“Whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world,”—Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9
Donny Hain has received a new kidney. The joy of this recent news will lift us all into a happy, spirited Purim.
All that he needed was for a hero to step forward. While Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, mara d’asra of the Congregation Beth Aaron community doesn’t want any adulation for his life-saving action, he has forever shown all of us an example of selflessness on the highest of levels.
As first reported by JLNJ, Donny, the 38-year-old son of Dr. Jimmy and Bunny Hain of Teaneck, was at Holy Name Medical Center for six-hour dialysis treatments three days a week.
Rabbi Rothwachs, who is also the beloved 8th grade rebbe at Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, proved to be a matching donor for Donny.
JLNJ worked in conjunction with Renewal, a Jewish organization dedicated to matching donors with recipients, to get the word out about Donny. He had been on dialysis for three years. Some 72 percent of people on dialysis don’t survive for more than five years, said Rabbi Josh Sturm, director of outreach at Renewal. He added that many patients die while waiting for a kidney.
Not this time.
“Thanks” is probably not a strong enough word here. Rabbi Rothwachs, you are the example we must all strive to emulate as we prepare for Purim and then Passover. During Purim we celebrate Queen Esther’s saving of the Jewish people from extinction. At Passover, we recount our ancestors’ escape from slavery.
Donny Hain has been set free from dialysis and the threat of life-shortening kidney failure. Like Nachshon at the Red Sea, Rabbi Rothwachs courageously stepped forward and now two lives will be bonded forever.
