A Tzaddik Is Born

Rav Avrohom Mordechai Alter of Warsaw was the eldest child of the Chidushei Harim. Like all the other children of Rav Yitzchok Meir of Ger, he was unwell, and the Chidushei Harim had already lost all his other children. Now Rav Avrohom Mordechai, only thirty years old, was gravely ill again. The doctors had given up hope, and it seemed he would leave the world with no son to inherit his place.

As he lay in the final throes of death, his childhood friend, Rav Yaakov Arye of Radzimin, leaned over and whispered, “I have one piece of advice left for you, my dear friend. Ask Hashem to grant you life, long enough to merit having a son you don’t yet have.”

The Chidushei Harim also came to the sickbed and told his dying son, “You must know that it is a mitzvah to desire to live, as it says, ‘Choose life,’ uvocharta vachaim. Please, my son, strengthen yourself. Choose life and get well.”

Rav Avrohom Mordechai gathered his last strength, sat up and cried out, “Ribbono Shel Olam, please grant me the gift of life so that I can have a son. I shall name him Yehuda, as it says, ‘This time, odeh es Hashem, I shall thank Hashem.’” A miracle occurred, and he recovered.

The next year he did indeed have a son. Rav Chaim Meir Yechiel, the Seraph of Mogelnitza, was the sandak, and the baby was brought into the bris of Avrohom Avinu and named Yehuda Leib, as his father had promised. Rav Avrohom Mordechai told his wife, Esther, “I named him Yehuda, and he will cause the hearts of all Klal Yisroel to praise and give thanks, lehodos laShem.”

The Sefas Emes used to say of himself, “My father named me Yehuda, which means thanksgiving, because he was healed from his sickness in my merit. I feel this within me as well. Each day and night I never tire of giving thanks, lehodos laShem.”