Every Minute of Life

Living Emunah By Rabbi David Ashear

For a 20% discount on Rabbi Ashear's new book on Parnassah click the link below and enter Promo Code - Emunah20 https://www.artscroll.com/ Books/9781422640708.html On June 11th, Erev Shavuot, Rabbi Ashear will be starting Mishna Berura on the Laws of Shabbat. No better time to join and show your commitment to the Torah. Click on the link to join this program. https://chat.whatsapp.com/ EJFtV50LPJq44X7o0nthnN Hashem values life so much. The halacha says that if a person has a condition that is potentially life-threatening, it's a mitzvah to desecrate Shabbat to save his life. The quicker people act to help him, the more praiseworthy they are. If there is any risk of life, a person is not even allowed to ask a rabbi if it's permitted to desecrate Shabbat because every second counts. There are many details to these halachot and everybody should learn them. But from this one halacha , we see the value Hashem gives to life. Even though violation of Shabbat is one of the most severe sins in the Torah, when it comes to life, it's even a mitzvah to desecrate it. Every second counts. A Hatzalah member told me he received a call from a shul. When he arrived, the rabbi there told him that a congregant looked very bad. The man was sweating and experiencing chest pains. The Hatzalah member immediately recognized that this man was having a heart attack. The man told the Hatzalah member he was not going to a hospital under any circumstances. The Hatzalah member tactfully told him to just step outside for some air. While they were outside, he gave him medication that would slow down the process of any further artery clogging. Then, an ambulance pulled up and the man was asked to get on just to take an EKG. The test showed that he had full blockage in one artery and majority of another. The Hatzalah rushed him to the hospital, and he was immediately taken in for surgery. His heart stopped while on the operating table, but baruch Hashem, they were able to revive him and save his life. The surgery was a success, and the man was able to go home just two days later. The doctor said afterward, if this man was not given medication to slow down the heart attack and was not rushed to the hospital like he was, he would not have survived. The Hatzalah member who arrived first and administered the medication told me that this particular case was especially dear to him. Over twenty years ago, when he was in day camp, he was very shy and had a hard time making friends. A young man who worked in the kitchen, who was his brother's friend, took him under his wing and made sure to help him have friends. He would call him into the kitchen occasionally and give him ices to give out to the boys and it was only because of him that this Hatzalah member was able to make friends then and keep them. Now, over two decades later, this Hatzalah member was the one who administered the medication to this same man who had helped him in camp live a happy life. Now the Hatzalah member helped this man continue on with his life. Hashem works in amazing ways. Every deed we do is remembered and rewarded. Every minute of life is valuable. Hashem values our lives so much and we have to do the same.