Eating His Cake
A man once came to me. He had been diagnosed with a fatal illness and his life was hanging in the balance. He asked for my blessing, in the merit of my forefathers, before going under the surgeon’s scalpel. In order for my blessing to take effect on an object, I handed the man a slice of cake. I instructed him to eat it before the operation. I also said, “If you have faith in Hashem and the zechut of the tzaddikim, strengthen your level of Torah and yirat Shamayim. Avow that from today on, you will improve your ways.”
Before operating, the surgeon told the sick man that this operation would prove fateful. If he had faith in a Creator, he should pray with all his heart that he survive the operation and Hashem should send him a refuah sheleimah.
The man did as his doctor advised him. He prayed from the depths of his heart that Hashem heal him. He then went through all the pre-op procedures. Suddenly, he remembered the slice of cake I had given him to eat before he went under. He asked the surgeon for his permission to eat the cake first.
It is universally known that before an operation, a person must fast, not eating or drinking even the smallest thing. But this case was different. The surgeon thought to himself, “This man is on the brink of death in any event. Why not let him enjoy one last piece of cake?” To the sick man, he said, “If you have a promise from a rabbi, eat your cake in good health and save some for after the operation!” He instructed the man to place a few crumbs in his mouth, since eating was forbidden.
During the course of the operation, the surgeon saw that the man’s situation was hopeless. There was simply nothing to save. So he sewed up the site of the incision without doing a thing. When the man awoke, his doctor told him, “Eat up the rest of the cake.” To his family, the doctor related that there was nothing left to do for their relative.
The man faithfully ate the cake. After a short while, he said that he was feeling noticeably better. The perplexed doctors observed that instead of deteriorating, his condition was improving from day to day.
A battery of tests indicated that the man was in the stages of recovery. He eventually healed completely. His recovery caused a great stir and a tremendous kiddush Hashem among the doctors.
