Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"And Moshe cried unto G-d… O G-d heal her, I beseech You." (12,13)

Praying for patients

In the time of Rabbi Yonatan Eibshitz a terrible plague of cholera erupted. The doctors could not find any remedy for the terrible disease that did not skip over homes of the Jews.

The community leaders approached the Rabbi and asked him to write an amulet to cancel the plague. He wrote an amulet and told them to put it on the sick people – and thank G-d they totally recovered from the illness!

One of the people who was curious and wanted to know what it said on this wondrous amulet that cured everyone without any pills or injections, could not believe what he saw when he opened it: It said one word – cholera - "חלרע".

He immediately went to Rabbi Yonatan and asked him about the amulet. "Did the Rabbi make the angel who brought the disease swear? Is he called Cholera?

The Rabbi answered. Not at all, the word "חלרע" is made up of the initials "חטאנו לפניך רחם עלינו"- 'We have sinned before you, have mercy upon us'– and G-d had mercy upon us.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!