She wants him to be the same person he always was, but all he wants to do is daven and learn all day
When Max was diagnosed with cancer, he had more visitors than most people merit, simply because people appreciated him and enjoyed his company. But as time went on and his condition became more serious, his wife started to worry about how he was spending his day.
“She thinks he’s getting depressed,” his rav shared with me as we left Max’s room after visiting him together.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. We had just spent a very pleasant time schmoozing with Max: a little catching up, a little kibitzing, mostly talking about Torah and Yiddishkeit. He was a very sick man, and his familiar energy and twinkle were no longer there — but he didn’t seem depressed to me.
His rav explained, “He refuses to paint.”
Max had been a talented artist all his life. He painted portraits that were incredibly true-to-life, including works that he had presented to some famous people. Every available space in his home held his paintings. It was his passion.
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