"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 3
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Faith in the Doctor's Orders
"For I am Hashem your Healer" (Shemos 15:26).
The Rashba explains: When a sick person comes to a doctor,
the doctor prescribes a certain medicine and a certain herb
for his cure. Furthermore, the doctor tells him not to eat
this and not to drink that. The patient will rely on
everything and obey his doctor, despite the fact that he does
not understand how the medicine will cure him or how a
certain drink will quicken his demise. In any case he relies
on the expert doctor, who understands and is a specialist in
the matter.
The same applies to the illnesses of the spirit. The great
Doctor, the King, King of Kings, HaKodosh Boruch Hu,
gave us a regimen of mitzvos and statutes which are perfect
for curing our spiritual ills. Even though we do not
understand how a certain mitzvah or statute rectifies the
soul, in any case we must accept the great Doctor's words,
for He knows the soul's illnesses and the ways to heal it.
This is the meaning of the posuk: "If you will hearken
to the voice of Hashem your G-d and do what is right in His
eyes" (Shemos 15:26). This means to say: Even if the
matters do not seem right in your eyes, and they are
meaningless, in your opinion, nevertheless: "And you listen
to His commandments and observe His statutes" (Ibid.),
although they seem as meaningless statutes to you. Then:
"The entire malady that I inflicted upon Egypt I will not
inflict upon you." (Ibid.)
But perhaps you will ask: How can I be expected to observe
statutes that I cannot understand? The answer is: "For I am
Hashem your Healer" (Ibid). Just as you obey the
doctor's orders, because you do not know medical science and
he does, so too Hashem should be as a faithful Doctor in your
eyes, Who knows what is good for you and what is not.
(HaChida, Nachal Kedumim)
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A Faithful Devoted Doctor
A doctor needs two abilities to heal: 1) He should be an
expert in medicine, and 2) He should be completely devoted to
healing the patient.
However, each of these abilities is not sufficient alone and
both are needed together. Even if the doctor is a great
expert in medicine, if he is not interested in healing the
patient and neglects to study the case carefully, the patient
will not be healed. On the other hand, even if he is devoted
with all his heart to healing, if he is not an expert in the
field of medicine the sick person will not be healed.
When Hashem heals, both of these two advantages are present:
1) Hashem is a "Rofei ne'emon, a faithful Healer," and
it is possible to rely on His healing powers, for no one can
rival His wisdom and knowledge. And 2) He is
"rachamon, compassionate," Who has compassion for a
person and wants to heal him. Therefore we can rely and trust
that Hashem's healing is always complete.
Furthermore, even if a doctor is compassionate and an expert,
if he is lacking the means to practice medicine, for
instance, proper instruments or the proper medicine, his
expertise and compassion will be of little use. However,
Hashem is "Melech Rofei, King, Healer," and as King
nothing can prevent His healing. (HaRav Reuven Melamed,
Tefillas Channah)
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Private Doctor
There are two types of doctors. One type has no regular
connection with his patients. When someone becomes ill, he
comes to this doctor and receives the correct treatment. The
doctor's wages are also irregular, because he receives
payment according to the number of visits.
On the other hand there is a type of doctor who maintains a
constant connection with his clientele. He receives a regular
monthly salary, no matter what the state of their health
is.
A difference between the two types is that the doctor without
a regular connection is not concerned about preventing his
patients from getting sick, because he has no consistent
connection with them. Quite the contrary, to some extent, for
he only receives income if they get sick and come to him.
However, since the regular doctor receives his salary no
matter what his clientele's state of health is, he is
motivated to try to keep them healthy at all times, so they
will never be sick. This is because if they fall sick he must
exert all his effort to treat them and assist in their
recuperation. Therefore, he gives them instructions to guard
their health, and in this way all the parties benefit, both
the clientele who watch their health and the doctor who does
not have to exert the effort to heal them from sickness.
Hashem, blessed be He, is the "Rofei cholei amo
Yisroel, the One Who heals the sick of His people
Yisroel," and is comparable to the second type of doctor.
Hashem loves His people Yisroel with a great love, and is
concerned that they should never fall sick. He cures the
gentiles who turn to him and pray for His salvation, as a
reward for their faith in Him. However, He is concerned to
prevent any illness from His people Yisroel, as it is
written: "The entire malady that I inflicted upon Egypt I
will not inflict upon you" (Shemos 15:26).
Rashi explains: "And if I inflict, it will be as if I did not
inflict, `for I am Hashem your Healer' (Ibid)." This
means that HaKodosh Boruch Hu treats the Jewish people
as the doctor who maintains a constant relationship with his
clientele, who prefers that they should never become sick.
(Chasam Sofer)
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Family Doctor
There is no comparison between going to a doctor who is a
stranger to you and going to your family doctor. Your family
doctor knows the medical history of every family member over
the course of many years, and he can prescribe the proper
remedies better than any other doctor who does not know the
personal case history of the patient and can only diagnose
based on what he sees in the current situation.
This is the meaning of the brochoh: "Rofei cholei
amo Yisroel, the One Who heals the sick of His people
Yisroel" — Hashem is, insofar as it can be said, the
"family doctor" of the people of Yisroel, because He watches
over each and every Jew with a special Divine Providence,
from his childhood to the present. Everything is completely
revealed and known before Him. Consequently, His healing is a
real cure.
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Private Doctor
Generally, when someone is critically ill the family will
hire the services of a private doctor, even though they are
members of a Health Fund which supplies a doctor, because
they want special attention for their patient. Since he takes
a large payment, he does his best to heal the patient, and he
has a special interest in succeeding in his undertaking.
This is the meaning of the brochoh: "Rofei cholei
amo Yisroel" — Hashem bestows the people of Yisroel
with special Divine Providence, although He created the
entire universe and all that it contains. Thus He is, insofar
as it can be said, the private Doctor of each and every Jew.
The Sages have already said in this regard: "The
Shechinah is found at the head of the bed of the sick
person" (Shabbos 12b). This is truly awesome!
(Yalkut Kotton)
Rooted Out Completely
"The entire malady that I inflicted upon Egypt I will not
inflict upon you, for I am Hashem your Healer" (Shemos
15:26). Rashi explains: "And if I inflict, it will be as if I
did not inflict, `for I am Hashem your Healer'
(Ibid)."
Rashi's words seem perplexing. His intent can be explained
based on the Zohar HaKodosh, which raises a difficulty
concerning the tefilloh: "Refo'einu Hashem
veneirofei, heal us, Hashem, then we will be healed."
This seems superfluous: if Hashem will heal us then certainly
we will be healed!
The Zohar answers that there is a difference between
whether Hashem Himself is the Healer or an emissary of His is
the agent of healing. When the healing comes through an
emissary it is incomplete, because some root of the illness
remains. Therefore, we say: "Refo'einu Hashem, heal
us, Hashem," and not an emissary, and then veneirofei,
we will be completely healed with no trace of the illness at
all.
This is what Rashi meant when he wrote: "And if I inflict, it
will be as if I did not inflict," you will have a complete
healing with no trace of the illness, "for I am Hashem your
Healer." (HaRav Meir Shapira of Lublin)
From Anatomy to Emunoh
HaRav Yehonoson Eibshitz writes: "Someone who is expert in
the field of surgery and anatomy will see Hashem's love for
man and the wisdom of his formation. Hashem prepared all of
man's needs—sinews, bones, and arteries. In one place a
soft bone and in another a hard bone. This is moist and that
is dry. Everything is mixed evenly and equivalent one to
another. `How great are Your deeds, Hashem. You made all of
them with wisdom!'
"If a man will think deeply about these matters, his heart
will be purified from all transgression, and the love and
fear of G-d will be fixed firmly in his heart. All worldly
matters will become unimportant in his eyes, and he will have
respite from nervous tension and troublesome worries. He will
see that Hashem formed the human being and prepared all his
bodily operations to provide him with all he needs. If so,
why should he worry and not be joyous in the manifold works
of Hashem!" (Yaaros Devash).
