By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com

Join us for a story of two remarkable girls.� The first is a high school age girl, in shul, on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar – Yom Kippur.� This story happened on Yom Kippur 5783 � yesterday.� Somehow, some way, she merited a remarkable z�chus on the very day of Yom Kippur. But let�s start at the beginning of this three-point story.

THE HALACHA

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128:7 tells us of the ideal criterion we should use in choosing a shliach tzibbur for slichos and the Yomim Nora�im:

• He should be worthy of the role to represent the entire congregation
• He should be a gadol baTorah
• He should excel in maasim Tovim
• He should be 30 years old or more.
• He should be married with children.
• He should be able to genuinely pour his heart out in prayer

THE EXACERBATION

There is a certain type of exacerbation, wherein the airways become swollen and inflamed. Muscles around the airways will contract. Simultaneous to this contraction, the airways produce extra mucus.� The repercussions of both of these cause the bronchial tubes to narrow.

Coughing and wheezing ensue.� At times, it can become a life-threatening emergency.� This type of exacerbation is commonly known as an �asthma attack.�

It was only in the 1960�s that asthma was recognized as a chronic inflammatory disease.� Before that doctors thought that was a psychological condition.

THE OTHER GIRL

It was the spring of 1955.� Susie Maison was a 13 year old girl who was sick and tired of using a squeeze bulb nebulizer for her asthma.� She asked her father why they can�t put her asthma medication in a spray can like they do hairspray.

Her father, George Maison, was the president of Riker Laboratories.� He went to work and put two men on the case � Irving Porush and Charlie Thiel.� Together they came up with the metered dose inhaler in 1956.� Susie Maison had a remarkable z�chus � helping millions of people.

THE BAIS YAAKOV GIRL

We now fast-forward 66 years.� The Chazan who is leading the Yom Kippur service in a Long Island Shul is incapacitated with a severe asthma attack.� The congregants are in a panic.� What should they do?� They look for a doctor.� The doctor, initially reluctant because he was trained to be somewhat of a germophobe, knows exactly what to do.

He approaches his daughter, a Bais Yaakov girl who travels very far every day to attend a Bais Yaakov in Far Rockaway, New York.� He asks her, �Do you have your inhaler with you and would you mind loaning it to the Shliach Tzibbur?�

Without a second thought, she gave her father the inhaler. He, in turn, gave it to the shliach tibbur and with quick-action the attack was gone.� She had saved the day, and the Chazan was able to continue his heart-felt tefilos.

Later, the Shliach Tzibbur thanked the young lady and remarked, �All of my tefilos after my attack are in your z�chus.�

The tractate of Yuma refers to the holy day of Yom Kippur.� The Tosefta on Yuma (4:12) tells us something fascinating about both of these young ladies.� It states:� �Megalgelin zchus al yedei zakkai � In the Heavenly realms merit is brought about through those who have merits.�

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