Weekly Story: Hashgacha Protis Showed the Importance of  Donating A Kidney

by Rabbi Sholom DovBer is Avtzon 

In merit of Yaakov Shaul ben Chana Miriam, may he have a complete healing.

I was invited this year to join the Renewal [Kidney] Family Shabbaton which takes place on Shabbos Shira. The six to seven hundred attendees represented the wide spectrum of American Jewy, and amongst them were over a minyan of Anash, a small representation of Lubavitchers who are either kidney donors, supporters, or kidney recipients. 

Just last week I met Rabbi Rafi Rosenberg one of the Rebbe’s shluchim to Florida, who proudly stated that six weeks ago he had the tremendous zechus (merit) of donating one of his kidneys to help and indeed save another Jew, whom he never met or knew about before.  This week Rabbi Sholom DovBer Raichik, a shliach of Maryland did the same thing.

At the Shabbaton, I heard from some of the kidney donors their story as what caused them to become a donor to a non-family member. One of them is a member of Monsey Hatzalah who also related his story of how he saw around twelve years ago that becoming a kidney donor, is what Hashem loves and will help show you that it is the right decision. 

The reason I am posting that story this week is because right now Renewal is in midst of its yearly Fundraising campaign and being that I know many Lubavitchers from Crown Heights and across America, who have either donated a kidney or are the beneficiaries of a donated live kidney, as well as some who will bezras Hashem obtain a new kidney swiftly, I made the commitment to help them raise money to facilitate additional transplants.

A transplant does not only save that recipient and giving him or her a normal life for many years, saving them from the perils of dialysis or Chas V’sholom worse, but it also keeps their entire family together and enabling them to contribute, each in their own way for the betterment of their community and Klal Yisroel.  

To all of you who enjoy this weekly column, I ask of you to please participate, every contribution is very valuable and together let us help another Jew and their family live a happy and healthy life until we merit the coming of Moshiach, may it be speedily in our days. 

As always, your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated. 

Please click here to donate and participate in this fundraising campaign. On behalf of all the beneficiaries, I thank you.  https://www.dryveup.com/renewal/2640

A little background about Renewal.

Renewal was founded by Reb Mendy Reiner sheyichye, and the first transplant it facilitated was in December of 2006. During the next six years, it facilitated a little more than one hundred and fifty kidney transplants. Every year reaching new milestones.

During the past four years, it has facilitated close to and sometimes surpassing two hundred transplants a year. Now, it works in association with numerous hospitals, not only in New York, but in hospitals across America, Canada and beyond.

So, it came from humble beginnings to an organization that has saved and given life to around one thousand three hundred people. These people are not just individuals, they are fathers or mothers, brothers or sisters, sons or daughters, friends and neighbors, their good health, gives life not only to them, but to their entire family, their friends associates and indeed Klal Yisroel. 

To Renewal, it is no different if you are an employee or employer, holding a regular job, a marbitz Torah or unemployed. Ashkenazic or Sephardic, Chassidish or Litvish, Orthodox or not. As long as you are a part of Klal Yisroel and they have a proper match for you, you will be helped and treated with respect and dignity.

Contrary to popular assumption, presently the majority of live kidney donors, are not related to their recipient and do not know who they are (until they decide to meet after the transplant). 

So on behalf of the hundreds of our brothers and sisters who are in need of a new kidney, some of them may be your relative, friend or neighbor, who is silently suffering and praying for Hashem to send them this gift of life, even if you are not able to donate one of yours, (such as one who is diabetic), whatever amount you can donate to their yearly fundraising campaign, to help and save that one person and by extension their family and community, on behalf of all of them, Thank you.

Here is the story he told me.

Around twelve years ago, Renewal was facilitating around thirty transplants a year. It was still in its infancy, running out of an office with a small staff of four, and Reb Mendy Reiner. At that time transplants weren’t so common, and most people didn’t know about this new revolutionary organization. 

So, although I was a member of Hatzalah, who was involved in helping or even saving lives every day, I too didn’t pay too much attention to find out about RENEWAL.  

However, my wife was very inspired read about this new development and followed Renewal’s growth, with great interest. She marveled at the altruistic act of kindness of those who selflessly gave one of their kidneys, to help another Jew, even when they knew nothing of them.

One Thursday evening, my wife mentioned that Renewal is having an open forum in our neighborhood; to inform the community about their new milestones and medical research showing how safe it was to be a donor. She noted that she would like to go, to hear more about it, and requested that I drive her there. 

That Sunday evening, we drove to the event which took place in a hall in one of the local shuls’ and entered. When I entered, I noticed two fellow members of Hatzalah, who were paramedics standing there, taking blood samples from those that were willing to see if they are or would be a match. Seeing me enter, they both jovially said, Zev you came to get a jab and see if you would be a match for somebody? 

I really didn’t think about that happening, but I rolled up my sleeve, they drew the blood, and it was over. [In those years there was no swabbing of the gums they had to draw blood.] Sometime later we left, and I forgot about the whole thing. 

Around six weeks later, my wife answers a phone call, and the lady introduces herself and says, my name is Mrs. Noa from Renewal and your husband is a match. Being that I am the one that is going to have to make the ultimate decision, she asked her to talk to me directly and gave her my cell number.

Mrs. Noa mentioned it to Reb Menachem Friedman, and he is the one that tried to contact me. His message was very direct and simple, “This is Menachem Friedman from Renewal. I would like to discuss something with you at your convenience. Please call me at this number.” When I looked at that message, I had a feeling of what it meant, but I had to process it and at that moment I was not ready to make the decision. I didn’t immediately reply, and then it slipped my mind. 

[Renewals policy is not to pressure anyone into donating, so they never followed up on that call.]

But as the saying goes, a person thinks and Hashem plans. Some weeks later there was a Hatzalah call a short distance from my house. I responded and drove to the garage to pick up the ambulance while other members of Hatzalah went directly to the patients’ house to assist him/her. When I arrived at the patient’s house, the doctor inquired as to which hospital we would be taking him.

The protocol is to take a patient to the closest hospital, I replied. 

Yes, I am aware that that is the guideline, however, being that this patient has a unique situation, he must be taken to Mount Sinai in Manhattan, the doctor stated, as I believe that there would he be able to receive the proper care. In fact, this is the only time in over 30 years that I have made such a request from Hatzalah.

Hearing this, I said, I will make that attempt however, I must inform you that if the snow becomes too thick I will have to stop at one of the three hospitals that I pass on the way to Mount Sinai, Ramapo is the first one. 

Thank you for trying to help out and I will understand if you cannot make it to Mt. Sinai, the doctor replied. 

Under normal circumstances the drive at that time of the day would take around 40 minutes, but in the snow, the driving there was quite difficult, and it took us a little bit over an hour and a half, but Boruch Hashem we made it. 

When we entered the hospital, I said to the other two members, please fill out the paperwork because my eyes are hurting me from the strain of staring at the road through the thick snow while making this difficult trip to help the patient. I will now go to the bikur cholim room to take some tea and allow my eyes to rest for a short time and then we will figure out we will begin our return journey. The two members gladly relieved me of filling out the paperwork and encouraged me to rest as long as necessary and I did so. 

After my eyes recovered, I went to meet the other members. In the hallway I noticed a religious lady dressed up in the Chassidic style with a turban and hat on her head, walking alongside a man in shorts. I didn’t pay any attention to it and continued on my way. 

But then I heard the man say, Mrs. Noa….. I now realized that she is Mrs. Noa from Renewal and the gentleman is a transplant patient who she is assisting. But here was not the time and place to discuss that phone call, However, not even 30 seconds past, when a man walked over to them and Mrs. Noa said, Rabbi Friedman…. I now knew for sure who they were. 

At that moment I realized that I cannot push off the discussion and decision that I will ultimately come to, whatever it may be, so I acknowledged them by turning around and saying to Mrs. Noa, you called my house and spoke to my wife a couple months ago, and then turning to Rabbi Menachem Freedman I said, and you left me a message on my cell phone. 

The expression on their face demonstrated that they understood that their phone call will be returned and I turned around and continued on my way. A few moments later, I met my two associates who had already admitted the patient and they were almost ready to return to Monsey, but they first had to take care of something. 

 Mrs. Noa came over to me and asked if she could return to Monsey with us as she was not able to get her regular driver or a car service to drive in this snowstorm. I replied I will have to discuss it with my associates and with their permission it will be our honor. They readily agreed and we began the trip back, however, I mentioned to Mrs. Noa that she would have to arrange a car service or other means of transportation from either one of their houses or from the garage where I would drop off the ambulance. 

She graciously thanked us for giving her the ride to Monsey and said that should not be a problem, and when the ambulance is close to Monsey, she will order a car service. The return trip took much longer than we had anticipated, as there was a lot of snow on the roads, and it was coming down much heavier than before. It ended up taking more than three hours.

 Around 40 minutes before I was going to drop off the first member at their house, the three of them began calling up car services for them to take Mrs. Noa from one of the locations to her house. However each car service replied, the snow is coming down too heavy and thick and the roads are treacherous now, our drivers are not driving in this weather. Even when Mrs. Noa offered to double the fare, the answer was a resolute, “we are not taking any customers!”. 

When the other members informed me of this situation, I said I will drive her home but now instead of her sitting in the back with one of you, once both of you are dropped off, she should be sitting in the front seat which is much more secure. During the 20-minute drive to her house Mrs. Noa told me about Renewal and the patient who I was a match for. 

Knowing from our conversations that my wife would enthusiastically support the decision to be a kidney donor, and seeing how the Hashgacha Elyonah arranged that I should meet both Mrs. Noa and Rabbi Friedman, I responded, I will do it. 

Before any  transplant can be finalized, there are  procedures that the donor has to go through, so I had to take a few additional blood tests and imaging and only then when everything matched up, was a date set. However, two days before the transplant was to take place, Mrs. Noa informed me that the recipient has an infection in his blood and therefore the transplant has to be canceled as the antibodies he now has no longer allows a match between the two of us. However, she continued, there is a young man who lives here in Monsey who needs a kidney, and you can be his donor. 

I replied, being that Hashem showed me how important it is for a Jew to  donate a kidney to another Jew, to me it doesn’t matter which person receives it. On Shushan Purim I had the unbelievable zechus to give one of my extra kidneys to help another Yid and his entire family, and Boruch Hashem we are both healthy. ASHREINU! 

May all the kidney donors and their family always remain healthy and be blessed for saving another Jew’s life and may all those that who through their financial assistance enable Renewal to facilitate these transplants to take place b e blessed from Hashem in al of their requests. 

To participate in this life-saving project please click here https://www.dryveup.com/renewal/2640

A Taste of Chassidus           Ki BaYom Hazeh 5748

The Possuk is informing us that on Yom Kippur we are forgiven, as we are before Hashem. Chassidus explains that when the possuk says before or in front of Hashem, it means that we are before or higher than the level of Hashem. 

The explanation of this is as follows, a Neshoma when it is in its source, it is pure. In other words, it has no connection whatsoever with sin – evil. However, when the Neshoma descends into this world, it is enclosed in a body, and therefore it is possible that the body causes the Neshoma as it is together with the body sin, meaning it might do an action that is contrary to Hashem’s Will. 

The Hebrew word of teshuva is commonly translated as repentance, however, in truth it is much more than that. It can be split into two words Tuhshoov Hei, which means it should return to its source. So when the Neshoma returns to its original source, it has no connection to anything contrary to Hashem’s will and over there it is pure and subsequently it is Forgiven for what the body influences it  to do when it descended and was on the lower level of this physical world. 

However, according to this explanation the Neshoma is only returning to its original source, but we just said above that in front of Hashem means it goes higher than then Hashem, in other words it should go higher than it originally was. 

So, we have to understand what is the meaning that it goes higher then it was originally.

 This is connected to the general concept which Chassidus expounds at great length, that every descent is in order that the object to go to a higher level than it originated from. For example, in order for a bird to elevate itself up from the ground it must first flap its wings downwards and that propels it upwards. Or if a person wants to throw an object or chop down a tree, in order for it to be done with strength the person has to first pull their hand back in order that they could go forward with power. 

Therefore, in many Chassidic discourses it is explained that the Neshoma indeed goes to an even higher level, it goes into Hashem’s essence itself. However, in this maamar (Chassidic discourse), the Rebbe explains that is returning to its source, but nevertheless it is in that place at a higher level.

When the Neshoma was originally in its source, being that at that level it is connected to Hashem and there is nothing negative or bad there, obviously it won’t do anything evil, as there is nothing evil there. In other words, it is impossible at that level to go against Hashem’s will. 

However, now, after it descended into and became connected to a body and then it returns to its source, there is the possibility of doing something bad, as it was exposed to the evil that exists in this materialistic world. But the Neshoma refined itself to the extent that even after it was connected to a body, it is on that same level of purity which originally it was able to only because it was not exposed to anything evil.

So therefore, the fact is possible that it attained a higher level even when it merely returns to the same level it came from.

The reason it has this ability is, The true reason why Hashem decided to create the world is that His essence will ultimately dwell in this physical and materialistic world. Originally as we say in Hallel, The heavens belong to Hashem, while the world is for the people. In essence there was a barrier that separated between them. That separation was eliminate when Hashem gave us the Torah and its mitzvos (commandments).

When we use a materialistic item, such as the hide of a kosher animal and transform it into a piece of parchment, on which the sofer (scribe) writes a mezuzah, tefillin or perhaps a Sefer Torah, two things are accomplished.

1. The physical item becomes saturated with holiness. Subsequently, the parchment or the tzitzs (wool) or the wood of an Aron Kodesh cannot be simply discarded, they have to be buried, as they are no longer just mundane items.

2. Hashem’s holiness becomes revealed in this physical world, and one sees thatnot only is the world not a contradiction to G-dliness, but to the contrary it is an extension and revelation of G-dliness.

Subsequently, when after accomplishing this the Neshoma returns to its source, at that point the body no longer is opposing G-dliness, rather it is embracing it, and that is a feat that was accomplished only by the Neshoma’s descent into this world.

Rabbi Avtzon is a veteran mechanech and the author of numerous books on the Rebbeim and their chassidim. He is available to farbreng in your community and can be contacted at avtzonbooks@gmail.com.