The Power of One Man’s Daily Devotion

Rabbi Simcha Kook, the Rabbi of Rehovot, shared the following powerful story at the "Bnei Emunai" gathering. He heard it directly from Professor Abraham, a senior doctor at Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

One day, an elderly Jewish man was rushed to Shaare Zedek suffering from severe pneumonia and a dangerously high fever.

He received immediate treatment, and baruch Hashem (thank G-d), his condition began to improve quickly. The medical team was already planning to discharge him. But just two days later, things took a drastic turn. His fever returned suddenly, and his overall condition took a serious dive.

He soon lost consciousness, and his life hung by a thread. The doctors did everything they could, while his family stood nearby in deep prayer, hoping for a miracle.

With Hashem’s help, the infection began to subside. Slowly, the man’s condition stabilized, and eventually, he opened his eyes.

Days later, once he regained enough strength to speak, he shared the remarkable story of what happened while he was unconscious:

"Not long after I blacked out," he said, "I felt my soul being brought before the Heavenly Court. I stood there as they discussed my fate. I understood that they were deciding whether I would return to this world—or stay in the World to Come."

He described it like a real trial, with angels arguing both for and against him. Unfortunately, it seemed that the prosecutors were winning.

"But then," he continued, "suddenly, I heard a voice that I recognized so clearly, but I couldn’t place it right away. A moment later, it came to me—it was the voice of the rabbi from my shul (synagogue), the one I’ve prayed with for over 30 years."

He listened closely as the voice pleaded before the court: “Please listen, honorable judges. I’ve been the rabbi of this man's synagogue for 30 years. I testify that not once in all these years has he missed the Torah lesson before Shacharit (the morning prayers)!”

When it seemed that even this wasn’t enough, the rabbi added: “Not only has he never missed a lesson, he’s never once arrived late to davening (prayer). In fact, he always comes early, listens to others say the morning blessings, and answers ‘Amen’ with kavanah (sincere intention). He’s even inspired others to do the same. That’s why our synagogue became known as ‘the Amen shul.’”

These small acts of quiet consistency—daily habits that seemed almost ordinary—suddenly tipped the scales. The court could no longer hold the verdict against him. A heavenly voice announced: “This man is granted life! He may return to this world and continue serving Hashem!”

The man concluded with emotion, “And at that moment—I woke up. I’m here today by the grace of Heaven, alive and well!”

A few days later, as he prepared to leave the hospital, his children went to Professor Abraham to thank him for saving their father’s life.

But the doctor gently replied: “You’re thanking me? My team and I had already lost hope. What happened here was a clear miracle. The only one to thank is the Creator of the world.”

Rabbi Kook ended the story deeply moved. “This story reminded me of the Chafetz Chaim’s famous words in his introduction to Shmirat HaLashon (Guarding the Tongue),” he said. “So many people wonder why our prayers for the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) haven’t yet been answered after so many centuries.”

“The answer,” Rabbi Kook explained, “is that when someone speaks lashon hara—negative or harmful speech—their mouth becomes spiritually impure, and prayers from such a mouth lose their power.”

“But in this man’s case,” he added, “two small mitzvot (commandments) connected to the mouth—answering ‘Amen’ after blessings, and avoiding lashon hara—were what ultimately saved his life. When all other arguments failed, those small daily choices tipped the heavenly scales in his favor.”

Courtesy of the Dirshu website