By COLlive reporter
Prayers and Tehillim will be said by Jewish communities and Chabad Houses worldwide on Thursday, July 8, as Rabbi Dr. J. Immanuel Schochet will be undergoing a life-threatening surgery.
The renowned Chabad rabbi, scholar and authority on Jewish philosophy and mysticism who is also professor-emeritus of Philosophy at Humber College in Toronto, was diagnosed with “yene machla.”
His family received the horrifying news on the 17th of Tammuz, the day which marks the beginning of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash.
But at a Chassidic Farbrengen this past Shabbos at his Congregation Beth Joseph in Ontario, Canada, the 74 year-old Schochet’s talk was imbued with hope and belief in Hashem – the familiar language he often uses in his famous lectures.
“The Farbrengen lasted for hours,” one participant told COLlive.com. “He spoke about Venahapoch Hu – that these sad days of the Three Weeks will be converted to happy days, as the Rebbe always said.”
“He also said that if one is not b’simcha then he is missing in bitachon. He also asked if everyone present would undertake to add more in Ahavos Yisroel, that it will help him.”
Later, on Motzoei Shabbos, a crowd of 400 people from all walks of life gathered in the main shul at Chabad Gate to pray for Rabbi Schochet. His brother Rabbi Dovid Schochet spoke.
COLlive.com was asked by the family to publicize that the operation will begin Thursday 8 AM and prayers should be said for Harav Yaakov Immanuel ben Sara Sasha.
UPDATE (July 8, 1:28 PM EST): The family is reporting that the surgery is over and went well. The ‘twinkle in his eye’ that one of the comments referred to was there even as they wheeled him in. The family thanked everyone for their prayers and asks to continue as Rabbi Schochet goes through recovery.
To know him is to love him. May G-d Almighty bless him with health of a 20 year old, long life, strength and double and triple the light of Hashem mentally, spiritually and materially. May he be completely healed as if this never ever happened. Gershon
I think you are mistaken especially when Rabbi Schochet told everyone else to be besimcha. No one is saying it is not a life threatening situation and we are all davening. To NOT be besimcha implies you are worried G-d might not deliver. To BE besimcha means as much as you appreciate how serious it is, you are confident that G-d will deliver. And that is what will chage the reality – – – that is meaning of ivdu es Hashem besimcha and even more so the principle of vahboteach baHashem chesed yisovevenu! Reality check – introspect!
it is my understanding that when something happens to YOU then you can minimize the seriousness and focus on bitachon through it all but when it happens to someone else you do not minimize the seriousness of the situation. rabbi schochet can be besimcha and have bitachon, you need to worry about him and daaven for a miracle to save him. maybe you are the one to introspect. you cannot be so cavalier about another persons life threatening situation – and that is what we have here.
I am just back from the country, no internet there so just saw this news item. I am really sad to learn of this. He is an incredible man, a brilliant Talmid Chochom and has inspired and saved thousands of Jews across the world. I am confident the Almighty will spare him and give him many more years to continue his amazing work. It’s just so sad that he has to go through this in the first place. I look forward to the post recovery lectures. They will be dynamite!!!
May you get well soon and live a long life in this world.
And what is wrong with being besimcha? Isn’t that just the point – – that notwithstanding however serious it is you have bitochoin? Isn’t that the very point that Rabbi Schochet spoke about at the farbrengen as noted in the article? Isn’t that what bitochoin is all about? That’s not called a false sense of security – that feeling secure in the hands of Hashem. I think you need to introspect a little.
Rabbi dovid schochet is the mora dasra of lubavitch here as well as the av beis din of toronto.
He tolerated the procedure but that is it. He is in no way out of the woods or better off now. Don’t give a false sense of security and wellbeing. That is far from the truth. He needs a huge miracle.
AKY”R
It looks like Im the first one commenting following the good news. With the Hel of Hashem and all the tefillos and his many merits he should have a full speedy recovery.
we are davening for you!
get well soon!
Please hashem leave him with us
We were stunned to hear the news, and our community in Pittsburgh is davening for HaRav Yaakov Immanuel Schochet’s speedy refuah shlaima. Here is a two-part video of the Rav’s interview in his home last year, on the subject of the Noahide Code:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=177969101200&v=app_2392950137
please daaven for this man.
He is the brother of our citie’s,(Thornhill) Rav. Refua Shelaima.
The ivy league program this summer without you will be more like a bush league program, Rabbi Metzger notwithstanding. May your recovery be total and with minimum discomfort. Praying for you and missing you already though I am still in Crown Heights.
Yesterday, I just watched an inspiring video he was in last month:
http://www.lubavitchcheder.com/1204370/
“Achake lo bichol yom shiyavo” OFCOURSE EVERYONE thinks about this! Who doesn’t want and wait for this?! Moshiach Now!!
Interesting and by incredible Hehashgacha Protis, this article mentions that it became known on Shiva Asar Betzamuz. Why is it that when Tragedy strikes, an illness or the like, then we all naturally give a big sigh, saying “Ad Mosai” with a real and truthful and very deep heart felt pain. Being that we are in the 3 weeks, where it is incumbent upon every Jew to scream Ad Mosai for Moshiach, lets us all scream Ad Mosai, without having to wait for Hashem “to remind us” to do so because someone is Ill, Chas Vesholom. Why WAIT “to be… Read more »
i cant believe this
i dont know this man, i even never heard of him before, yet when i saw this headline i just was so happy and grateful
although he tolerated the surgery well his problems are far from over. please continue with your prayers. he has a long, difficult road ahead of him even if miraculously he makes it through.
http://amzn.to/anIQho
May he had a full and speedy recovery and be able to teach and inspire more yidden as he had doen until now!
we said tehillim at our chabad shul this morning
http://www.chabad.org/4382/
There are many great ideas of what to do to help him and others …. in a life threatening situation like this.
Did anyone perhaps think (at least “as an afterthought”) that perhaps a massive effort to bring about the Geula Shlema RIGHT NOW, is at least “PERHAPS” possible and also a very REALISTIC expectation, to be happening imminently and that perhaps (just perhaps) this will save his life, since Moshiach will cure all those who are ill?
A group of talmidim have undertaken to daily learn Tzava’at Harivash translated and Annotaded br the Rav. In zchus of the Heiliger Besht and hafatzos mayanoso the Rav should be geholfin bisoch shaar cholei yisroel. Please join this limud. Moshiach Now!
i hope he recovers QUICKLY! i cant stand golus anymore!!
It woulb be more appropriate to put a picutre with Rabbi Schochat’s wise and witty twinkle in his eyes, full of Simcha!!
Hashem will certainly grant him a Refua Shleima uKerova!!!
REFUAH SHELAMA
Isn’t he supposed to be doing JLI in the summer? I came last year. He was amazing. I hope to hear him again this year!
I just checked with the family. It is kapital ayin hay (75). Biz a hundred and twenty. Chabad / Shluchim benefit so much from this man he has to be OK, he will be OK.
Maybe it should have said “Life Saving”
It is kapital 75 till Chof Ches Av – – – then it’ll be 76 – and then 77 – till 120.
his capitel is 76 actually
His kapitel is 75
Anonymous Humber College past-student
BE”H Rabbi Schochet will have a Refua Shelaima.
does anyone know which kapitel to say
the jewish people really need someone like Rabbi Schochet, a true talmid chochom
we all should pray together great man may he have an easy refua
a refuah shleima, the world is davening for you.
He was just here in Sydney and made a massive impact on all who heard him.We all will daven for him.
Hashem just give this giant of a man a long healthy life till the coming of moshiach!
Long live imanuel. Period. Azkir al hatzion.