Moshe Arbel, a member of the Israeli Knesset from the Shas party, recently decided to donate a kidney but did not realize that the implication of his decision may have saved his own life.
Arbel had contacted the Matnat Chaim organization founded by Rabbi Yishayahu Haber OBM which has in the past few years sponsored hundreds of kidney donations in Israel.
The 38-year-old lawyer, who had previously served as Shas’s legal advisor before become a member of Knesset, started a procedure of tests to determine whether he was a worthy candidate for donating a kidney.
However during the tests, an irregular growth was discovered in Arbel’s kidney and he recently underwent an operation to remove the growth.
A relieved Arbel made a celebratory Seudas Hodayah to thank Hashem for the miraculous discovery, which he would never have known of if he had not altruistically decided to donate a kidney.
Arbel said that “Israel is a powerhouse of chesed and leads the world in kidney donations. Hashem gave me the merit of wanting to join this amazing volunteer group and this led to the early discovery of a growth and my speedy recovery.”
He added: “I thank the public for their concern for my welfare and wish to relate that I feel well and thank the doctors for their speedy treatment.”
