And just like Noach we are told,
It was not just his life
But what he left behind that remained alive
Even greater than in his lifetime.
These Zaddikim have that power
We are told?
Not that this diminishes the pain
For her, for Beila
I saw her first by his bedside
At Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center
(Now some 30 years later
Now questioning all I had learned here
The dogmas and beliefs of such exalted ivory towers.)
I came to the bedside
Saw the MRI?s and sighed.
Having seen too much already
Too many of such injuries
Too much grief and suffering already
One more Zaddik.
But there she was, Tehillim in hand
Ready for battle, she refused
To accept
Anything given, any expert advice that did not point the
way back to what was,
A radical refusal
She was going to take her own path
Despite conventional wisdom
She was going to bring back her husband, by
Conventional and other means
No stone left unturned.
Of course she paid the price
She would have to relinquish everything
For this goal this mission
Family relationships, sleep, career
She had it all worked out.
I quoted a Zohar to him
Lying motionless,
And his eyes opened.
A miracle.
He was "locked-in", not comatose.
A neurological nightmare for those imprisoned in the body.
This challenge was not going to be left unanswered.
We went to work bit by bit, but
As you know,
Neurology is a different planet
What is slow in this world is lightning speed in planet
recovery
All is measured by tiny improvements over months
Extreme patience is required, as well as commitment and
diligence
Any slight oversight
Results in pneumonia and set-backs affecting
consciousness and the brain.
But we commit to each other and get to work.
A glorious year of ups and downs setbacks and
improvements
The glory of his children surrounding him in the Catskills
and his students.
And she never faulted
Never gave up hope
Never ceased her critical inquiry
She the unsung heroine of this story
Can only be comforted in the knowledge
That no stone was left unturned
And that he is more alive now that before
That his children and students, disciples and those
influenced by him
Are in his consciousness and better served by his present
place
By his representation above
A true advocate for our broken lives.
She must feel this now
My heart knows she wanted it otherwise
Of course
She wanted only the ultimate
Her man
Back
In her arms
In her living room
However, whatever, whenever
That connection,
My heart cries for her
Despite all we are told
All we believe
All we profess.
She the unsung heroine of the story
Left no stone unturned.
