By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com
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It was a week after the end of the shiva of Maran Sar HaTorah Rav Chaim Kanievsky zatzal. According to an Orchot Yosher administrator, an Avreich knocked upon the door of Rav Shaya Kanievsky Shlita, the eldest son of Rav Chaim. He asked to enter to speak with Rav Shaya.
The avreich explained: All my lifem I never moved on any significant matter in my life without consulting with Maran Rav Chaim zt”l. Whether it was by messenger, or, when possible I went in myself. I was always successful in every matter. But now I have a dilemma and Maran is no longer around. I hope and pray that his eldest son will answer my question.
My wife is about to give birth. But the doctors are saying that she is past her due date and they are asking us to agree to a c-section/ They say that it is past the point of waiting, but they are still leaving the decision to us. What should we do? The Avreich elaborated upon the factors both ways.
Rav Shaya heard the question and after asking a number of questions to clarify the matter, he ruled that one should listen to the doctors recommendation in this case.
Orchot Yosher, the organization Rav Chaim started l’zecher Nishmas his wife a”h, had heard the story from the Avreich a week later. He had called to thank for the advice and excitedly said that they did perform surgery as decided by Rabbi Shaya. But during the c-section it became clear that there was a Type B nuchal cord, where the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck in the dangerous and life-threatening way. I
A nuchal cord happens when a baby’s umbilical cord becomes wrapped around their neck in the womb. Nuchal cords are common, and most often do not cause health problems. In rare cases, however, serious complications do occur.
The umbilical cord is responsible for delivering the oxygen and nutrients that the baby needs to grow. It also carries away waste. Nuchal cords come in two types -type A and type B.
Type A nuchal cords, also called unlocked cords, are free-moving and come undone naturally. Type B nuchal cords, also called locked chords, are wrapped in a way that does not allow them to come undone naturally, except for very rare cases.
This was a type B cord. But the C-section had saved the day. The Midrash states: When does Klal Yisroel stand? When they consult with their z’kainim.
the author can be reached at [email protected]
To read Torah from Rav Chaim zt”l go to orchotyosher.org
What does the outcome have to do with listening to zekeinim?
Wasn’t this the medical advice in the first place?
You’re saying that had the father simply followed expert medical advice and never run to involve zekeinim, the outcome would have been different?
This was a medical emergency.
If anything, the time spent running to the zakein only INCREASED the risk to the child — and perhaps the miracle was that the child survived DESPITE the father’s having wasted precious time.
I too, want to be furious about something 🙂
If Rav Shaya would of said, “Do what the Doctor says and next time don’t waste precious time asking someone who knows nothing about medicine.” I would maybe be impressed.
Puhleese! There are Nissim Galuim, mind-blowing open miracles and there is Teva,the day to day miracles that we live with and are used to. This falls under the category of Teva. I would not call this a miracle in the out-of-norm sense of the word at all. I don’t know anything about the son of Rav Chaim at all, I’m sure he is a great and holy man. So this is not to take away from his greatness.