* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Today we mark the seventh yahrzeit of the beloved author and speaker Chani Weinrott z”l, whose brave battle with cancer inspired thousands.
I would like to share one of her many insightful pieces, which is especially relevant for our time:
“I’ve discovered a fascinating phenomenon. Whenever someone shares bad news with me, most of the conversation is focused on how people around them have been treating them. People will say: ‘The doctor was so uncaring; his insensitivity drove me crazy.’ Or ‘You won’t believe how helpful and devoted my husband has been during this crisis.’ Or ‘even now, when I’m sick, my mother-in-law doesn’t call me.’
A person tells you that his whole world is falling apart, and in the same breath he says that the most important thing for him is the human dimension: the expressions of support, friendship, and empathy. Is this an escape from reality? Absolutely not. We see that even Iyov (Job) in the Bible, who is the symbol of human suffering, cares how his friends respond to his situation.
Most people, after ‘the sky has fallen,’ will look around to see how others are reacting. Whether they look at their situation as extremely dire or not so horrible will be determined by those around them. Our response is critical; in fact, how we relate to others may be life-saving.”
May her memory be a blessing.
