Sunday, July 27, 2014

A visit. So little So Much.

Diagnosed with bulbar onset ALS otherwise known as Lou Gherig's disease. I am not able to speak, eat or drink. Barely able to walk with help. Left hand is useless and my right can do little. I sit most of the day in a power wheel chair which I'm grateful for. Thank GD I can see, hear, smell, taste and feel. It's just some muscles that stopped working. Most things are done for me as I am no longer able to do the do even the simplest of things on my own.

Many of you have taken the time to visit me. I want to describe how much your visits mean to me. 

A person in my situation could have been left, given basic necessities and go through life feeling alone. Thank GD my family loves me, they would never let me feel that way. 

When you visit, I am filled with the feeling of importance, kinship, love and joy, I feel like I matter to you and to the world. I am honored that you visited. The great feeling inside is one of elation and joy. It is one of the things that gives me life and strengthens my will to go on. 

All this and more just by coming and sitting with me. You don't have to worry about what to say, It's unimportant. Of course some conversations will be more interesting then others. In some I might even hear words of Torah. The most important thing is that you came. 

In the past I would be the visitor but now, being the visited, I have gained a whole new perspective. When the chachamim tell us that visiting the sick takes away one sixtieth of the illness, it is not that you just removed illness, but even more, you added life. 

With this in mind, consider making it a part of your schedule to visit the sick in your community. 

Thank you for your visit. 

26 comments:

  1. Beautiful Yitzi, thank you for sharing this moving post. It helps redirect me to what really matters. Bli Neder, will try to visit the sick at least one more time than I might otherwise do because of your inspiration.

    I think I might also use some of your ideas in a speech tonight.

    Yitzi your light is lighting up souls in Australia. :)

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  2. Hi Yitzi, we miss you dearly. We think about you and have included you and your family in our prayers. Emily asks about you frequently and she says a very sweet prayer for you in her own words. Even though the Hurwitz family isn't physically near your

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  3. Hi Rabbi, Not to mention the joy you give us when visiting you!

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  4. Rabbi Hurwitz,

    You are the window that brings light into the world

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  5. Thank you Rabbi,
    It is always a pleasure to see you. It is a bit of a drive to see you, but it makes me happy to see your smiling face. When I get back from Gallup,NM in September, Linda and I will come to see you again. Dr John

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  6. Thank you Rabbi Yitzi, for the encourgement.
    TodayI was asked to help teach a bed-ridden student fighting cancer in the late stages... I wasnt sure I had the strength and courage, but your words have given me precisely that. It's amazing what trememdous impact you still have despite your physical state. G-d willing, May we be zocheh to a miracle in this coming month of miracles and be informed that the disease has disappeared.

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  7. Hi there
    By fluke I saw your video motze shabos sukkos its 1:15 AM I was crying and same time smiling how you made and making people shine keep it up and u should be gebenchec

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  8. Hi Yitzi! I went to a Jewish Women's Circle Hanukah party in Madison Wisconsin Wednesday night. The rabbi's wife runs it and her theme was living up to your potential. She showed us the video of your song as her illustration of the point. I was so touched by what I saw that I started showing and telling others about it. I've been struggling with a few health issues and not being cheerful about it. After seeing your video, I felt encouraged to rise above and today, my birthday, I prayed that I could "shine a little light" all day wherever I went and I did. What a joy to encourage others and make them laugh!. My son has been involved with spending time in Israel and studying at the yeshiva. He has re involved me with my Jewish roots although I converted to Christianity many years ago. I still consider myself to be as we say a "messianic Jew"! Regardless, just wanted to "visit" you from here and thank you for the love I see in your eyes and in all those singing your inspired song. G-d bless you today and always. Love in Him, Stephanie Bindl

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  9. Dear Rabbi Yitzi,
    You are an incredible inspiration to our family but most notably to my 9 year old daughter Shir, who plays guitar and sings. Her favorite song is Shine A Little Light and moves her soul to no end. She has performed your beautiful song to numerous audiences and in 2 weeks will be performing your song to the residents of the Milwaukee Jewish Home and Care Center. You may not have the ability anymore to physically speak but your voice is loud and full of b'tachon. May you and others with ALS be zochim to a cure.

    Kindly,
    Tanya Mazor-Posner

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  10. Dear Rabbi Yitsi
    I love listening to your beautiful song. I wish you a refuah shleima and hope to visit you one day.
    You are a wonderful person.
    Shabbat shalom.
    Love Yair

    Yair Codron (age 6)
    Yad Binyamin, Israel

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  11. aspirin (willow soaked in vodka) helps with neurological diseases. Pls try.

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  12. Dear Rabbi Yitzi,
    I recently heard the Rabbi's song and story and was just amazed. I know someone with a similar story, although a different medical condition, who was also musically talented and although he is B"h mostly recovered now, he can't play his music any longer. He still keeps a smile on his face though, and that is what struck me as to the similarity. I am amazed at the smile that has not faded from Rabbi Yitzi's face all these years and have drawn tremendous chizuk from it, seeing that simchah is a particular middah that I try very hard to work on myself. Please continue to be mechazeik and uplift many others like you have done to me! Thank you so much!
    -A high schooler

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  14. Rabino Yitzi Hurwitz desejo do fundo do meu coração Refua Shlema para o senhor...muito obrigada pelos seus estudos que copiei do site do Chabad. Foi assim que cheguei até seu blog. Que HaShem o ilumine e lhe dê muita saúde e muita felicidade. Todah!!!

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