Section: Parshas HaShavua   Category: Story

Parshas Vayechi: Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin Curses The Hospital

The famous magid of Yerushalayim Rav Bentzion Yadler retold the story of a group of Askanim who came to Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin to tell him that they purchased a plot of land to build a hospital outside of the old city of Yerushalyim near Shaar Shchem.  Rav Yehoshua Leib said to them, "Yehi Ratzon Shelo Tishreh Shechina Aleha", it should be Hashem's will that the Shechina will not reside there.  The group was baffled.  Why would Rav Yehoshua Leib curse their holy venture? Then they realized the slyly disguised bracha in Rav Yehoshua Leib's words.  The pasuk says (Vayechi 47:31) that after Yosef swore to bury Yaakov in Eretz Yisroel, Yaakov turned to the head of the bed and bowed.  Rashi explains that from here the gemara (Shabbos 12b) learns that the Shechina rests above the head of a sick person's bed.  Rav Yehoshua Leib gave them a bracha that their hospital should not have many sick people in it and all of Am Yisroel should be blessed with good health! (Gilyon Pninim Al HaParsha)