How were we to know that Rav Lazer Brody would be the guest speaker at Reishit that Shabbat! We had the privilege of meeting him and that was the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in our lives and in our own personal emuna.
About one year ago I got an extended assignment in the US; four months with one week off in the middle. I knew Hashem was telling me something since I would be away from my family and Eretz Yisrael for such a long period. It was even more obvious when my middle child told me “Please don’t go away again when it means that you will just be home for one week”. If Hashem blessed us with the ability to make aliyah and live in the Holy Land, what was I doing out of Israel most of the year? So I went about finding a job. I made a few calls and interviewed and got a position in Bikur Cholim Hospital in Jerusalem.
I’m still not comfortable with the medical environment in the socialized medical system but being in a hospital where the patients have yirat shamayim (fear of Heaven), I have had opportunities to spread emuna and to truly feel that the care I give is as a shaliach (messenger) of Hashem.
The most common situation is when I am covering the delivery rooms. Most women generally wait until the pains of labor are quite strong before they call the anesthesiologist. When I arrive the woman is usually writhing with each contraction and some of them are quite vocal too. I try to start by calming them down and giving them a breathing exercise so that when I put in the epidural I do not have a moving target. I tell them that this is a good time to talk to Hashem (hitbodidut) and ask Him for help. I hope that they are not only asking The Almighty for pain relief but that I should not face any difficulty in placing the epidural. There is one woman who stands out in my mind. I arrived and asked my usual questions in between the contractions. I noticed that she was wearing a key chain on a piece of yarn around her neck. It was a key encased in plastic with an inscription on it. The only thing that was clea
r was that it was “a segula from Chasidei Breslov” (photo, right). It was clear that she was my patient thanks to Siata D’shmaya (help from Above), and I told her to ask Hashem for her needs. When the epidural was working and her parents came, I asked if they knew if the baby was a Nachman or a Feiga, we all had a giggle.
The next opportunity arose when a patient who appeared to have a strong connection to Hashem came in. I went to the Emergency Room to do a pre-op visit on a 14 year old boy with acute appendicitis. The boy, with a black velvet kippa and peyot, was lying on the stretcher, obviously in pain. His mother was sitting at his side and I asked the standard preoperative questions. I was amazed when I got an affirmative answer to the question, “Do you smoke?” I looked at his mother and she confirmed the fact that indeed, he smoked cigarettes. Upon further questioning, although the patient looked as if he attended a typical, religious school, it was obvious that he had other social problems. I then offered some ideas on how he could get away from some of his vices. I told him that he should try to build a personal relationship with Hashem with some ideas on how to go about it. I suggested that he start by thanking Hashem for all the things that he has and asking Hashem to help him get over this sickness and all other problems that he is facing. I looked at his mother who gave me a big smile, knowing that not only did I want to take care of him medically but also spiritually.
With Hashem’s help, I hope that I have inspired all professionals to find ways in their work for opportunities to spread emuna. I am sure that in everyone’s contact with others be they employees, coworkers, or clients, they can find a way to strengthen everyone’s personal relationship with Hashem. In talking to people about Emuna, we ourselves gain strength too. In the merit of all your efforts, may this bring about the coming of Mashiach, speedily and in our days, amen.
4/24/2012
this is very hashgachic I have just read this today, by "chance": I am due to give birth to a probable breech baby in Bikur Holim, and feel that I was meant to know Dr Keehns name for a reason. I am leaving the birth in Hashem's hands though I was advised to intervene (even though natural delivery, not my first, is absolutely possible and low-risk). They may attempt to pressure me into having a caesarean, perhaps Dr Keehn will be on call to help prevent this, Ken Yehi Ratzon!!!!
4/24/2012
I have just read this today, by "chance": I am due to give birth to a probable breech baby in Bikur Holim, and feel that I was meant to know Dr Keehns name for a reason. I am leaving the birth in Hashem's hands though I was advised to intervene (even though natural delivery, not my first, is absolutely possible and low-risk). They may attempt to pressure me into having a caesarean, perhaps Dr Keehn will be on call to help prevent this, Ken Yehi Ratzon!!!!
2/26/2012
I would like to contact Dr. Keehn How Can I reach Dr. Keehn? I have abrother who is an M.D. in America and is coming closer to emunah. I would like to connect him to Aryeh. Thankyou Yacov Brody