When the Chazon Ish Drew a Brain Diagram for a Doctor

This week marks the first yahrtzeit of Rabbi Meir Shmuel Katz zt”l, who served as the menahel of Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael for many years. His family revealed how a sketch from the Chazon Ish guided a physician on how to perform a cranial surgery on their late father.

One of his sons recounted, “A few days before he passed away, my brother told him something about the Chazon Ish, and my father quietly said, ‘I, too, had something with the Chazon Ish.’ He then sealed his lips and said nothing more. During the shivah, a son of Rabbi Avraham Rein shared what he had heard from his father.

Rabbi Meir Shmuel Katz was born with excess fluid in his head, and doctors said that if he were to undergo surgery, he would die. Even if not, the chances were not high for him to survive. His mother traveled to the Chazon Ish together with Rabbi Rein, who was very close to the Chazon Ish. When they presented the case to him, the Chazon Ish said to proceed with the surgery. The doctor who heard this was visibly upset, questioning, “An old man who never studied medicine will give me advice?”

Following the mother’s pleas, the reluctant doctor traveled to Bnei Brak to meet with the Chazon Ish. During their meeting, the Chazon Ish drew on a page, illustrating the brain and how to perform the dissection, where to enter, and so on. (See below.) However, the doctor claimed that he was afraid to take responsibility for such a surgery. The Chazon Ish told him, “No one asked you to take responsibility. They asked you to perform the dissection.”

The surgery was carried out, and with the help of Hashem, Rabbi Katz lived another 75 years until his passing a year ago.

After the above story, the doctor became a follower of the Chazon Ish, consulting with him several times on additional surgeries. It is known that at least once, the Chazon Ish drew the surgical procedures for him. Rabbi Rein, who shared the story with the family, instructed Rabbi Schwartz not to have it revealed until after his passing.

{Matzav.com Israel}