Physician to Royalty

לע"נ ר' יהודה ע"ה בן ר' משה יעקב ע"ה ביסטאן נלב"ע ר"ח כסלו ה'תשנ"ט ת'נ'צ'ב'ה' נדפס ע"י בנו הרה"ת השליח ר' יוסף יצחק וזוגתו מרת ביילא רחל ומשפחתם שיחיו ביסטאן Physician ToHe was a brilliant Royaltydoctor, a well versed Talmid Chacham, a devoted Chossid and merited to serve as the personal physician to the Beis Harav for forty years. Following is a biographical sketch of the life and times of the legendary Dr. Seligson. KISLEV 5781 34 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER WITH RABBI KAZARNOVSKY, 29 LEVI FREIDIN VIA JEM 191042 ELUL 5740 *z KISLEV 5781 5740-5780 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 35 study and research foreign disease, Early Life as well. This turned out to be the Harav Avraham Abba Seligson was exact training he would later need born on 8 Av 5667* in Cracow, Poland. during the war to protect the health of His father Reb Michoel Aharon was a Yidden. direct descendant of the Alter Rebbe’s After receiving his diploma in second son Harav Chaim Avraham. Vilna, Avraham returned to Cracow Reb Michoel Aharon was a wealthy and started working on his doctorate; man, an erudite Talmid Chochom, and engaging in research and gaining a gifted baal menagen. A prominent clinical experience as a practicing member of the Cracow Jewish physician. He received his doctorate community, for several years he served in medicine in 5696*. During the as the gabbai of the Megaleh Amukos course of his research, he worked at shul. specialized clinics at the Universities Reb Michoel Aharon was the only of Vienna and Cracow, respectively. Lubavitcher chossid in Cracow at His work uncovered the connection the time, and the Frierdiker Rebbe MICHOEL SELIGSON RABBI between hypertension and Cushing stayed in his home for an extended AVROHOM SELIGSON IN HIS EARLY 20S Syndrome, and was published in period during a visit to the city. Later medical journals in Poland, France, the Frierdiker Rebbe wrote to him university in Vilna and due to their Austria and the US. that as the only Lubavitcher chossid anti-semitic policies, was initially In a 1947 letter of recommendation, in the city, he should arrange a shiur rejected. Therefore, as a nineteen-year- when Dr. Seligson was applying for a in Chassidus and invite friends, old he started his medical studies in license to practice medicine in the US, neighbors and acquaintances to Strasbourg. Two years later in 5688*, Dr. Bussell, a colleague from Cracow, participate. through the intervention of one of his wrote: “I have personally known After some time, Rabbi Mordechai physician uncles, he transferred to the Dr. Seligson for fifteen years… In Mentlik among the outstanding medical school in Vilna. his native city of Cracow, Poland he Tmimim in Poland, was sent to In Vilna he lived in the home of his was known as one of the prominent Cracow to give the shiur, to attract the uncle Harav Schneur Zalman Seligson. physicians and research workers of city’s yeshiva bochurim to Chassidus. A prominent Lubavitcher Chossid, that city. His special field of interest Reb Michoel continued to maintain Harav Seligson was an ambitious was the problem of hypertension. He the Chassidus shiur which lasted for activist for the Jewish community with published several papers… translated many years. many government contacts. He was a into many languages and were Avraham’s mother, Chaya Rochel, rare personality, a dedicated chossid accepted with acclaim.” hailed from a prominent Cracow and one of the founders of Yeshiva His research gained the attention family, descendants of many Gedolei Tomchei Tmimim in Vilna. For the of Dr. Harvey Cushing, the world Yisroel. Their home was a blend of next four years Avraham learned with renowned neurosurgeon, and the wealth and yiras Shamayim with an his uncle, absorbing much from him. namesake of the syndrome. He offered emphasis on Chassidishe minhogim. Avraham davened with the yeshiva Dr. Avraham Seligson a position in During WWI the family fled in the evenings, and was always seen his laboratory at Yale University. In Cracow for the outskirts of Vienna. with a sefer. Immaculately dressed, one of the letters taken from their Avraham Abba learned at a Hebrew he was modest and humble in all of correspondence, Dr. Cushing writes, Gymnasium, and received his formal his interactions and made a favorable “Thanks greatly for the reprint of your training in Limmudei Kodesh from his impression as a yarei Shamayim of excellent paper published in La Presse father. A natural masmid, he would high caliber. Medicale with its carefully made learn well into the night. While studying in Vilna, Avraham observation…”. Avraham Abba wanted to help had the option of studying the diseases In addition to research, Dr. people and perhaps because many of endemic to Asia and Africa. While Seligson focused on his medical his uncles on his mother’s side were most of the students sought to become practice. Devoted to his patients, his physicians; he developed an interest in proficient in local illnesses, Avraham bedside manner, personal warmth and medicine. He applied to the medical surprised everyone by choosing to good cheer put everyone at ease. He KISLEV 5781 *z 36 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 5667-1907,5688-1928,5696-1936 Healthy Digestion In 5695* the Frierdiker Rebbe was in Vienna for extended periods of time, and Dr. Seligson once merited to have a yechidus. The Frierdiker Rebbe inquired about his studies and then explained the following Gemara according to Chassidus. אכל ולא שתה אכילתו דם. וזהו תחילת חולי מעיים. )שבת מא,א( One who ate and did not drink at all, what he ate becomes blood and that causes the onset of intestinal disease. Eating represents the study of nigleh and drinking represents the study of Chassidus. When a doctor prescribes a diet for the patient, there must be a means for the food to be digested properly. Similarly with Torah, learning Chassidus ensures that the nigleh is “digested” properly. RABBI MICHOEL SELIGSON RABBI clinic. He was dedicated to his patients CORRESPONDENCE WITH DR. CUSHING and often walked miles in torn shoes to deliver medicine to patients who was never off duty and always had his Sugihara, enabling him to escape were unable to come to the hospital. medical bag with him in the event of Europe. After a long and arduous Almost immediately, many an emergency. Known in the region as journey, he arrived in Shanghai, China developed dysentery. Dr. Seligson a frum doctor, many Yidden preferred together with thousands of Yidden. suggested that all drinking water to be treated by him despite his youth. These included a group of Tmimim should be boiled, and all fruit and On occasion, when halachic questions and the talmidim of several other vegetables be thoroughly cleaned arose in connection with medical famous yeshivos who escaped Europe before consumption. Subsequently, issues, prominent rabbonim such as in the same way. the outbreak subsided. The Jewish Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grudzansky, the The Chinese government settled residents of the ghetto were also Rav of Vilna, relied on his judgement, the Jewish refugees in a ghetto in the stricken with Beriberi, a result of as he was proficient in both halacha poorest part of the city. The unsanitary vitamin B-1 deficiency, common and medicine. conditions set the stage for illness in Asia but virtually unheard of in and disease. Dr. Seligson was the only Western countries. This was a disease Shanghai doctor that the refugees would trust. that Dr. Seligson was familiar with With the outbreak of WWII, Dr. He worked in a hospital established from his medical training, and he Seligson fled Cracow for Vilna, where by the American Joint for the Jewish was able to diagnose it properly. he received a transit visa from the refugees, as well as in a neighborhood With no available vitamins or any legendary Japanese Consul Chiune medicine containing B-1, Dr. Seligson KISLEV 5781 A CHASSIDISHER DERHER 37 RABBI MICHOEL SELIGSON RABBI A LETTER VERIFYING DR. SELIGSON’S STATUS AS THE LIBRARY OF AGUDAS CHASSIDEI CHABAD CHASSIDEI OF AGUDAS LIBRARY REFUGEES’ DOCTOR, NECESSARY FOR A PERMIT TO BREAK TOMCHEI TMIMIM SHANGAHAI. DR. SELIGSON IS STANDING SECOND FROM THE LEFT. THE NIGHTLY CURFEW. researched the foods that contain Vitamin B1 and prescribed them to the suffering ghetto residents. Thousands of lives were saved as a result. Despite his many medical responsibilities, Dr. Seligson davened for many hours every day. He received smicha from Harav Meir Ashkenazi, the chief rabbi of Shanghai, at this time. He maintained an intense regimen of Torah study; borrowing sefarim from the beis medrash overnight and returning them in the morning. MICHOEL SELIGSON RABBI A REPORT FROM 5710 ABOUT DOCTORS VOLUNTEERING FOR A DAY CAMP. America In 5707* Dr. Seligson received retake the medical examinations The Frierdiker Rebbe relates in a visa to immigrate to the United necessary to practice in the US. several sichos that during the nesius States. After the war many sefarim He rapidly learned English, and of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler were published in Shanghai and within months was able to notify the Rebbe, the doctor in Liozna was R’ Kehos published Chassidus sefarim, as Frierdiker Rebbe that he had received Avraham Harofeh. He was a ga’on in well. When Dr. Seligson sailed from his medical license. The Frierdiker nigleh and a brilliant medical mind. Shanghai, the publisher sent a case Rebbe responded with many brochos. The doctor serving during the time of of newly published sefarim for the Dr. Seligson immediately began the Rebbe Maharash, whom he praised Frierdiker Rebbe. Dr.

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