My Father, Rabbi Dr. Avrohom A Seligson OBM

00:00 Today, Chofei Shvat, is thirty years since my father was Niftar in Tov Shin Menches, nineteen eighty-nine. Agav, the Rebbe came special from his house to the Levaya, and right after, immediately returned home. My father's father, Rabbi Mecholar, was born in Valiz, Russia. They are the Alter Rebbe's descendants, and when my grandfather got married, he moved to Krakow, where his in-laws lived. And that is where my father was born. There were no yeshivas due to World War I, and my father learned with his father. And on his own, my father then would continue learning countless hours into the early morning on his own, Limud HaKodesh. Later years, he studied medicine in Vilna. When he completely completed his medical studies, he worked on his doctorate in Vienna, doing research in endocrinology and hypertension. At that time, my father was a pioneer in his field. Similar research was also being conducted by the big scientists, top neurosurgeon in the twentieth century, Dr. Cushing, who invited my father to work with him in Boston, Massachusetts. My father refused. He would never think of leaving Poland. During World War II, my father was in Shanghai and saved many lives there, Talmidi HaYeshivas that lived in Shanghai those five years as refugees. Some stayed longer till nineteen forty-six, forty-seven. In nineteen forty-seven, he arrived in New York. While practicing in New York, he was highly respected by the big doctors in New York. There were occasions that they would personally consult my father on different issues that they had. My father

02:14 began serving as the physician by the previous Rebbe, and this continued till Yut Shvat Tov Shin Yud, nineteen fifty. After Yut Shvat, he became the, the physician, longtime physician for forty years by the Rebbe, the Rebbetsin, the Rebbetsin Chana, and the Rebbetsin Chana Dina. During the coming years , the Rebbe would discuss with my father all medical issues that were sent to the Rebbe. The Rebbe once wrote to someone that all the medical issues here go through Dr. Zelikson. In the early years, the Rebbe established that my father would enter the Rebbe's room Friday evening after Kabbalah Shabbos and discuss with the Rebbe various topics. I will briefly mention a few stories, one of the few which I heard from my father, that took place in the coming years. It was once that a patient was ill. At the Fabringen, the Rebbe then stood up from his fa-- place, turned to my father, and gave him wine and a piece of cake as well, saying, "When the Keyanim eat from the Korban Keyanim, , the owner of the offering is forgiven. In the same way, you should eat the cake, and the one who is sick will recover." And the Rebbe continued, "You should know that you are a great doctor." And the Rebbe concludes, "In case I need to dispute the opinion of other doctors and will need an opinion of a doctor, I will refer-- send to you." On another occasion, the Rebbe told my father that when he sees a serious medical

04:12 issue that is beyond of what medicine could do, my father should pass the verdict that everything is okay. And the Rebbe continues, , "I will do the rest." There was once a Shliach from South America who was ill, came to New York and did all the tests. During Yechidas, he went into the Rebbe's room, showed the Rebbe all the reports. The Rebbe told him, "What are you showing to me? Go to Dr. Zelikson." He came to my father, and my father asked him, he should show him exactly the X-ray and where it is on the X-ray. The Shliach showed it to my father, and my father says he doesn't see it. After a few times, the Shliach grew impatient and returned to the Rebbe. After he told the Rebbe what my father said, the Rebbe asked to see it, and the Rebbe added, , "I also don't see anything." The person got a new lease on life. I heard from a few patients that when they would visit my father for a certain issue, my father would tell them, . "This evening, I am not giving medications, I'm giving Lekach." The Rebbe expressed himself once about my father that a person that is invest-- has invested his Nefesh HaElokis into Shulchan Aruch, in the Shulchan Aruch, and his natural Nefesh, Nefesh HaChayyim, he invested into medicine. What do we need more than that? Another occasion when somebody came to the Rebbe in Yechidas to discuss a certain issue that that person's mother had, the Rebbe

06:03 told him he should consult with my father, and the Rebbe then said, , "Dr. Zelikson is from the best doctors that we have today." and . We will Im Yirtze Hashem continue in the next installment.