Purchasing a Cure through Charity
Mr. David Sitbon of Paris has a son, Yochanan, who was ill with leukemia. He lay in critical condition, hovering between life and death. During that time, a dinner was arranged in order to raise funds for the poor for their upcoming Pesach needs.
Approximately four hundred people were invited. Unfortunately, a football game was scheduled for the same night. Only forty people showed up at the dinner. At first, the organizers, myself included, were cast into despair. But we immediately reinforced our faith in Hashem. He saw how hard we had tried to make this event a success. Hashem would surely grant it success.
Suddenly, Mr. Sitbon entered, with another twenty people. The hall now contained sixty people who merited hearing divrei Torah. Occasionally, we would cast a glance at Mr. Sitbon’s downcast face and be filled with pity over his son lying in the hospital.
Suddenly, I stood up and declared, “We are obligated to help those in need, on whose behalf we have gathered here today. Everyone should donate according to his means. B’ezrat Hashem, the merit of this mitzvah will stand by the boy, Yochanan Sitbon, and Hashem will heal him completely. This mitzvah will certainly cause a ruckus on High. A mere sixty people are willingly undertaking the task originally expected of four hundred. Hashem will surely effect miracles. In one year’s time, we will meet once again, in this venue, together with the child, hale and hearty.”
The people were deeply moved at my words. From only sixty people, we managed to raise double that which we had anticipated from four hundred!
I could not attend the dinner the following year, on account of the birth of my son, Rabbi Michael Yosef Alexander, may he live long. But the dinner was graced by the presence of the completely cured Yochanan Sitbon.
Today, he is, Baruch Hashem, happily married and the father of five children, may they increase in number. May Hashem grant him the opportunity to learn Torah and do mitzvot.
