On the Yahrtzeit (anniversary of death) of our master, Rabbi Chaim Halberstam of Sanz, the Torah-Box team is pleased to share with you a story about his life. Whoever speaks about the Tzadik on the day of his Hilula, merits that the latter pray on his behalf! So, light a candle and recite: “Lichvod haRabbi miSanz, zechuto Yagen aleinu” and pray! May his merit protect all of Am Israel, Amen!

One of the greatest giants of the Torah of the previous generation was undoubtedly the Gaon and Admor of Sanz, Rabbi Chaim Halberstam (of blessed memory). He was the rabbi of the city of Klausenburg in Romania prior to the Holocaust. He survived the hell of the Nazis, losing his wife and his eleven children.

Barely out of the camps, he took care of the neediest with self-sacrifice. Then, he emigrated to the United States, and after a few years, he moved to Israel in the Kiryat Sanz neighborhood that he founded in Netanya. His attachment to the Creator, his phenomenal knowledge in the Torah, his great charitable works associated with his constant concern for the people of Israel have placed him at the spiritual summit of the giants of the Torah. His passing was a great loss for us. May his merit protect us.

Here is a story told by Rabbi Ben Tzion Reich, a friend of the Admor:

A Sanzer Chassid went to find the Admor at home at the end of Shabbat with great urgency, in order to receive his blessing for a surgery one of his relatives had to undergo in some Brooklyn hospital. The Admor was in his Beis Midrash in the middle of Seudah Shlishit in the midst of Shabbos songs.

Since the case was one of extreme urgency, I immediately turned to the Admor. The Rabbi said that the patient had to be transferred to The Mount Sinai Hospital located in Manhattan. When I reported the words of the Rabbi to the Chassid, he asked me to go back to the Rabbi and tell him that, according to the doctor, moving the patient to another hospital may endanger his life and that he declined all responsibility. I then repeated the words of the doctor to the Rabbi who confirmed that the patient had to be moved immediately and asked me to go and help them.

Within a short period of time, the patient found himself in Manhattan. Then I headed for the hospital and got acquainted with Dr. Dianaza, the Admor's personal physician. I told him the words of the Admor in order to obtain assistance. He immediately took care of having the operating room prepared and informed a prominent doctor to look after the patient.

It should be noted that the doctor at the Brooklyn Hospital opposed the transfer of the patient. He contacted Dr. Dianaza and explained how serious the situation was and I can remember that Dr. Dianaza replied: “You may be right, but if the Rebbe said, there is no arguing...”

The doctor who was on the spot examined the patient and said: “I don’t know what this doctor has seen, but this patient has nothing at all!”

It is not clear why the Brooklyn doctor did not see anything, but one thing is certain: from the moment the Rabbi had decided, the Manhattan doctor had no chance of seeing anything…

Several days passed, and the Chassid, who worked in the diamond trade, had a high-value diamond that broke into several pieces. The loss of money was significant and he went to the Rabbi. The Rabbi listened to him and smiled at him: “There are those who pay with their bodies and those who pay with their money.”

The patient who had been cured needed financial compensation so that he would not die...