A timely reminder of how our mitzvos and maasim tovim can affect Heavenly decrees
Rav Weissman called his son to ask a favor: Could they make the kiddush that week, rather than wait? He explained that as much as he wanted to partake in the simchah, he tried to avoid traveling during Elul zeman as an extra precaution to ensure he could focus on the upcoming Yemei Hadin. His son happily acquiesced, and a grateful Rav Weissman arrived on Thursday afternoon to participate in the simchah.
When his son mentioned that they were planning to make an early Shabbos, the Mashgiach asked to daven later, at the more optimal time. While the only shul davening later was quite a distance away, again, Rav Weissman’s son was more than happy to accommodate his father, and together, they set out for shul.
As they walked, Rav Weissman began feeling chest pain that got progressively worse. When they arrived in shul, he suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed. Hatzolah was summoned, and they immediately rushed him to a nearby hospital.
The doctor who examined Rav Weissman told him that his artery was completely blocked, and the heart attack could have been, in his words, “a disaster.” He explained to his patient that while the fact that he was walking probably accelerated the attack, it was, in a sense, also his saving grace. The doctor explained to Rav Weissman that the walk had caused his heart to beat faster, which forced the blood to circulate more freely during those pivotal moments. That extra movement provided a little additional time that allowed Rav Weissman to receive treatment in time.
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