The Rabbi Who Danced in Manhattan After a Devastating Diagnosis

When Rabbi Yisrael Pesach Fainhandler zt"l fell ill with his final and most serious illness, doctors advised him to travel to the United States for advanced medical care. In Manhattan, New York, stands the well known Memorial Hospital, where specialists might be able to offer treatment and perhaps even hope.

With faith and determination, the rabbi and his wife flew to America. After meeting with a renowned professor at the hospital, they were presented with a difficult and complex treatment plan. The doctor spoke honestly. He could not promise success, and he explained that the survival rates were not especially high.

For most people, such words would feel crushing.

A Dance in the Streets of Manhattan

The couple left the hospital and began walking back to their lodging. The rabbi’s wife walked with heavy steps, as anyone would after hearing such painful news. Her husband’s condition was life threatening. The future looked uncertain.

Suddenly, she heard something unexpected.

Her husband had begun to sing.

She lifted her eyes from the sidewalk and saw him stepping into a dance on a busy Manhattan street, in the middle of the day, as if he were circling the bimah on Simchat Torah.

She was bewildered.

“Why are you dancing?” she asked. “We just received such difficult news. What is making you so happy?”

Rabbi Fainhandler looked at her with sincere surprise.

“It is written, ‘For Hashem reproves the one He loves.’ If Hashem is sending me suffering, what does that mean? It means He loves me. I just received the most wonderful news. Hashem loves me. How can I not dance?”

Bringing Light Into the Hospital

This perspective did not fade. It became his way of living.

When Rabbi Fainhandler returned to the hospital for treatments, he noticed the downcast faces around him. Patients walked the halls burdened with fear and worry. Yet he was the one moving about with a gentle smile. More than that, he actively tried to lift others’ spirits.

He did not deny the pain. He did not ignore reality. Instead, he chose to see Hashem’s love within it.

The Book No One Wanted to Publish

Rabbi Fainhandler also authored a book about coping with life’s challenges from a place of joy and trust in Hashem. During his lifetime, however, no publishing house agreed to print it. The idea of writing about suffering through the lens of happiness felt strange to many. Some even saw it as provocative.

After his passing, his son renamed the book Ata Machsi, which in Hebrew means “You are my shelter.” The phrase comes from Tehillim, where King David expresses complete trust in Hashem as his refuge and protection. The new title reflected the book’s core message: that no matter what a person faces, Hashem is his true shelter and safe haven.

With this new name, publishers were more receptive, and the book was finally printed. Today, it is considered one of the prominent works in the field of faith based self development.

How Did He Reach Such Strong Trust in Hashem

People often asked Rabbi Fainhandler how he attained such deep faith and trust in Hashem, known in Hebrew as bitachon.

His answer was simple but powerful.

For three years, he immersed himself constantly in Shaar HaBitachon from the classic Jewish ethical work Chovot HaLevavot. He studied it again and again, without interruption, until its teachings reshaped his thinking. Over time, he internalized the message so completely that in every event, even painful ones, he felt surrounded by kindness.

As it says about one who truly trusts in Hashem, kindness surrounds him.

A Timeless Lesson in Faith and Perspective

Rabbi Yisrael Pesach Fainhandler’s response to suffering offers a profound lesson in Jewish faith. Trust in Hashem is not theoretical. It is something that can be learned, practiced, and deeply absorbed until it transforms the way a person experiences life.

For a beginner exploring Judaism, his story is a powerful reminder that bitachon is not about denying hardship. It is about recognizing that even within difficulty, there is love, purpose, and Divine compassion.