He was a larger than life

By: LF

“Rabbi Levi” as he was fondly called, was sent to Tyson's Corner, VA to save lives, spiritually primarily, but in his final moments and then beyond, an actual life.

In his last weeks, Rabbi Levi was in massive pain, his illness rapidly becoming too difficult for his doctors to treat. An energy healer was flown in from Israel, one who they hoped would provide Rabbi Levi with some relief.

Taking a walk that fateful Shabbat afternoon, the Healer began to experience chest pains. Mentioning this to Dr. I, he was told to stay in town until Monday when he could have it checked out by Dr. B right there at Reston Hospital.

Monday morning came, and as he was staying at our home, I drove him to his appointment. Figuring I’d go and say a quick hello to Dr. B. I accompanied him instead of driving to the office. It was a good thing I did, as the receptionist said he had no appointment. Reluctant to stay until the afternoon only to get a consultation, as the receptionist suggested, he says to me “Let’s go, I have friends in Baltimore, and then some things to do in NY, I’ll take care of it some other time”.

Leaving the office, I glanced at the wall where the names of the doctors whose practice it was are prominently emblazed; I recognized one of them as a student at our current JLI course on Medical Ethics. Calling Dr. Y. on his cell phone he graciously agreed to have him squeezed in immediately.
Not a moment too soon.

The next morning he was being wheeled into Inova Fairfax for an emergency angioplasty. His results? The opening of his coronary artery that had become 95% blocked. He was, in the doctors’ words, “a heart attack in waiting”.

You see, he came to save Rabbi Levi’s life; it was Rabbi Levi who saved his.

Rabbi Levi will be sorely missed. He was a larger than life figure; his presence filled any room he was in. His absence now leaves a gaping hole in our collective heart.

Yet in Beit Shemesh in the land of Israel, a grateful father, husband, and grandfather feels his presence still. So does his family.

So do we.