The Shabbat Lesson That Changed a Medical Student's Life

Rabbi Naftali Levy, coordinator of Daf Yomi B'Halacha in France, shares a remarkable story that demonstrates how even a single halacha can transform a person's life.

Dan Oriz was a medical student at a prestigious university in Paris when a friend invited him to attend an evening Daf Yomi B'Halacha class.

"They're not trying to pressure anyone into becoming religious," his friend explained. "They simply teach the practical laws that Jews have lived by for generations. The classes are interesting, practical, and fascinating."

Curious, Dan agreed to attend.

A Halacha That Seemed Insignificant

At the time, the class was studying the laws of Shabbat. During the lesson, the rabbi explained a practical halacha: if someone comes home on a rainy day with a wet coat, they should not place it on a radiator that is on in order to dry it, because doing so involves concerns related to the prohibition of laundering on Shabbat.

As soon as Dan heard this law, he stood up to leave.

The rabbi noticed and gently asked what had prompted him to walk out.

Dan answered honestly, without holding anything back.

"I drive on Shabbat. I write on Shabbat. I do everything on Shabbat. And you're telling me that I shouldn't put my wet coat on the radiator? Doesn't that sound ridiculous? Of all the things I'm doing, this tiny detail is what you're asking me to change? These classes clearly aren't for me."

One Simple Question

The rabbi smiled and asked Dan to sit down for just one more minute.

"I'd like to ask you something," he said.

"Why do you drive on Shabbat?"

"Because I have to," Dan replied. "I need to get from home to my studies and to the hospital where I'm doing my internship. I don't have another option."

"And why do you write on Shabbat?"

"Because I have to document what happens. If I don't write things down, I'll forget them."

The rabbi nodded.

"Now let me ask you one more question. Do you have to put your coat on the radiator?"

Dan paused.

"No," he admitted. "I could just hang it on a chair or in a closet."

The rabbi looked at him and asked, "If placing your coat somewhere else would honor Hashem by allowing you to keep this halacha, would you be willing to do that?"

Dan answered immediately.

"Actually, yes. I have no real need to put it on the radiator. If it brings honor to the Creator, I'd be happy to put it somewhere else."

The rabbi smiled.

"Then that's all I'm asking. When something costs you nothing, choose to do it for Hashem."

One Step Led to Another

Dan accepted the challenge on the spot.

"I still drive and write on Shabbat," he told the class, "but from now on, I won't put my coat on the radiator."

His simple commitment was met with enthusiastic applause.

It may have seemed like a tiny change, but it marked the beginning of something much greater.

Today, Dan is married to a doctor who also came from a Russian background and had grown up without any knowledge of Shabbat. Together they built a home fully committed to Torah and halacha.

Looking back, they explain that everything began with one small decision made simply to honor Hashem.

One halacha led to another. Then another.

Step by step, they embraced more and more mitzvot until they eventually built a life of full Torah observance.

Sometimes the greatest journeys begin not with dramatic changes, but with one small act done sincerely for the sake of Heaven.