"For I Am Hashem Your Healer"
Telolei Oros presents sources relating to doctors and
patients. May it be Hashem's will that the verse be fulfilled
in us: "The entire malady that I inflicted upon Egypt I will
not inflict upon you, for I am Hashem your Healer"
(Shemos 15:26).
Part 4
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Health Insurance
The Rabbis taught in Nedorim (49): "Rabbis are
sickly." Rashi explains: "They occupy themselves with Torah
and do not derive enjoyment from the world, and become
sick."
According to natural laws, if a man eats and drinks
healthily, takes walks after eating, sleeps sufficiently, and
enjoys his life, then his body will be healthy and strong.
However, a man who sits and meditates on Torah day and night,
never interrupting his learning, and removes himself from all
the physical enjoyments—minimizing his sleep,
completely straining himself in his toil to understand the
Torah's depths—will be weak according to natural laws
and could become sick and feeble.
Therefore, the Torah teaches us that this is not the case.
For truly: "If you hearken to the voice of Hashem, your G-d,
and you do what is proper in His eyes, and you listen closely
to His commandments and observe all His statutes" —
despite the toil and effort that should weaken the body
— "all the sicknesses that I have visited upon Egypt I
will not visit upon you, for I am Hashem your Healer"
(Shemos 15:26). Just as Hashem cured the bitter waters
(Ibid. 23) in a miraculous way, so too He will remove
sickness from you. (HaRav Yitzchok of Volozhin, Peh
Kodesh).
The Shechinah at His Head
"And Yisroel prostrated himself on the head of the bed"
(Bereishis 47:30). Rashi comments: "He turned around
to the side of the Shechinah. From here the Sages
deduced that the Shechinah is at the head of [the bed
of] a sick person."
If a person sins before Hashem, as long as he is healthy he
is able to return to Hashem in teshuvoh and good
deeds, and to rectify the blemish he made. He made the
blemish with his actions, and with his actions he can do
teshuvoh. However, a sick person cannot do
teshuvoh in this way, in actions and deeds, due to his
illness, and from his sickbed his teshuvoh is in
thought alone.
Therefore, the Shechinah is at the head of the sick
person. This means that it is above his head due to the
thoughts and considerations in a sick person's head. Hashem
does a kindness with His creations to accept their
teshuvoh, which is a matter that the angels and
Seraphim do not comprehend, for they do not know the
thoughts of man. The teshuvoh of the bedridden sick
person is only before the Shechinah that bothered to
come for this reason and dwell above the head of the sick
person. (HaRav Yehonoson Eibshitz, Tiferes
Yehonoson).
The Dividing Line
One of the gedolim became ill and came to Maran HaRav
Yaakov Yisroel Kanievsky, the Steipler zt"l, for a
blessing. Maran the Steipler told him to make a gemach
for hachnosas kallah, providing for brides in order to
increase his merits. As a support he cited commentaries that
ask why the Tanna mentioned "hachnosas kallah" in
between "visiting the sick" and "escorting the dead?" They
answer that it was meant to teach us that hachnosas
kallah separates sickness from death. The godol
(HaRav Chaim Kreiswirth zt"l) listened to his advice
and started a large fund for hachnosas kallah. He was
cured and lived many years afterwards (Orchos
Rabbeinu).
Healing and Salvation
In the private diary of Maran HaRav Yechezkel Sarna, the
rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Hebron, dated Elul, 5712
(1952) during his hospitalization in Switzerland, he writes:
"Every sickness is caused by a spiritual cause. Therefore, it
is possible that one may be cured from a physical malady by
some merit, but this will not cure the spiritual cause of the
malady. This would be called a "refuah (healing)"
without a "yeshuo (salvation)," for it would be
possible that he would become ill again because of the same
spiritual cause.
"Therefore, we ask HaKodosh Boruch Hu: `Heal us,
Hashem — then we will be healed; save us — then
we will be saved.' This means that we are asking that
yeshuo should come together with the refuah"
(Achar HaAsaf).
How Many Beds?
A city in Lithuania made an appeal for the establishment of a
Jewish Hospital, and the head of the gathering was Maran
HaChofetz Chaim. Among the group were quite a few wealthy
individuals, and each one of them made a pledge. Some donated
one hospital bed, and others contributed a number of beds.
Maran HaChofetz Chaim honored the wealthy men very much,
smiled at them and praised their contributions and the great
kindness involved in them.
Among the assembly were a few talmidei yeshivos, and
Maran HaChofetz Chaim greeted them with exceptional honor.
This angered some of the wealthy contributors, and they
protested: "How could this be? We're giving a lot of money.
Why are they being honored?"
One of them rose and asked Maran HaChofetz Chaim in a
sarcastic way: "How many beds are these bnei yeshivos
contributing?"
Maran HaChofetz Chaim answered immediately: "What do you
mean? Each one of them gave fifty beds!"
They could not understand what he meant and asked: "What?
fifty beds? That's an astronomical amount. Why, with
all our money, we gave a total of ten beds. And they each
gave fifty beds?"
Maran HaChofetz Chaim explained: "Yes, yes, each one of them
gave fifty beds that will never have to be used! Each one of
them prevents fifty maladies from inflicting the Jewish
people! They contribute the beds that will not have to be in
the hospital. Torah protects and saves, and their Torah saves
Jews from sickness and pain! (She'al Ovicho).
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Once, it came to Maran HaChofetz Chaim's attention that a
meeting of Jewish doctors was being organized in Vilna to
discuss proposals to force the yeshivos to accept
arrangements that would limit the number of students and the
times of study, with the intention of improving the
conditions of health and hygiene. Maran HaChofetz Chaim sent
a letter to the well-known activist, Dr. Shavad, with the
following:
When I heard that a meeting of doctors will occur shortly
under your leadership, I am sending my blessing to you that
the Healer of Yisroel will send you His help and blessing
from Above . . .
Since I heard that the situation in the yeshivos concerns you
greatly, I decided to inform you that Boruch Hashem
the yeshivos stand on a firm and correct foundation. The
students receive all their needs, they have three meals a
day, and they have two hours each day to walk and relax. The
bochurim are healthy and whole. I am sure this will be
a cause of great joy for you.
From your friend, who honors you in your great honor,
Yisroel Meir HaCohen
P.S. The Torah states: "Whoever shall touch the mountain
shall surely die" (Shemos 19:12). If this was so
concerning the "mountain," then concerning the Torah itself,
how much the more so!
Visiting the Sick
The Rambam writes: "One who comes to visit the sick should
enwrap himself and sit at the head of his bed and beseech
mercy for him, and leave" (Hilchos Oveil 14:6).
Maran HaGriz of Brisk comments: "This teaches that also the
departure from the sick person is an integral part of the
mitzvah and is included in the mitzvah of bikur
cholim, visiting the sick" (Rinas Yitzchok,
Melachim).
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Baron R. Shimon Wolf Rothschild was friendly with the Ksav
Sofer while they were together in a health retreat. They
would meet, and the Baron would walk with the Rov to hear his
words of Torah.
Once, the Baron changed his routine and hurried to end the
meeting with the Rov just after they met. The Ksav Sofer
asked him what was the reason for his rush. The Baron
answered: "I noticed the Rov is not feeling well, I hurried
to bid farewell. Chazal deduced from the posuk:
`"Yeilchu, they shall leave"—this is visiting
the sick' (Bava Kama 99b). Chazal mean to hint that
sometimes the one who visits the sick person creates a burden
with his presence, whether because the sick person is weak or
because he feels bad that others see him in his bad
condition, and the like. In such a situation, a man has the
mitzvah of `yeilchu.' He should go and not burden the
sick person. On the contrary, when he goes he fulfills the
mitzvah of visiting the sick."
The Ksav Sofer would praise the Baron's words and repeat them
in his name (Chut HaMeshulosh).
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HaRav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman told the story of a Jew in
Brisk who was very punctilious in the mitzvah of visiting the
sick. The problem was that he would stay a long time with the
sick person, and that was a burden for the patients.
When Maran HaRav Chaim of Brisk heard about this he sent for
the man and said: "The gemora says that whoever visits
the sick takes away one sixtieth of his illness
(Nedarim 39b). The Ran explains: `Every one of the
visitors takes away one sixtieth of the illness that remained
with the sick person after the last person visited him.' If
so, let us make a calculation, the sick person needs time to
eat, sleep, and take care of all his needs. In order for
there to be enough time in the day for sixty visitors each
one can stay no more than ten minutes" (Shimush
Chachomim).
