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Q&A with Rabbi Greg Hershberg
Author of "At Death's Door"
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Q: Why did you decide to share your very difficult health journey in this book?
A: Truth be told, I don’t believe it was my decision. Last August, while I was in New York on a cold, rainy day, I heard the voice of God say: “Write it down.” I thought it might be a memoir for my wife and four children, but I really had no idea it would turn into a published book.
Q: Give us an overview of the medical issues you faced.
A: I ended up on life support and, medically speaking, I had no real legitimate chance to survive. Kidneys, lungs and heart all shut down. They removed my descending aorta, my iliac arteries, along with a good portion of my jejunum. It was a horror show to be honest. I lost twelve units of blood during surgery; the average person has eight units. There was no clinical explanation for why my heart continued to beat. My surgeon, who trained his entire career to deal with facts and measurable outcomes, could only describe what happened to me as a ‘phenomenon.’ There are moments, even now, when I have visions that I cannot fully explain. I see the Lord standing over me in the operating room with His hands upon me. Why did I not die? I still don’t have an answer. Miracles never fit neatly within our understanding.
Q: You mention in the book that you lived in a paradox while in the hospital. How do you mean?
A: I taught about faith, hope, and love for three decades, and here I was struggling with my faith, hope, and love. I desperately needed encouragement and someone to minister to me. But it was I who was ministering to everyone else, sharing the gospel with over 75 medical professionals and prayed with many of them. My room became a sanctuary. Maybe that’s what kept me going.
Q: What were some of the most difficult moments, both for you and for your family?
A: The night before the surgeon said I had very little chance of survival and that I should say goodbye to my four children. My children and I are very close, so it was gut wrenching as I was possibly giving them my final words. The thought of what I would be missing in their lives was worse than the surgery itself. Sometimes the most faithful prayer a person can utter is simply, ‘Father, I have nothing left.’ That was the place I had reached. Darkness had descended upon me. I was not faithless; I was depleted. And there is a difference.
Q: You taught a series on Job a couple of years before your journey started. How would you teach that differently now?
A: I don’t believe I would teach Job differently. I think I would feel the teaching differently. Most people teach from their heads, and it can never reach the hearts of the people. Suffering is a normal part of the human experience. Scripture gives us a language for sorrow. It gives us lament, which is not the absence of faith but the expression of faith in pain. The Bible does not hide human anguish. It teaches us how to bring it all to God.
Q: What is the most important lesson you learned in the worst moments?
A: I have preached for 35 years. I have been to 50 countries and 50 states. I’ve learned a lot of great lessons over the years. One thing I’ve always said is you don’t have to teach people how to praise the Lord when things are going well. It’s also important not to question in the darkness what you once professed in the light. And no matter how strong a person is in their faith, everyone has a breaking point.
Q: What counsel would you give people who are dealing with a health crisis right now?
A: Number one is to make sure you are born again. Number two, God does not abandon His children. Number three, don’t fall prey to the lies of the enemy, namely his accusations of divine betrayal. I know people with faith stronger than mine who have gone into operating rooms and not come out. Cancer has taken people who love God. Children have died in the arms of their parents. When I tell my story, I do so carefully. I’ve had to wrestle with why I am here and someone else is not. But whether in healing or in loss, God is still near to us. The same God who sustained me on that operating table is the same God who sits with people in their grief. His presence is not dependent on the outcome. He is there in the miracle as well as in the mourning.
Q: Talk about the encounter in Israel that led you to Jesus.
A: My wife and I were on our honeymoon in Israel. Ever since I read the story of the Transfiguration in the Bible, my curiosity had been stirred. We saw a soldier needing a ride on the side of the road and I asked him if he knew where the Mount of Transfiguration was. He shook his head no, but we offered him a ride to a place called Tabor. After dropping him off, I looked to my left and saw a stunning mountain. I jumped out of the car while it was still running, ran to the gate until I came to a basilica with a plaque on the wall. It said: “Basilica of the Transfiguration.” My knees buckled, and I heard a voice saying, ‘Come away with me and pray.’ I really didn’t know how to pray, but I found a quiet garden area, closed my eyes, and emptied my thoughts. I began to see what I can only describe as a vision. I saw the eastern sky open, and it looked like a veil being torn from top to bottom. A figure of a man came through the veil. His face shone like the sun and his clothes were as white as light. He spoke directly in my ear and told me He loved me, that He was the One I had been reading about, and He was going to prepare a place for me. All I had to do was believe that He was the promised Messiah. I believed Him. There was no part of me that doubted. He met me in a way I could never deny, never explain away, and never forget.
A: Truth be told, I don’t believe it was my decision. Last August, while I was in New York on a cold, rainy day, I heard the voice of God say: “Write it down.” I thought it might be a memoir for my wife and four children, but I really had no idea it would turn into a published book.
Q: Give us an overview of the medical issues you faced.
A: I ended up on life support and, medically speaking, I had no real legitimate chance to survive. Kidneys, lungs and heart all shut down. They removed my descending aorta, my iliac arteries, along with a good portion of my jejunum. It was a horror show to be honest. I lost twelve units of blood during surgery; the average person has eight units. There was no clinical explanation for why my heart continued to beat. My surgeon, who trained his entire career to deal with facts and measurable outcomes, could only describe what happened to me as a ‘phenomenon.’ There are moments, even now, when I have visions that I cannot fully explain. I see the Lord standing over me in the operating room with His hands upon me. Why did I not die? I still don’t have an answer. Miracles never fit neatly within our understanding.
Q: You mention in the book that you lived in a paradox while in the hospital. How do you mean?
A: I taught about faith, hope, and love for three decades, and here I was struggling with my faith, hope, and love. I desperately needed encouragement and someone to minister to me. But it was I who was ministering to everyone else, sharing the gospel with over 75 medical professionals and prayed with many of them. My room became a sanctuary. Maybe that’s what kept me going.
Q: What were some of the most difficult moments, both for you and for your family?
A: The night before the surgeon said I had very little chance of survival and that I should say goodbye to my four children. My children and I are very close, so it was gut wrenching as I was possibly giving them my final words. The thought of what I would be missing in their lives was worse than the surgery itself. Sometimes the most faithful prayer a person can utter is simply, ‘Father, I have nothing left.’ That was the place I had reached. Darkness had descended upon me. I was not faithless; I was depleted. And there is a difference.
Q: You taught a series on Job a couple of years before your journey started. How would you teach that differently now?
A: I don’t believe I would teach Job differently. I think I would feel the teaching differently. Most people teach from their heads, and it can never reach the hearts of the people. Suffering is a normal part of the human experience. Scripture gives us a language for sorrow. It gives us lament, which is not the absence of faith but the expression of faith in pain. The Bible does not hide human anguish. It teaches us how to bring it all to God.
Q: What is the most important lesson you learned in the worst moments?
A: I have preached for 35 years. I have been to 50 countries and 50 states. I’ve learned a lot of great lessons over the years. One thing I’ve always said is you don’t have to teach people how to praise the Lord when things are going well. It’s also important not to question in the darkness what you once professed in the light. And no matter how strong a person is in their faith, everyone has a breaking point.
Q: What counsel would you give people who are dealing with a health crisis right now?
A: Number one is to make sure you are born again. Number two, God does not abandon His children. Number three, don’t fall prey to the lies of the enemy, namely his accusations of divine betrayal. I know people with faith stronger than mine who have gone into operating rooms and not come out. Cancer has taken people who love God. Children have died in the arms of their parents. When I tell my story, I do so carefully. I’ve had to wrestle with why I am here and someone else is not. But whether in healing or in loss, God is still near to us. The same God who sustained me on that operating table is the same God who sits with people in their grief. His presence is not dependent on the outcome. He is there in the miracle as well as in the mourning.
Q: Talk about the encounter in Israel that led you to Jesus.
A: My wife and I were on our honeymoon in Israel. Ever since I read the story of the Transfiguration in the Bible, my curiosity had been stirred. We saw a soldier needing a ride on the side of the road and I asked him if he knew where the Mount of Transfiguration was. He shook his head no, but we offered him a ride to a place called Tabor. After dropping him off, I looked to my left and saw a stunning mountain. I jumped out of the car while it was still running, ran to the gate until I came to a basilica with a plaque on the wall. It said: “Basilica of the Transfiguration.” My knees buckled, and I heard a voice saying, ‘Come away with me and pray.’ I really didn’t know how to pray, but I found a quiet garden area, closed my eyes, and emptied my thoughts. I began to see what I can only describe as a vision. I saw the eastern sky open, and it looked like a veil being torn from top to bottom. A figure of a man came through the veil. His face shone like the sun and his clothes were as white as light. He spoke directly in my ear and told me He loved me, that He was the One I had been reading about, and He was going to prepare a place for me. All I had to do was believe that He was the promised Messiah. I believed Him. There was no part of me that doubted. He met me in a way I could never deny, never explain away, and never forget.
About Greg Hershberg:
Rabbi Greg Hershberg is the leader of Beth Yeshua International, a global Messianic ministry with congregations across six continents. He was raised in Orthodox Judaism in New York City, but while on his honeymoon in Israel, had an encounter with Jesus that changed his life. He was ordained through the International Association of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues. He has written several other books including “From the Projects to the Palace,” “Don’t Die in Your Sins,” “A Life for God,” and “Things God Hates, Things God Loves.” Visit www.bethyeshuainternational.org for more information.