10 Jun THE SUPER-SPECIALIST

Parshas Beha’aloscha, 1991. The Shabbos
of my son’s bar mitzva. Family and friends
joined together for a memorable simcha.
We had the z’chus of having my father,
HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Asher
Anshel HaLevi zt”l, grace this special
occasion.
Abba was a big believer in visual aids. He
was very artistic, and would often make
posters to illustrate his Torah teachings.
This was years before the advent of
computer graphics and AI. He began his
dvar Torah by telling us all that he
wouldn’t be speaking very long. Abba
then held up an oak tag with the words
found at the very end of this week’s
parsha. It was Moshe’s tefilla on behalf of
his sister Miriam who was afflicted with
tzara’as, a physical reaction to a spiritual
disease. “Keil nah refah nah lah – Please,
HaShem, heal her now.” (Bamidbar 12:13)
Five words. Eleven letters in all. A short
prayer, but ever so powerful.
With his poster, my father left us with an
everlasting message. A sincere prayer – or

for that matter, a speech delivered at a bar
mitzva – need not be wordy to be
meaningful.
My father taught us another important
lesson. Each word should be carefully
thought out. Each word should be
essential. Listen to Moshe’s words: Please
– HaShem – Heal – Her – Now. Short.
Concise. Powerful and to the point. And,
from the heart.
The Talmud teaches “Shaarei Demaos lo
ninalu, the Gates of Tears are never
closed”. (Bava Metzia 59a) When one
cries out to HaShem, his prayers pierce the
Heavenly gates. It’s not the length of one’s
prayer but the kavanna – the feelings and
emotions. The sincerity and genuineness
of the prayer.
To pray from the heart. To really mean it.
When we concentrate and listen to the
words, they become part of our very being.
My mother, the Rebbetzin a”h, would say,
that what sweat is to a good workout, tears
are to a heartfelt prayer.
In Sefer Shemos, we learn about Moshe,
leader of the Jewish nation. How he felt
the pain of the people and actually joined

them on the working fields of
Egypt. Moshe, who stood before
Pharaoh, pleading for his
people’s freedom. Moshe,
crossing the sea and leading the
nation through the desert. Moshe,
bringing the Torah to Am Yisroel
at Har Sinai. Moshe, being there
to study, teach and judge. And,
Moshe, who beseeched HaShem
to forgive the nation after the
cheit ha’eigel, the episode of the
golden calf.
We now meet Moshe, the loving brother.
Moshe who prayed from his heart, begging
HaShem to send a speedy recovery to his
sister Miriam. Moshe, who as the leader of
the nation, bore an enormous responsibility,
and who could have easily begged off,
delegating the saying of prayers to
someone else. But the Torah tells us
otherwise. He loved, cared, and was
concerned for his sister. He prayed for her
with all of his heart and soul.
“HaShem, please, heal her.” Moshe’s
prayer teaches us that HaShem is the best
doctor, the ultimate healer. Every day, in
our morning prayers, we thank HaShem
for being the “Rofeh kol bassar, the
Healer of all mankind.”
HaShem has the power to not only heal
us physically, but emotionally and
spiritually as well. As Dovid HaMelech
tells us in Tehillim, “Harofeh l’shvurei
lev, u’mechabeish l’atzvosam, He is the
Healer of the brokenhearted, and the One
Who binds up their sorrows.” (Tehillim
147:3)
A story is told of Reb Mordechai of
Neshchiz, a descendant of the famed
Maharal of Prague. A chosid approached
the Rebbe, sharing with him a long list of
his ailments. He told the Rebbe that he
went from doctor to doctor, but it was of
no avail.
The Rebbe suggested that the chosid
travel to Anipoli, (the Yiddish name
of Hannopil, Ukraine) and see the top
specialist there. Filled with hope, he
hired a wagon driver and set out to
Anipoli. As soon as the chosid arrived to
the small shtetl, he began asking as to
where could he find the great specialist.
The townspeople were all bewildered,
for Anipoli didn’t even have a doctor –
let alone, a specialist.
Disappointed, the chosid turned around,
making the journey back home. He made
his way to Reb Mordechai and shared his
experience. The Rebbe asked him if he
inquired from the townspeople as to what

they did when they became sick.
“Of course, I asked”, he replied. “The
people told me that they turn to HaShem
in prayer.”
“Ahh” said the Rebbe, “The people of
Anipoli go to the greatest specialist of all”.
A story with a meaningful message. While
we should, and must turn to doctors and
medical professionals when necessary, at
the same time we mustn’t forget who the
“doctor’s doctor” is – the super-specialist,
HaShem above.
Rav Nachman of Breslov has many
teachings on tefilla.
He suggested that we make time every day
to speak to HaShem, just like a child
speaks to a loving parent, able to ask for
anything. To reach out to HaShem with
our own words, composing our personal
tefillos.
Every day is an opportunity to turn to
HaShem. We all have something to ask
for, and we all have something to give
thanks for. We turn to HaShem at special
moments, as at candle lighting and at
different life-cycle occasions, such as
under the chuppah, at a bris, etc. We speak
to HaShem before undergoing medical
procedures, and for guidance and wisdom
in making important life decisions. For
success in business, for safe travels, and of
course, for the good health of family and
friends.
As a nation that cares and is there for one
another, we daven and say Tehillim for
those in need. We don’t have to personally
know someone to daven for them. We are
one people, one family. We daven and
care.
We should all take a lesson from Moshe.
It’s not about how long the prayer is, it’s
about how sincere and heartfelt it is. To
pray with intense devotion. To daven and
connect to HaShem, the specialist who is
always available, whose appointment
book is always open. To whom no request
is too large or too small. We just must turn
to Him with all our heart.