Featured Post
Free The Hostages! Bring Them Home!
(this is a featured post and will stay at the top for the foreseeable future.. scroll down for new posts) -------------------------------...
Nov 22, 2006
coincedence?
My shechita learning restarted tonight after a long break due to a number of reasons. We finally got our group back together to begin finishing the material.
One of the topics we learned about tonight was injuries to the animals spinal cord. Considering my learning session was taking place at the exact same time my brother was having surgery on his spinal cord in Chicago due to an injury in a traffic accident, I find it difficult to consider this a coincidence.
My brother is an atheist, or at least he says he is. When I spoke to him right before his surgery I did not ask him if he would want me to daven for him. He probably would have said "no but if it will make you feel better go ahead." In his blog he has written about what he considers the false belief that prayers really help sick people. He has quoted studies that show there is no correlation between the health and recovery of a sick person and the amount of prayers or lack thereof offered on the sick persons behalf.
So I do not really know if he would have wanted me to bother praying for him. Or maybe the old adage, "There are no atheists in a foxhole" applied and he would have. I do not know. When he comes out of recovery (which he is in right now from what I hear) maybe I will ask him.
But we davened for him and we learned in his merit. All my kids told their classes about it and their classes took a break to say tehillim for his successful surgery. We learned our daf yomi in his merit tonight. And I learned Torah about spinal cord injuries while his spinal cord was under the knife.
Refuah Shleimah. I hope it helped, even a bit.
One of the topics we learned about tonight was injuries to the animals spinal cord. Considering my learning session was taking place at the exact same time my brother was having surgery on his spinal cord in Chicago due to an injury in a traffic accident, I find it difficult to consider this a coincidence.
My brother is an atheist, or at least he says he is. When I spoke to him right before his surgery I did not ask him if he would want me to daven for him. He probably would have said "no but if it will make you feel better go ahead." In his blog he has written about what he considers the false belief that prayers really help sick people. He has quoted studies that show there is no correlation between the health and recovery of a sick person and the amount of prayers or lack thereof offered on the sick persons behalf.
So I do not really know if he would have wanted me to bother praying for him. Or maybe the old adage, "There are no atheists in a foxhole" applied and he would have. I do not know. When he comes out of recovery (which he is in right now from what I hear) maybe I will ask him.
But we davened for him and we learned in his merit. All my kids told their classes about it and their classes took a break to say tehillim for his successful surgery. We learned our daf yomi in his merit tonight. And I learned Torah about spinal cord injuries while his spinal cord was under the knife.
Refuah Shleimah. I hope it helped, even a bit.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Related Posts
For sure there are no atheists in fox holes, and none, for sure before surgery. May Danny have a complete recovery, and you should continue your learning AND writing, Linda
ReplyDeletewell, you know what they say, "all jews are theifs."
ReplyDeletetherapy - amen. thanks
ReplyDeleteanon - The gemara actually says (referring to a specific town whose name I do not remember offhand) that most of the robbers were Jews. But I am unclear as to what the relevance of your comment is.. Please clarify
But we davened for him and we learned in his merit. All my kids told their classes about it and their classes took a break to say tehillim for his successful surgery. We learned our daf yomi in his merit tonight. And I learned Torah about spinal cord injuries while his spinal cord was under the knife.
ReplyDeleteEven an atheistic Jew would be moved by this outpouring of spiritual support. I hope you told him all of this, or will tell him.