Using a new computer therapy, an autistic boy born to a frum family in Eretz Yisroel began communicating, and what he revealed shocked his family: He insisted he is the neshama of Reb Zalman Leib Astulin, a famed Russian chossid known for his mesirus nefesh.
By Anash.org reporter
In an interview with Yiddish24 News, Reb Anshel Graus shared an astonishing story that he says he personally confirmed with the boy’s father and therapist.
Eighteen years ago, a child with autism was born to a frum family in Eretz Yisroel. The child was severely limited in his ability to communicate – he could only say “yes” and “no” – and it was difficult for him to walk. He did not attend a regular cheder and had no formal Torah education.
In recent years, a new therapy system has emerged in Israel aimed at helping autistic children communicate by typing on a computer. The boy’s parents tried different therapists, but progress was minimal. About one year ago, they heard about a Vizhnitz woman who had great success helping children like their son, and they took him to her.
The boy began communicating straight away. He explained, through the computer, that he hadn’t felt comfortable with the previous therapists who weren’t frum.
What the boy wrote next shocked them.
“My neshama was already in this world,” he typed. “I was in Russia and I was moser nefesh every single day to teach Torah to yiddishe children. I learned with them a half-day every single day with mesirus nefesh. A year after I got married, I was drafted into the army. I was wounded and walked with crutches for the rest of my life. My life was holy, a life of mesirus nefesh. I was a chossid of the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe and then the Rebbe. My neshama had to come back down to this world in the way that I am now.”
The father recalled that just a month earlier, he had gone himself to a kiddush in a Lubavitch shul. There, he came across a Chabad publication that included a write-up about a chossid named Reb Zalman Leib Astulin, a well-known figure who had endured great mesirus nefesh in Soviet Russia. He had been drafted, was wounded in battle, and spent the rest of his life walking with crutches.
Now, recalling this story, the father turned to his son and asked: “Were you perhaps Reb Zalman Leib Astulin?”
The boy immediately typed: “Yes, yes, yes.”
The father began researching, and he discovered that Reb Zalman Leib Astulin had passed away in 5765 (2005) and was buried in Har HaMenuchos. He found out where the kever was and made the trip with his son.
When they arrived at the base of the mountain, the father was trying to figure out where to go. Suddenly, the boy began running up the mountain, and the father followed him. Eventually, the boy stopped at a particular matzeivah, threw himself down on it, and lay there silently for 20 minutes. When the father looked at the stone, the inscription read: “Here lies Reb Zalman Leib Astulin.”
Later, the boy typed to his father that he wanted to learn Shas. His father pointed out that he didn’t even know Alef-Beis, but the boy insisted. Every Shabbos afternoon, the father now sits down to learn, and the boy, who normally can’t sit still for a minute, sits next to him calmly, smiling the entire time. “It does good for his neshama,” the father says.
Week after week, the boy began typing out a lesson from the weekly parsha – again, something that no one could explain. He had never been in cheder and never learned the parsha with anyone. The father had no idea how he even knew which parsha it was.
He later explained that he knew all about his past life, his mesirus nefesh, and his connection to Reb Zalman Leib Astulin because it had been told to him in a dream.
At first, the father wanted to keep the story private. But after telling a friend who also has a child with autism, the friend urged him that this was a story that needed to be shared with the world.
The Vizhnitz therapist confirmed the story and added that she has personally witnessed many remarkable things in autistic children – deep, inexplicable knowledge of Torah and a strong spiritual connection to Hashem. Her own brother with autism once told her father, “In the Zohar, in such-and-such place, it says X.” Neither of them had ever opened a Zohar – but when the father checked, the quote was indeed there.
The boy’s name is: Nosson ben Ayala Simcha.
LISTEN:
Which computer program is this? Is it FC? Because that has been completely debunked as nonsense ages ago…
Just curious if this is something different?
This does not sound like facilitated communication. It sounds like some kind of computer that “type“ by communicating with it. Facilitated communication, requires a person to move the hand of the autistic person.
The Rebbe once told a father of an autistic child, that although they have weak communication with people, they have strong communication with Hashem (or spiritually). I’m not sure the words, that’s the toichen.
It’s on video by dollars.
He says in the interview that the boy writes out something on the Parsha every week (without ever learning) interestingly the example he gives on parsha chaya sara is a Sicha of the Rebbe
On the original interview he tells the story that the father went to a kiddush alone, not that he took along his son with him.
The way it is written here can be misunderstood as if the son himself saw that publication.
That’s how I understood – the father went to the kiddush by himself
אנחנו קרובי משפחה של ר זלמן לייב אסטולין אשמח אם מישהו יוכל לחבר וליצור קשר למשפחה של הילד הזה
בפרטי
As Director of Maxi Mind Learning in Canada, BH, I’ve helped over a thousand autistic children, including many who learned to converse for the first time. But for me, as well as them, learning never ends. If you have info about this lady therapist, I’d very much appreciate it. It could help many.
It should be pointed out that the source of most of this is the therapist and it doesn’t look like there’s any way to fact check her.
As a general rule, it is a good idea to thoroughly verify such stories before publishing them.
From the article–seems like the father is witnessing the typing as well:
Now, recalling this story, the father turned to his son and asked: “Were you perhaps Reb Zalman Leib Astulin?”
The boy immediately typed: “Yes, yes, yes.”
FC is not debunked. It’s not always properly used.
I know many families who have kids that use this method.
Another point I want to make is that the beginning of article needs to corrected.
A child isn’t born with autism…
And the more correct way of describing such a child is not “an autistic child” it’s “a child with autism” he is firstly and foremost a child. his autism is a secondary thing.
there is a update on teh Leil Shishi Shmuess https://www.yiddish24.com/interviews/12/129736
from minute 22:55
From the transcript (Divrei Moshiach 5750 vol. 2 page 282):
זיי זאָגן אַז די אָטיסטיק זיינען – ניט דער פשט אַז זיי האָבן מיט קיינעם קיין שייכות ניט; זיי האָבן מיט מענטשן קיין שייכות ניט, אָבער מיטן אויבערשטן איז זייער שייכות פּונקט ווי באַ אַנדערע, און נאָך מערער, ווייל זיי זיינען ניט פאַרנומען מיט מענטשן, נאָר זיי [זיינען] פאַרנומען מיטן אויבערשטן.
= They say that autistic [people] are – it doesn’t mean that they have no connection with anyone; they have no connection with people, but with Hashem their connection is exactly as it is by others, and even more, because they aren’t busy with people, rather they [are] busy with Hashem.