Keidan once upon a time:

'THE FELDSHER'

Reb Abraham Einhorn, the Rabbi in Sukhovole, in the Grodno district, barely made a living from his job. Therefore the rebbitsin, his jewel of a wife, made a business shipping linen to Riga.

Once when Reb Avrohom's son, Mordkhe, a youth of about 15, was on his way to Telsz to study in the yeshiva, he had to travel to Riga on a mission for his mother's linen business.

Now the Libau-Romne train on which he traveled stopped at the Keidan station. And since Keidan was the home of his father's brother, Reb Meishl Ortziks Einhorn, Mordkhe stopped for a day to visit him. His uncle Reb Meishl Ortziks, a wealthy shopkeeper, received him in fine style. His aunt Sore-Rive Tzviehs made a lovely breakfast, and their guest felt right at home.

But that night, after supper, after everyone had gone to sleep, the visitor began to complain of a stomach ache; the pain grew worse and worse, and really scared his uncle and aunt. Just then Keidan was experiencing an outbreak of dysentery, which, because of the conditions of the time, had claimed many lives.

They immediately summoned Dr. Layne. But when he didn't come quickly enough, they called for Reb Gabriel the feldsher, who came right away.

Reb Gabriel, a very wise man whose kind words and gentle manner could ease the suffering of the sick often carried his medicines with him, especially during a time of epidemic. After examining the patient and giving him a powder to take, he advised the sick man to lay warm compresses on his stomach.

A few minutes after Reb Gabriel left, the doctor arrived. Dr. Layne, a converted Jew whom people continued to call by his Jewish name, Levit, was always in a foul mood, and spoke what few words he did in an angry fashion. After interrogating the sick man, he wrote out a prescription and told them to lay cold compresses on his stomach.

When the doctor had left, the worried aunt and uncle confronted their quandry: What kind of compresses should they apply, cold, as the doctor had ordered, or warm, as Reb Gabriel had advised?

Reb Meishl, a pious, learned man, considered the matter. Whose advice should he follow? With all his respect for the learning of the doctor, whom he nonetheless despised as an apostate, he had confidence that God would help through Reb Gabriel's advice, and he decided in favor of the warm compresses.

And God did help: Thanks to the warm compresses Mordkhe recovered his health. In fact, Mordkhe grew up and became the famous stomach-specialist, professor Max Einhorn of New York.

And thus Reb Gabriel the Keidan feldsher saved the life of the famous stomach specialist, Prof. Einhorn of New York.