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| Third of Elul: Stay in the Land! |
One of the last people to speak with Rav Kook before his death
was Prof. Hermann Zondek. Director of Jerusalem's Bikur Cholim
hospital, the professor treated Rav Kook in a guest house in the
Kiryat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem during his final illness.
The following story reveals the rabbi's remarkable concern and
empathy for all people he came in contact with — even during his
last hours, when suffering intense pain.
Prof. Zondek was one of the first victims of the rise of Nazism
in Germany. In 1933, while treating patients, Zondek was called
to his office. There the SS informed Zondek that he was dismissed
from his position as director of the Berlin City Hospital —
starting immediately. His service during World War I as a
military physician, his highly-respected medical research, and
his well-placed patients — including German chancellors — counted
for naught. That very night, Zondek left Germany. He would later
write: "It was only after leaving Germany that I understood that
until 1933 the Jews lived in a fool's paradise."
Final Request
Two years later found the doctor in Jerusalem, treating the aged
chief rabbi in his final days. 'A person's true nature is
revealed during illness,' he noted. 'The Rav bore his terrible
suffering with wisdom.'
'In his final hour,' Zondek recalled, 'he was in severe pain. The room was full of
people; his colleague-student Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlap sat by
his bed. About half an hour before his death, the Rav took my
hand and told me with great emotion:
'The truth is that this event took place not long after I had
come to the country. I had many difficulties adjusting. Much was
not to my taste, and I was strongly considering leaving the
country. But the Rav's heartfelt appeal, at that critical juncture, was
one of the most important factors that helped me decide to stay
in our land. As a result I put down roots here.'
(Adapted from Shivchei HaRe'iyah, p. 304. Background information
on Prof. Zondek from http://www1.yadvashem.org.)
Copyright © 2006 by Chanan Morrison
"I hope that the great sons
of our people will not leave our land, but will remain here to
help build it up. Please, stay here in the Land of Israel!"