(יב) וַיֶּחֱלֶא אָסָא בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלוֹשִׁים וָתֵשַׁע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ בְּרַגְלָיו עַד לְמַעְלָה חָלְיוֹ וְגַם בְּחָלְיוֹ לֹא דָרַשׁ אֶת יְהוָה כִּי בָּרֹפְאִים. (יג) וַיִּשְׁכַּב אָסָא עִם אֲבֹתָיו וַיָּמָת בִּשְׁנַת אַרְבָּעִים וְאַחַת לְמָלְכוֹ.
(12) And in the thirty and ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great; yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. (13) And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.
אמר רב אחא הנכנס להקיז דם אומר יהי רצון מלפניך יי' אלהי שיהא עסק זה לי לרפואה ותרפאני כי אל רופא נאמן אתה ורפואתך אמת לפי שאין דרכן של בני אדם לרפאות אלא שנהגו אמר אביי לא לימא אינש הכי דתני דבי רבי ישמעאל (שמות כא, יט) ורפא ירפא מכאן שניתנה רשות לרופא לרפאות
On going in to be bloodlet one should say: 'May it be Your will, O Lord, my God, that this operation may be a cure for me, and may You heal me, for You are a faithful healing God, and Your healing is certain, since it is not the way of man to heal, but this is a habit with them.' Abaye said: A man should not speak thus, since it was taught in the school of R. Ishmael: [It is written], He shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. From this we learn that permission has been given to the physician to heal.
(כב) חַֽסְדֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ כִּ֣י לֹא־תָ֔מְנוּ כִּ֥י לֹא־כָל֖וּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ (כג) חֲדָשִׁים֙ לַבְּקָרִ֔ים רַבָּ֖ה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ (כד) חֶלְקִ֤י יְהוָה֙ אָמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֔י עַל־כֵּ֖ן אוֹחִ֥יל לֽוֹ׃ (ס) (כה) ט֤וֹב יְהוָה֙ לְקוָֹ֔ו לְנֶ֖פֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃ (כו) ט֤וֹב וְיָחִיל֙ וְדוּמָ֔ם לִתְשׁוּעַ֖ת יְהוָֽה׃
(22) The kindness of the LORD has not ended, His mercies are not spent. (23) They are renewed every morning— Ample is Your grace! (24) “The LORD is my portion,” I say with full heart; Therefore will I hope in Him. (25) The LORD is good to those who trust in Him, To the one who seeks Him; (26) It is good to wait patiently Till rescue comes from the LORD.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, based on a quotation by Martin Buber in Gog and Magog (edited to contemporize language)
"[The fourth son of the Haggadah, who "does not know how to ask"] is none other than I, Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev. I know not how to ask You, Lord of the universe, and if I did know how, I would yet not be able to bring myself... How could I venture to ask You why everything happens... why we are driven from one exile to another... But in the Haggadah the father... is commanded: "[Explain] it to him!"... And am I not, Ribbono shel 'olam, Your child? Yet I do not ask You to reveal to me the mysteries of Your way; I could not endure them. But this I pray You to reveal to me... what this thing that now happens mean to me, what it demands of me, and what You, Master of the universe, would communicate to me through it. I do not ask why I suffer, only whether I suffer for your sake!"
(א) וַיִּקְח֣וּ בְנֵֽי־אַ֠הֲרֹן נָדָ֨ב וַאֲבִיה֜וּא אִ֣ישׁ מַחְתָּת֗וֹ וַיִּתְּנ֤וּ בָהֵן֙ אֵ֔שׁ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עָלֶ֖יהָ קְטֹ֑רֶת וַיַּקְרִ֜בוּ לִפְנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ אֵ֣שׁ זָרָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר לֹ֦א צִוָּ֖ה אֹתָֽם׃ (ב) וַתֵּ֥צֵא אֵ֛שׁ מִלִּפְנֵ֥י יְהוָ֖ה וַתֹּ֣אכַל אוֹתָ֑ם וַיָּמֻ֖תוּ לִפְנֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (ג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֜ה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן הוּא֩ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה ׀ לֵאמֹר֙ בִּקְרֹבַ֣י אֶקָּדֵ֔שׁ וְעַל־פְּנֵ֥י כָל־הָעָ֖ם אֶכָּבֵ֑ד וַיִּדֹּ֖ם אַהֲרֹֽן׃
(1) Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the LORD alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. (2) And fire came forth from the LORD and consumed them; thus they died at the instance of the LORD. (3) Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: Through those near to Me I show Myself holy, And gain glory before all the people.” And Aaron was silent.
(כג) אַ֣ךְ אֶל־הַפָּרֹ֜כֶת לֹ֣א יָבֹ֗א וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ לֹ֥א יִגַּ֖שׁ כִּֽי־מ֣וּם בּ֑וֹ וְלֹ֤א יְחַלֵּל֙ אֶת־מִקְדָּשַׁ֔י כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדְּשָֽׁם׃
(23) but he shall not enter behind the curtain or come near the altar, for he has a defect. He shall not profane these places sacred to Me, for I the LORD have sanctified them.
(ו) בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא נְאֻם־יְהוָ֗ה אֹֽסְפָה֙ הַצֹּ֣לֵעָ֔ה וְהַנִּדָּחָ֖ה אֲקַבֵּ֑צָה וַאֲשֶׁ֖ר הֲרֵעֹֽתִי׃
In that day —declares the LORD— I will assemble the lame And will gather the outcast And those I have treated harshly;
If He had brought us close to Mount Sinai: Why was so significant about being brought close to Mount Sinai? All of their injuries and illnesses were healed when they came to Mount Sinai. Also, 600,000 angels descended at Mount Sinai and crowned each of the Israelites with two crowns, and placed the dew of resurrection upon them. At the moment that Israel declared ‘we will do and we will listen’ there was not a single leper, nor was anyone afflicted with any other illness or disability. At that hour, God said, “Every part of you is fair, my darling; there is no blemish in you.”
אמר רבא ואיתימא רב חסדא אם רואה אדם שיסורין באין עליו יפשפש במעשיו שנא' (איכה ג, מ) נחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה עד ה' פשפש ולא מצא יתלה בבטול תורה שנאמר (תהלים צד, יב) אשרי הגבר אשר תיסרנו יה ומתורתך תלמדנו ואם תלה ולא מצא בידוע שיסורין של אהבה הם שנאמר (משלי ג, יב) כי את אשר יאהב ה' יוכיח. אמר רבא אמר רב סחורה אמר רב הונא כל שהקב"ה חפץ בו מדכאו ביסורין שנאמר (ישעיהו נג, י) וה' חפץ דכאו החלי יכול אפילו לא קבלם מאהבה תלמוד לומר (ישעיהו נג, י) אם תשים אשם נפשו מה אשם לדעת אף יסורין לדעת
Previously, the Gemara discussed suffering that results from one’s transgressions. The Gemara shifts the focus and discusses suffering that does not result from one’s transgressions and the suffering of the righteous. Rava, and some say Rav Ḥisda, said: If a person sees that suffering has befallen him, he should examine his actions. Generally, suffering comes about as punishment for one’s transgressions, as it is stated: “We will search and examine our ways, and return to God” (Lamentations 3:40). If he examined his ways and found no transgression for which that suffering is appropriate, he may attribute his suffering to dereliction in the study of Torah. God punishes an individual for dereliction in the study of Torah in order to emphasize the gravity of the issue, as it is stated: “Happy is the man whom You punish, Lord, and teach out of Your law” (Psalms 94:12). This verse teaches us that his suffering will cause him to return to Your law. And if he did attribute his suffering to dereliction in the study of Torah, and did not find this to be so, he may be confident that these are afflictions of love, as it is stated: “For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes, as does a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12). So too, Rava said that Rav Seḥora said that Rav Huna said: Anyone in whom the Holy One, Blessed be He, delights, He oppresses him with suffering, as it is stated: “Yet in whom the Lord delights, He oppresses him with disease; to see if his soul would offer itself in guilt, that he might see his children, lengthen his days, and that the desire of the Lord might prosper by his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). This verse illustrates that in whomever God delights, he afflicts with illness. I might have thought that God delights in him even if he does not accept his suffering with love. Therefore the verse teaches: “If his soul would offer itself in guilt.” Just as a guilt-offering is brought knowingly, as it is one of the sacrifices offered willingly, without coercion, so too his suffering must be accepted knowingly.
והיינו דרבי שמעון בן לקיש דאמר רשב"ל נאמר ברית במלח ונאמר ברית ביסורין נאמר ברית במלח דכתיב (ויקרא ב, יג) ולא תשבית מלח ברית ונאמר ברית ביסורין דכתיב (דברים כח, סט) אלה דברי הברית מה ברית האמור במלח מלח ממתקת את הבשר אף ברית האמור ביסורין יסורין ממרקין כל עונותיו של אדם:
And that is the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: The word covenant is used with regard to salt, and the word covenant is used with regard to afflictions. The word covenant is used with regard to salt, as it is written: “The salt of the covenant with your God should not be excluded from your meal-offering; with all your sacrifices you must offer salt” (Leviticus 2:13). And the word covenant is used with regard to afflictions, as it is written: “These are the words of the covenant” (Deuteronomy 28:69). Just as, in the covenant mentioned with regard to salt, the salt sweetens the taste of the meat and renders it edible, so too in the covenant mentioned with regard to suffering, the suffering cleanses a person’s transgressions, purifying him for a more sublime existence.
תניא רבי שמעון בן יוחאי אומר שלש מתנות טובות נתן הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל וכולן לא נתנן אלא ע"י יסורין אלו הן תורה וארץ ישראל והעולם הבא
Additionally, it was taught in a baraita with regard to affliction: Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, all of which were given only by means of suffering, which purified Israel so that they may merit to receive them. These gifts are: Torah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World-to-Come.
א"ר יוחנן נגעים ובנים אינן יסורין של אהבה
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Leprosy and suffering due to children are not afflictions of love.
רבי חייא בר אבא חלש על לגביה ר' יוחנן א"ל חביבין עליך יסורין א"ל לא הן ולא שכרן א"ל הב לי ידך יהב ליה ידיה ואוקמיה. ר' יוחנן חלש על לגביה ר' חנינא א"ל חביבין עליך יסורין א"ל לא הן ולא שכרן א"ל הב לי ידך יהב ליה ידיה ואוקמיה אמאי לוקים ר' יוחנן לנפשיה אמרי אין חבוש מתיר עצמו מבית האסורים
The Gemara continues to address the issue of suffering and affliction: Rabbi Yoḥanan’s student, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to visit him, and said to him: Is your suffering dear to you? Do you desire to be ill and afflicted? Rabbi Ḥiyya said to him: I welcome neither this suffering nor its reward, as one who welcomes this suffering with love is rewarded. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Give me your hand. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba gave him his hand, and Rabbi Yoḥanan stood him up and restored him to health. Similarly, Rabbi Yoḥanan fell ill. Rabbi Ḥanina entered to visit him, and said to him: Is your suffering dear to you? Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: I welcome neither this suffering nor its reward. Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand, and Rabbi Ḥanina stood him up and restored him to health. The Gemara asks: Why did Rabbi Yoḥanan wait for Rabbi Ḥanina to restore him to health? If he was able to heal his student, let Rabbi Yoḥanan stand himself up. The Gemara answers, they say: A prisoner cannot generally free himself from prison, but depends on others to release him from his shackles.
רבי אליעזר חלש על לגביה רבי יוחנן חזא דהוה קא גני בבית אפל גלייה לדרעיה ונפל נהורא חזייה דהוה קא בכי ר' אליעזר א"ל אמאי קא בכית אי משום תורה דלא אפשת שנינו אחד המרבה ואחד הממעיט ובלבד שיכוין לבו לשמים ואי משום מזוני לא כל אדם זוכה לשתי שלחנות ואי משום בני דין גרמא דעשיראה ביר א"ל להאי שופרא דבלי בעפרא קא בכינא א"ל על דא ודאי קא בכית ובכו תרוייהו
The Gemara relates that Rabbi Elazar, another of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s students, fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to visit him, and saw that he was lying in a dark room. Rabbi Yoḥanan exposed his arm, and light radiated from his flesh, filling the house. He saw that Rabbi Elazar was crying, and said to him: Why are you crying? Thinking that his crying was over the suffering that he endured throughout his life, Rabbi Yoḥanan attempted to comfort him: If you are weeping because you did not study as much Torah as you would have liked, we learned: One who brings a substantial sacrifice and one who brings a meager sacrifice have equal merit, as long as he directs his heart toward Heaven. If you are weeping because you lack sustenance and are unable to earn a livelihood, as Rabbi Elazar was, indeed, quite poor, not every person merits to eat off of two tables, one of wealth and one of Torah, so you need not bemoan the fact that you are not wealthy. If you are crying over children who have died, this is the bone of my tenth son, and suffering of that kind afflicts great people, and they are afflictions of love. Rabbi Elazar said to Rabbi Yoḥanan: I am not crying over my misfortune, but rather, over this beauty of yours that will decompose in the earth, as Rabbi Yoḥanan’s beauty caused him to consider human mortality. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Over this, it is certainly appropriate to weep. Both cried over the fleeting nature of beauty in the world and death that eventually overcomes all.
אמר להו רבי אבא בריה דר' חייא בר אבא הכי אמר ר' חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן אלו ואלו יסורין של אהבה הן שנאמר כי את אשר יאהב ה' יוכיח
Rabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, said: My father, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said as follows: Both, even afflictions that cause dereliction in the study of Torah and those that cause dereliction in the recitation of prayer, are afflictions of love, as with regard to one who suffers without transgression it is stated: “For whom He loves, He rebukes,” and inability to study Torah and to pray are among his afflictions.
ופליגא דר' מאיר דא"ר מאיר שתים נתנו לו ואחת לא נתנו לו שנא' (שמות לג, יט) וחנתי את אשר אחון אע"פ שאינו הגון ורחמתי את אשר ארחם אע"פ שאינו הגון
Rabbi Yoḥanan’s opinion, that God granted Moses all three of his requests, disagrees with that of Rabbi Meir, as Rabbi Meir said: Two of Moses’ requests were granted to him, and one was not granted to him. God granted him that the Divine Presence would rest upon Israel and not leave, and that the Divine Presence would not rest upon the nations of the world, but God did not reveal to Moses the ways in which He conducts the world. As it is said: “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious” (Exodus 33:19); in His mercy, God bestows His grace upon every person, even though he is not worthy. Similarly, God says: “And I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy,” even though he is not worthy. According to Rabbi Meir, the way in which God conducts the world and bestows grace and mercy was not revealed even to Moses.
(כה) וַיִּוָּתֵ֥ר יַעֲקֹ֖ב לְבַדּ֑וֹ וַיֵּאָבֵ֥ק אִישׁ֙ עִמּ֔וֹ עַ֖ד עֲל֥וֹת הַשָּֽׁחַר׃ (כו) וַיַּ֗רְא כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יָכֹל֙ ל֔וֹ וַיִּגַּ֖ע בְּכַף־יְרֵכ֑וֹ וַתֵּ֙קַע֙ כַּף־יֶ֣רֶךְ יַעֲקֹ֔ב בְּהֵֽאָבְק֖וֹ עִמּֽוֹ׃ (כז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר שַׁלְּחֵ֔נִי כִּ֥י עָלָ֖ה הַשָּׁ֑חַר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א אֲשַֽׁלֵּחֲךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־בֵּרַכְתָּֽנִי׃ (כח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו מַה־שְּׁמֶ֑ךָ וַיֹּ֖אמֶר יַעֲקֹֽב׃ (כט) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לֹ֤א יַעֲקֹב֙ יֵאָמֵ֥ר עוֹד֙ שִׁמְךָ֔ כִּ֖י אִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־שָׂרִ֧יתָ עִם־אֱלֹהִ֛ים וְעִם־אֲנָשִׁ֖ים וַתּוּכָֽל׃ (ל) וַיִּשְׁאַ֣ל יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א שְׁמֶ֔ךָ וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לָ֥מָּה זֶּ֖ה תִּשְׁאַ֣ל לִשְׁמִ֑י וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֹת֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃ (לא) וַיִּקְרָ֧א יַעֲקֹ֛ב שֵׁ֥ם הַמָּק֖וֹם פְּנִיאֵ֑ל כִּֽי־רָאִ֤יתִי אֱלֹהִים֙ פָּנִ֣ים אֶל־פָּנִ֔ים וַתִּנָּצֵ֖ל נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (לב) וַיִּֽזְרַֽח־ל֣וֹ הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר עָבַ֖ר אֶת־פְּנוּאֵ֑ל וְה֥וּא צֹלֵ֖עַ עַל־יְרֵכֽוֹ׃
(25) Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn. (26) When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he wrenched Jacob’s hip at its socket, so that the socket of his hip was strained as he wrestled with him. (27) Then he said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (28) Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” (29) Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.” (30) Jacob asked, “Pray tell me your name.” But he said, “You must not ask my name!” And he took leave of him there. (31) So Jacob named the place Peniel, meaning, “I have seen a divine being face to face, yet my life has been preserved.” (32) The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping on his hip.
לָ֣מָּה הָיָ֤ה כְאֵבִי֙ נֶ֔צַח וּמַכָּתִ֖י אֲנוּשָׁ֑ה֙ מֵֽאֲנָה֙ הֵֽרָפֵ֔א הָי֨וֹ תִֽהְיֶ֥ה לִי֙ כְּמ֣וֹ אַכְזָ֔ב מַ֖יִם לֹ֥א נֶאֱמָֽנוּ׃ (ס)
Why must my pain be endless, My wound incurable, Resistant to healing? You have been to me like a spring that fails, Like waters that cannot be relied on.
כִּֽי־עָ֭לֶיךָ הֹרַ֣גְנוּ כָל־הַיּ֑וֹם נֶ֝חְשַׁ֗בְנוּ כְּצֹ֣אן טִבְחָֽה׃ ע֤וּרָה ׀ לָ֖מָּה תִישַׁ֥ן ׀ אֲדֹנָ֑י הָ֝קִ֗יצָה אַל־תִּזְנַ֥ח לָנֶֽצַח׃ לָֽמָּה־פָנֶ֥יךָ תַסְתִּ֑יר תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח עָנְיֵ֣נוּ וְֽלַחֲצֵֽנוּ׃ כִּ֤י שָׁ֣חָה לֶעָפָ֣ר נַפְשֵׁ֑נוּ דָּבְקָ֖ה לָאָ֣רֶץ בִּטְנֵֽנוּ׃ ק֭וּמָֽה עֶזְרָ֣תָה לָּ֑נוּ וּ֝פְדֵ֗נוּ לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃
But [You know that] for You we were killed all the day; we were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake! Why do You sleep, O L rd? Arise! Do not forsake us eternally. Why do You hide Your face? [Why do You] forget our pain and tribulation? For our souls have been bent to the dust, our stomachs forced to the ground. Arise and help us, and redeem us [(not on the strength of our deeds, but)] for the sake of Your lovingkindness.
(ב) אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃
(2) My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me, and art far from my help at the words of my cry?
() נחמו נחמו עמי יאמר אלקיכם. (ישעיה מ, א) בעת שינחם השם יתברך במהרה בימינו אותנו יזכור לנו כל הצרות שעברו עלינו כדי שיהיה נחמה בכפליים. וזהו אלקיכם, מדת הדין:
At the time that G-d comforts us, may it be speedily in our days, G-d will remember all of the sorrows that we suffered and we will be comforted twice as much.
(א) בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֔ם חָלָ֥ה חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ לָמ֑וּת וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵ֠לָיו יְשַׁעְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אָמ֜וֹץ הַנָּבִ֗יא וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ צַ֣ו לְבֵיתֶ֔ךָ כִּ֛י מֵ֥ת אַתָּ֖ה וְלֹ֥א תִֽחְיֶֽה׃ (ב) וַיַּסֵּ֥ב אֶת־פָּנָ֖יו אֶל־הַקִּ֑יר וַיִּ֨תְפַּלֵּ֔ל אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ג) אָנָּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה זְכָר־נָ֞א אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הִתְהַלַּ֣כְתִּי לְפָנֶ֗יךָ בֶּֽאֱמֶת֙ וּבְלֵבָ֣ב שָׁלֵ֔ם וְהַטּ֥וֹב בְּעֵינֶ֖יךָ עָשִׂ֑יתִי וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ בְּכִ֥י גָדֽוֹל׃ (ס) (ד) וַיְהִ֣י יְשַׁעְיָ֔הוּ לֹ֣א יָצָ֔א העיר [חָצֵ֖ר] הַתִּֽיכֹנָ֑ה וּדְבַר־יְהוָ֔ה הָיָ֥ה אֵלָ֖יו לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ה) שׁ֣וּב וְאָמַרְתָּ֞ אֶל־חִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ נְגִיד־עַמִּ֗י כֹּֽה־אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵי֙ דָּוִ֣ד אָבִ֔יךָ שָׁמַ֙עְתִּי֙ אֶת־תְּפִלָּתֶ֔ךָ רָאִ֖יתִי אֶת־דִּמְעָתֶ֑ךָ הִנְנִי֙ רֹ֣פֶא לָ֔ךְ בַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י תַּעֲלֶ֖ה בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃ (ו) וְהֹסַפְתִּ֣י עַל־יָמֶ֗יךָ חֲמֵ֤שׁ עֶשְׂרֵה֙ שָׁנָ֔ה וּמִכַּ֤ף מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ אַצִּ֣ילְךָ֔ וְאֵ֖ת הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֑את וְגַנּוֹתִי֙ עַל־הָעִ֣יר הַזֹּ֔את לְמַֽעֲנִ֔י וּלְמַ֖עַן דָּוִ֥ד עַבְדִּֽי׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְשַֽׁעְיָ֔הוּ קְח֖וּ דְּבֶ֣לֶת תְּאֵנִ֑ים וַיִּקְח֛וּ וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ עַֽל־הַשְּׁחִ֖ין וַיֶּֽחִי׃ (ח) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר חִזְקִיָּ֙הוּ֙ אֶֽל־יְשַׁעְיָ֔הוּ מָ֣ה א֔וֹת כִּֽי־יִרְפָּ֥א יְהוָ֖ה לִ֑י וְעָלִ֛יתִי בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֖י בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃ (ט) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְשַׁעְיָ֗הוּ זֶה־לְּךָ֤ הָאוֹת֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֚י יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה אֶת־הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֵּ֑ר הָלַ֤ךְ הַצֵּל֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר מַֽעֲל֔וֹת אִם־יָשׁ֖וּב עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת׃ (י) וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יְחִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ נָקֵ֣ל לַצֵּ֔ל לִנְט֖וֹת עֶ֣שֶׂר מַעֲל֑וֹת לֹ֣א כִ֔י יָשׁ֥וּב הַצֵּ֛ל אֲחֹרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת׃ (יא) וַיִּקְרָ֛א יְשַׁעְיָ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה וַיָּ֣שֶׁב אֶת־הַצֵּ֗ל בַּֽ֠מַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָרְדָ֜ה בְּמַעֲל֥וֹת אָחָ֛ז אֲחֹֽרַנִּ֖ית עֶ֥שֶׂר מַעֲלֽוֹת׃ (פ)
(1) In those days Hezekiah fell dangerously ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus said the LORD: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die; you will not get well.” (2) Thereupon Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD. He said, (3) “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You sincerely and wholeheartedly, and have done what is pleasing to You.” And Hezekiah wept profusely. (4) Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: (5) “Go back and say to Hezekiah, the ruler of My people: Thus said the LORD, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I am going to heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the House of the LORD. (6) And I will add fifteen years to your life. I will also rescue you and this city from the hands of the king of Assyria. I will protect this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.”— (7) Then Isaiah said, “Get a cake of figs.” And they got one, and they applied it to the rash, and he recovered.— (8) Hezekiah asked Isaiah, “What is the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I shall go up to the House of the LORD on the third day?” (9) Isaiah replied, “This is the sign for you from the LORD that the LORD will do the thing that He has promised: Shall the shadow advance ten steps or recede ten steps?” (10) Hezekiah said, “It is easy for the shadow to lengthen ten steps, but not for the shadow to recede ten steps.” (11) So the prophet Isaiah called to the LORD, and He made the shadow which had descended on the dial of Ahaz recede ten steps.
() רְפָאֵנוּ ה' וְנֵרָפֵא. הושִׁיעֵנוּ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה כִּי תְהִלָּתֵנוּ אָתָּה. וְהַעֲלֵה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה לְכָל מַכּותֵינוּ.
() תפילה בעד החולה: יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהַי וֵאלהֵי אֲבותַי. שֶׁתִּשְׁלַח מְהֵרָה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם. רְפוּאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּרְפוּאַת הַגּוּף לְחולֶה פב"פ בְּתוךְ שְׁאָר חולֵי יִשרָאֵל:
() כִּי אֵל מֶלֶךְ רופֵא נֶאֱמָן וְרַחֲמָן אָתָּה. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', רופֵא חולֵי עַמּו יִשרָאֵל:
Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be healed, save us and we shall be saved, for You are our praise. Bring complete healing to all our wounds,
(Prayer to add for a sick person: May it be Your will in front of You, O Lord, my God and the God of my forefathers, that You quickly send a complete recovery from the Heavens - a recovery of the soul and a recovery of the body - to the the sick person, insert name, the son/daughter of insert mother's name, among the other sick ones of Israel.)
for You are God and King, the faithful and merciful healer. Blessed are You, O Lord, Who heals the sick of his people Israel.
() לזכר:
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבותֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקב משֶׁה וְאַהֲרן דָּוִד וּשְׁלמה הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַחולֶה פב"פ בַּעֲבוּר שפב"פ נודֵר צְדָקָה בַּעֲבוּרו, בִּשכַר זֶה הַקָּדושׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִמָלֵא רַחֲמִים עָלָיו לְהַחֲלִימו וּלְרַפְּאתו וּלְהַחֲזִיקו וּלְהַחֲיותו, וְיִשְׁלַח לו מְהֵרָה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לִרְמַ"ח אֵבָרָיו וּשְׁסָ"ה גִּידָיו בְּתוךְ שְׁאָר חולֵי יִשרָאֵל, רְפוּאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּרְפוּאַת הַגּוּף בשבת: שַׁבָּת הִיא מִלִזְּעוק וּרְפוּאָה קְרובָה לָבוא. ביו"ט: יום טוב הוא מִלְזּעוק וּרְפוּאָה קְרובָה לָבוא, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְנאמַר אָמֵן:
() לנקבה:
מִי שֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֲבותֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקב משֶׁה וְאַהֲרן דָּוִד וּשְׁלמה הוּא יְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַחולָה פב"פ בַּעֲבוּר שפב"פ נודֵר צְדָקָה בַּעֲבוּרָהּ, בִּשכַר זֶה הַקָּדושׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יִמָלֵא רַחֲמִים עָלֶיהָ לְהַחֲלִימָהּ וּלְרַפְּאתָהּ וּלְהַחֲזִיקָהּ וּלְהַחֲיותָהּ, וְיִשְׁלַח לָהּ מְהֵרָה רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם לְכָל אֵבָרֶיהּ וּלְכָל גִּידֶיהָ בְּתוךְ שְׁאָר חולֵי יִשרָאֵל, רְפוּאַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וּרְפוּאַת הַגּוּף בשבת: שַׁבָּת הִיא מִלִזְּעוק וּרְפוּאָה קְרובָה לָבוא. ביו"ט: יום טוב הוא מִלְזּעוק וּרְפוּאָה קְרובָה לָבוא, הַשְׁתָּא בַּעֲגָלָא וּבִזְמַן קָרִיב. וְנאמַר אָמֵן:
For a Man:
May the one who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon bless [First Name, son of Mother's Name], for which [name of person asking for the prayer] vows to give charity for his sake. As reward for this, may the Holy One, Blessed Be He, be filled with mercy for him, to heal him and to strengthen him and to enliven him, and quickly send him a complete healing from heaven to his limbs and organs, among the other sick of Israel, a healing of the spirit and a healing of the body. On Shabbat: On Shabbat we do not cry out, and healing will soon come. Now, speadily, and in a time soon to come, and let us say, Amen.
For a Woman:
May the one who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon bless [First Name, daughter of Mother's Name], for which [name of person asking for the prayer] vows to give charity for her sake. As reward for this, may the Holy One, Blessed Be He, be filled with mercy for her, to heal her and to strengthen her and to enliven her, and quickly send him a complete healing from heaven to all her limbs and organs, among the other sick of Israel, a healing of the spirit and a healing of the body. On Shabbat: On Shabbat we do not cry out, and healing will soon come. Now, speadily, and in a time soon to come, and let us say, Amen.
() אֱלהַי. נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי טְהורָה הִיא. אַתָּה בְרָאתָהּ. אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ. אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי. וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי. וְאַתָּה עָתִיד לִטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי. וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי לֶעָתִיד לָבוא. כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה בְּקִרְבִּי מודֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהַי וֵאלהֵי אֲבותַי. רִבּון כָּל הַמַּעֲשים אֲדון כָּל הַנְּשָׁמות: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמות לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים:
My God, the soul that you put in me is pure. You created it, you formed it, you blew it into me and you guard it within me. You will take it from me, and return it to me in the distant future. All the time that the soul is within me, I am grateful to you, Lord my God and the God of my ancestors. Master of all deeds, lord of all souls. Blessed are you, Lord, who returns souls to dead bodies.
(י) (דף ל) שאול שאלתא זו לעילא מרבי תנחום דמן נוי מהו לכבויי בוצינא דנורא מקמיה באישא בשבתא. פתח ואמר אנת שלמה מלכא אן חכמתך אן סוכלתנותך לא דייך שדבריך סותרים דברי דוד אביך אלא שדבריך סותרין זה את זה, דוד אביך אמר (תהלים קטו יז) לא המתים יהללו יה ואת אמרת (קהלת ד ב) ושבח אני את המתים שכבר מתו, וחזרת ואמרת (שם ט ד) כי לכלב חי הוא טוב מן האריה המת, לא קשיא הא דקאמר דוד לא המתים יהללו יה הכי קאמר לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ובמצות קודם שימות שכיון שמת בטל מן התורה ומן המצות ואין להקב״ה שבח בו והיינו דאמר רבי יוחנן מאי דכתיב (תהלים פח סא) במתים חפשי כיון שמת אדם נעשה חפשי מן התורה ומן המצוות. ודקאמר שלמה ושבח אני את המתים שכבר מתו שכשחטאו ישראל במדבר עמד משה לפני הקב״ה ואמר כמה תפלות ותחנונים לפניו ולא נענה וכשאמר (שמות לב יג) זכור לאברהם ליצחק ולישראל עבדיך מיד נענה ולא יפה אמר שלמה ושבח אני את המתים שכבר מתו, ד״א מנהגו של עולם מלך גוזר גזירה ספק מקיימין אותה ספק אין מקיימין אותה. ואת״ל מקיימין אותה. בחייו מקיימין אותה במותו אין מקיימין אותה. ואילו משה רבינו גזר כמה גזירויי ותקן כמה תקנות וקיימות הן לעולם ולעולמי עולמים ולא יפה אמר שלמה ושבח אני את המתים שכבר מתו, דבר אחר ושבח אני וגו׳ כדרב יהודה אמר רב דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב מאי דכתיב (תהלים פו יז) עשה עמי אות לטובה ויראו שונאי ויבושו (חלק ע"ש מהרש״א) אמר דוד לפני הקב״ה רבש״ע מחול לי על אותו עון, אמר לו מחול לך, אמר לו עשה עמי אות בחיי אמר לו בחייך איני מודיע בחיי שלמה בנך אני מודיע, כשבנה שלמה את בית המקדש בקשו להכניס ארון לבית קדשי הקדשים דבקו שערים זה בזה אמר שלמה עשרים וארבע רננות ולא נענה פתח ואמר (שם כד ז) שאו שערים ראשיכם והנשאו פתחי עולם ויבא מלך הכבוד רהטו בתריה למבלעיה אמרו מי זה מלך הכבוד אמר להו ה׳ עזוז וגבור חזר ואמר שאו שערים ראשיכם ושאו פתחי עולם ויבא מלך הכבוד מי הוא זה מלך הכבוד ה׳ צבאות הוא מלך הכבוד סלה ולא נענה כיון שאמר (דה״ב ו יב) אלהים אל תשב פני משיחך זכרה לחסדי דוד עבדך מיד נענה. באותה שעה נהפכו פני כל שונאי דוד כשולי קדירה וידעו כל העם וכל ישראל שמחל לו הקדוש ברוך הוא על אותו עון ולא יפה אמר שלמה (קהלת ד ב) ושבח אני את המתים שכבר מתו. והיינו דכתיב (מ״א ח סו) ביום השמיני שלח את העם ויברכו את המלך וילכו לאהליהם שמחים וטובי לב על כל הטובה אשר עשה ה׳ לדוד עבדו ולישראל עמו. וילכו לאהליהם שמצאו נשותיהם בטהרה. שמחים שנהנו מזיו השכינה. טובי לב שנתעברו נשותיהן של כל אחד ואחד וילדה זכר. על כל הטובה אשר עשה ה׳ לדוד עבדו שמחל לו על אותו עון. ולישראל עמו דאוחיל להו עון יום כפורים. ודקאמר שלמה כי לכלב חי הוא טוב מן האריה המת כרב יהודה אמר רב דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב מאי דכתיב (תהלים לט ה) הודיעני ה׳ קצי ומדת ימי מה היא אדעה מה חדל אני. אמר דוד לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא רבש״ע הודיעני ה׳ קצי. אמר ליה גזירה היא מלפני שאין מודיעין קצו של בשר ודם. ומדת ימי מה היא גזירה היא מלפני שאין מודיעין מדת ימיו של אדם. אדעה מה חדל אני. אמר לו בשבת תמות. אמות באחד בשבת. אמר לו כבר הגיע מלכות שלמה בנך ואין מלכות נוגעת בחברתה אפילו כמלא נימא. אמות בערב שבת. א״ל (שם פד יא) כי טוב יום בחצריך מאלף. טוב לי יום אחד שאתה יושב ועוסק בתורה מאלף עולות שעתיד שלמה בנך להקריב לפני על גבי המזבח. (ע״ב) כל יומא דשבתא הוה יתיב וגריס כולה יומא. ההוא יומא דבעי למינח נפשיה קם מלאך המות קמיה ולא יכיל ליה דלא הוה פסק פומיה מגירסא אמר מה אעביד ליה הוה ליה בוסתנא אחורי ביתיה אתא מלאך המות סליק ובחיש באילני נפק למיחזי הוה סליק בדרגא איפחית דרגא מתותיה אישתיק ונח נפשיה. שלח שלמה לבי מדרשא אבא מת ומוטל בחמה. וכלבים של בית אבא רעבים מה אעשה. שלחו ליה חתוך נבלה והנח לפני הכלבים. ואביך הנח עליו ככר או תינוק וטלטלו. ולא יפה אמר שלמה (קהלת ט ד) כי לכלב חי הוא טוב מן האריה המת. ולענין שאלה דשאילנא קדמיכון נר קרויה נר ונשמתו של אדם קרויה נר מוטב תכבה נר של בשר ודם מפני נרו של הקב״ה:
(10) (Fol. 30a) The following question was asked of R. Tanchum of Noy: "Is it permissible to extinguish the light on the Sabbath for the sake of a sick person ?" He began his answer by saying: "O thou King Solomon! Where is thy wisdom and where is thy understanding ? Not only do the words contradict your father's words but [they are at variance with] thine own utterances also. Thy father David said (Ps. 116, 17.) Not the dead can praise the Lord, and thou sayest (Ecc. 4, 2.) Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead, and again thou sayest (Ib. 9., 4.) For a living dog fareth better than a dead lion. But this is not difficult to explain. When David said. Not the dead can praise the Lord, he meant thus: 'A man should always occupy himself with the study of the Torah and meritorious deeds before he dies; for, as soon as he dies, he becomes free from the obligation of [studying] the Torah and [fulfilling] meritorious deeds and the Holy One, praised be He! accepts no praise of him.' This is what R. Jochanan said : 'What is meant by the passage (Ps. 88, 61.) Free among the dead, i.e., as soon as a man dies he is freed from the obligation of [studying] the Torah and [fulfilling] meritorious deeds, And when Solomon says (Ecc. 4. 2.) Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead, he refers to the time when Israel sinned in the deserts. Moses stood up before the Holy One, praised be He ! and offered many prayers and supplications unto Him but was not answered. However, as soon as he said (Ex 32, 13.) Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Thy servants, he was forthwith answered. Now, did not Solomon say properly Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead." It may be explained in another way also. The usage of the world is that if a mortal prince issue a decree, it is doubtful whether it will be complied with or not; even if it be complied with while the prince lives it may not be complied with when he is dead. But Moses, our teacher, has issued many decrees and established many ordinances and they endure forever and ever. Now did not Solomon say properly (Ecc. 4, 2.) Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead! The passage, Thereupon praise I the dead, etc., may also be explained in another way, as R. Juda said in the name of Rab ; for R. Juda in the name of Rab said : "What is meant by the passage (Ps. 86, 17.) Display on me a sign for good that those who hate me may see it. Thus said David before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, forgive me this sin [of Bath Sheba].' Thou art forgiven.' answered the Lord. David then said to the Lord : 'Show me a sign while I live.' Whereupon He answered, 'During thy life I shall not make it known but during the life of Solomon, thy son, I shall make it known.' When Solomon had built the Temple he desired to place the ark in the holy of holies, but the gates had become fastened to each other [and they could not be opened]. Solomon then offered twenty-four prayer-songs but was not answered. He then began the prayer (Ps. 24, 7.) Raise your heads, O ye gates and be raised wide, ye everlasting gates, and let the king of glory enter. Thereupon the gates ran after him and opened their mouths and wanted to swallow him up, saying: Who is the King of glory? (Ib.) Solomon replied. The Lord, strong and mighty (Ib.). He then repeated Raise your heads, O ye gates, and raise up, ye everlasting doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory, the Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory, Selah (Ib.). Still he was not answered ; but as soon as he said O Lord God turn not away the face of thy anointed, remember the pious deeds of David thy servant, (II Chr. 6, 12), he was immediately answered. At that moment the faces of David's enemies turned black like the bottom of a pot and then it was known to all that the Holy One, praised be He! had forgiven David that sin. Therefore, did not Solomon properly say. Thereupon, praise I the dead, etc. This is meant by the passage (I Kings 8, 66.) On the eighth day he dismissed the people; they blessed the king and went unto their tents, glad of heart, because of all the good that the Lord had done for David his servant and for Israel his people, i.e.. And they went unto their tents, meaning they found their wives levitically pure. Joyful, because of having enjoyed the Divine Glory; glad of heart, each man's wife had become pregnant with a male child; because of all the good which God had done unto David his servant, that he forgave him that sin; and Israel his people, for they were forgiven their neglect of the observance of the day of Atonement. And when Solomon said (Ecc. 9, 4.) For a living dog fareth better than a dead lion, he meant that which R. Juda said in the name of Rab ; for R. Juda in the name of Rab, said: "What is meant by the passage (Ps. 39, 5.) Let me know, O Lord, my end, and what the measure of my days is, I wish to know when I shall cease to be, i.e., thus said David before the Holy One, praised be He ! 'Sovereign of the universe let me know my end.' Whereupon the Lord answered him : 'It has been decreed by me that the time of the death of mortal man shall not be known; And the measures of my days what are they (Ib.), David again asked. 'It is decreed by me answered the Lord,' that the measure of the days of a man shall not be known.' Again David asked: 'I wish to know when I shall cease to be.' The Lord then said to him : 'Thou wilt die on the Sabbath.' 'Let me die rather on the first day of the week,' begged David. 'The first day of the week is the day on which thy son Solomon shall be king, and one kingdom must not encroach on the other even by so much as a hair's breath.' 'Let me then die on the Sabbath eve,' pleaded David. Whereupon the Lord said Far better is a day in thy courts than a thousand (Ps. 84, 11), i.e., 'I like one day in which thou art studying the Torah better than a thousand burnt offerings which Solomon, thy son, will sacrifice before me upon the altar.' (Ib. b) Each Sabbath day he would sit and study. On that Sabbath when he was to die, the angel of death came and stood before him, but was unable to do anything because David never once ceased studying. [Said the angel to himself] What shall I do? There was an orchard in the back of David's house; the angel of death went there and shook the trees. David [hearing the noise] went out to see [the cause of the noise] ; as he ascended the ladder the angel caused it to break. David fell down and consequently stopped studying; whereupon the angel of death took his life. It so happened that Solomon sent to ask the following questions in the academy: 'My father died and lies in sun; what shall I do? [Am I allowed to remove him from the sun?] And the dogs of my father's house are hungry, what shall I do?' They answered him: 'Cut up a carrion and place the pieces before the dogs. As to thy father, place a loaf of bread or an infant upon his body and then you may carry it away from the sun.' Did not Solomon, therefore, say properly? For a living dog fareth better than a dead lion. And as to the question, which I have been asked in your presence, I say this: a lamp is called Ner and the soul is called Ner; it is better that a human light (lamp) be extinguished than that God's light (life) be extinguished."
(טז) רב סעורם אחוה דרבא הוה יתיב קמיה דרבא חזייא דהוה קא מנמנם אמר ליה לימא ליה מר דלא ליצערן א״ל ומר לאו שושביניה הוא אמר ליה כיון דאיתרע מזלא לא משגח בי אמר ליה ליתחזי לי מר איתחזי ליה אמר ליה הוה למר צערא אמר ליה כריבדא דכוסילתא. (רבה) הוה יתיב קמיה דרב נחמן וחזא דקא מנמנם אמר ליה לימא ליה מר דלא לצערן אמר ליה מר לאו אדם חשוב הוא אמר ליה מאן חשיב ומאן ספין ומאן רקיע אמר ליה ליתחזי לי מר איתחזי ליה אמר ליה הוה למר צערא אמר ליה כמשחל בניתא מחלבא ואי אמר לי קודשא בריך הוא זיל בההוא עלמא כד הוית לא בעינא דנפישא בעיתותא. רבי אלעזר הוה קא אכיל תרומה איתחזי ליה אמר ליה לאו תרומה קא אכילנא ולאו קדש איקרי נזר מיניה חלפא ליה שעתא. רב ששת איתחזי ליה בשוקא אמר ליה כשוק כבהמה איתא לגו ביתא. רב אסי איתחזי ליה בשוקא אמר ליה איתרח לי תלתין יומין ואהדרי לתלמודאי דאמריתו אשרי מי שבא לכאן ותלמודו בידו ביום תלתין אתא אמר מאי כולי האי אמר ליה דקא דחקת רגליה דבר נתן ואין מלכות נוגעת בחברתה אפילו כמלא נימא. רב חסדא לא הוה קא יכיל ליה דלא הוה קא שתיק פומיה מגרסיה. סליק יתיב אארזא דבי רב, פקע ארזא דבי רב, אשתיק ויכיל ליה. רבי חייא לא קא מצי למקרבא ליה יומא חד דמי נפשיה כעניא אתא טרף אבבא אמר ליה אפיקו ליה ריפתא לעניא אפיקו ליה אמר ליה קא מרחם מר אעניא אההוא גברא אמאי לא קא מרחם מר גלי גביה ואחוי ליה שומא דנורא אמצי ליה נפשיה:
(16) R. Se'urim, the brother of Raba, was sitting at the bedside of Raba when the latter was breathing his last agonies. The latter said to the former: "Let the master urge him (the angel of death) not to cause me any pain." Whereupon the former replied: "Is, then, the master himself not a friend of his?" To which Raba responded: "Since my fate was already referred to him, he will not care for me any more." R. Se'urim then said to the dying man: "I would like that the soul of the master should appear before me [in a dream]." [When it was so], R. Se'urim asked him: "Had the master felt any pain? [at the time of the separation of the soul from the body]." "As much pain as if pinched with the lancet," came the answer. Raba was sitting at the bedside of R. Nachman when he was breathing his last agonies, and the latter said: "Let the master urge him (the angel of death) not to cause me any pain." And he said to him: "Is not the master a prominent person? [to tell him so himself]." To which R. Nachman replied: "Who is esteemed, or worthy, or who can contend [at such a moment] ?" He then said to the dying man : "Let the master's soul appear before me [in a dream]." When it appeared before him, he asked him: "Had the master any pain?" And he answered: "It was as easy as to remove a hair from milk; and yet, if the Holy One, praised be He ! would command me to return to the world I was in, I would pray permission not to do it, because the [supposed] fear [of the angel of death] is too great." R. Elazar was eating T'rumah (heave-offering) when the death angel appeared before him, and he said to the angel : "You see that I am now eating T'rumah, is it not sacred ?" The angel withdrew ; meanwhile the appropriate moment passed by. He presented himself to R. Shesheth in the market. The former said to him: "Do you wish to take me when I am in the market, as if I were an animal ? Come to my house." When he presented himself to R. Assi in the market, the latter said to him: "Extend my time thirty days, so as to enable me to review my studies, as ye say: 'Happy is he who comes here with his studies in his hand.' " On the thirtieth day he appeared again, and R. Assi said to him: "Why such punctuality?" And he answered him: "You interfere with R. Nathan, and no regency must interfere with another, even as much as a hair. (R. Nathan cannot become the head of the college so long as you are alive.)" However, R. Chisda could not be overpowered [by the angel of death], for he kept on studying all the time, so the death angel climbed up and hid himself in a cedar in front of the house of study. When the cedar broke down, R. Chisda interrupted his study for a moment, and was immediately overpowered. R. Chiya was inaccessible [to the angel of death]. One day he transformed himself into a mendicant, and knocked on the door and asked for a slice of bread. When R. Chiya handed him what he asked for, the angel said to him: "Does not the master have mercy on a poor man? Why not have mercy on this man?" He revealed himself to R. Chiya, and as proof, he showed him the fire-rod. R. Chiya then delivered himself to him.
וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵרַ֥ךְ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ֖ וְאֶת־מֵימֶ֑יךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִ֥י מַחֲלָ֖ה מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃ לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֛ה מְשַׁכֵּלָ֥ה וַעֲקָרָ֖ה בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ אֶת־מִסְפַּ֥ר יָמֶ֖יךָ אֲמַלֵּֽא׃
You shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will remove sickness from your midst. No woman in your land shall miscarry or be barren. I will let you enjoy the full count of your days.
בָּר֥וּךְ תִּֽהְיֶ֖ה מִכָּל־הָעַמִּ֑ים לֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה בְךָ֛ עָקָ֥ר וַֽעֲקָרָ֖ה וּבִבְהֶמְתֶּֽךָ׃ וְהֵסִ֧יר יְהוָ֛ה מִמְּךָ֖ כָּל־חֹ֑לִי וְכָל־מַדְוֵי֩ מִצְרַ֨יִם הָרָעִ֜ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָדַ֗עְתָּ לֹ֤א יְשִׂימָם֙ בָּ֔ךְ וּנְתָנָ֖ם בְּכָל־שֹׂנְאֶֽיךָ׃ וְאָכַלְתָּ֣ אֶת־כָּל־הָֽעַמִּ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ לֹא־תָחֹ֥ס עֵֽינְךָ֖ עֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹ֤א תַעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־מוֹקֵ֥שׁ ה֖וּא לָֽךְ׃ (ס)
Thou shalt be blessed above all peoples; there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness; and He will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee, but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. And thou shalt consume all the peoples that the LORD thy God shall deliver unto thee; thine eye shall not pity them; neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.
אִם־לֹ֨א תִשְׁמֹ֜ר לַעֲשׂ֗וֹת אֶת־כָּל־דִּבְרֵי֙ הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את הַכְּתוּבִ֖ים בַּסֵּ֣פֶר הַזֶּ֑ה לְ֠יִרְאָה אֶת־הַשֵּׁ֞ם הַנִּכְבָּ֤ד וְהַנּוֹרָא֙ הַזֶּ֔ה אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ וְהִפְלָ֤א יְהוָה֙ אֶת־מַכֹּ֣תְךָ֔ וְאֵ֖ת מַכּ֣וֹת זַרְעֶ֑ךָ מַכּ֤וֹת גְּדֹלוֹת֙ וְנֶ֣אֱמָנ֔וֹת וָחֳלָיִ֥ם רָעִ֖ים וְנֶאֱמָנִֽים׃ וְהֵשִׁ֣יב בְּךָ֗ אֵ֚ת כָּל־מַדְוֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָגֹ֖רְתָּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם וְדָבְק֖וּ בָּֽךְ׃ גַּ֤ם כָּל־חֳלִי֙ וְכָל־מַכָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א כָת֔וּב בְּסֵ֖פֶר הַתּוֹרָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את יַעְלֵ֤ם יְהוָה֙ עָלֶ֔יךָ עַ֖ד הִשָּׁמְדָֽךְ׃ וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙ בִּמְתֵ֣י מְעָ֔ט תַּ֚חַת אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֱיִיתֶ֔ם כְּכוֹכְבֵ֥י הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם לָרֹ֑ב כִּי־לֹ֣א שָׁמַ֔עְתָּ בְּק֖וֹל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ וְ֠הָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֨שׂ יְהוָ֜ה עֲלֵיכֶ֗ם לְהֵיטִ֣יב אֶתְכֶם֮ וּלְהַרְבּ֣וֹת אֶתְכֶם֒ כֵּ֣ן יָשִׂ֤ישׂ יְהוָה֙ עֲלֵיכֶ֔ם לְהַאֲבִ֥יד אֶתְכֶ֖ם וּלְהַשְׁמִ֣יד אֶתְכֶ֑ם וְנִסַּחְתֶּם֙ מֵעַ֣ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּ֥ה בָא־שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
If you do not observe to do all the words of this Torah that are written in this scroll to fear this honored, awesome Name, the L-rd your G-d. Then the L-rd will make distinctive [from all other plagues] your plagues, and the plagues of your seed, plagues great and trusted ["to fulfill their embassy"], and sore, trusty illnesses. And the L-rd will send against you all the afflictions [i.e., the plagues] of Egypt, which you feared [would come upon you], and they will cleave to you. Also, every sickness and every plague which is not written in the scroll of this Torah, the L-rd will bring them up against you until you are destroyed. And you will remain but few in number instead of being like the stars of heaven in multitude, for not having heeded the voice of the L-rd your G-d. And it shall be that just as the L-rd rejoiced over you to do good to you and to increase you, so will the L-rd rejoice [others] over you to destroy you and to annihilate you, and you will be uprooted from the land whither you are coming to inherit it.
וַיְהִ֗י אַחַר֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה חָלָ֕ה בֶּן־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה בַּעֲלַ֣ת הַבָּ֑יִת וַיְהִ֤י חָלְיוֹ֙ חָזָ֣ק מְאֹ֔ד עַ֛ד אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־נֽוֹתְרָה־בּ֖וֹ נְשָׁמָֽה׃ וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־אֵ֣לִיָּ֔הוּ מַה־לִּ֥י וָלָ֖ךְ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּ֧אתָ אֵלַ֛י לְהַזְכִּ֥יר אֶת־עֲוֺנִ֖י וּלְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנִֽי׃ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלֶ֖יהָ תְּנִֽי־לִ֣י אֶת־בְּנֵ֑ךְ וַיִּקָּחֵ֣הוּ מֵחֵיקָ֗הּ וַֽיַּעֲלֵ֙הוּ֙ אֶל־הָעֲלִיָּ֗ה אֲשֶׁר־הוּא֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב שָׁ֔ם וַיַּשְׁכִּבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מִטָּתֽוֹ׃ וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י הֲ֠גַם עַל־הָאַלְמָנָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֨י מִתְגּוֹרֵ֥ר עִמָּ֛הּ הֲרֵע֖וֹתָ לְהָמִ֥ית אֶת־בְּנָֽהּ׃ וַיִּתְמֹדֵ֤ד עַל־הַיֶּ֙לֶד֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ פְּעָמִ֔ים וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶל־יְהוָ֖ה וַיֹּאמַ֑ר יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י תָּ֥שָׁב נָ֛א נֶֽפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֥לֶד הַזֶּ֖ה עַל־קִרְבּֽוֹ׃ וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה בְּק֣וֹל אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ וַתָּ֧שָׁב נֶֽפֶשׁ־הַיֶּ֛לֶד עַל־קִרְבּ֖וֹ וַיֶּֽחִי׃
And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah: ‘What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?’ And he said unto her: ‘Give me thy son.’ And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into the upper chamber, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD, and said: ‘O LORD my God, hast Thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?’ And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said: ‘O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come back into him.’ And the LORD hearkened unto the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back into him, and he revived.
וַיִּפֹּ֨ל אֲחַזְיָ֜ה בְּעַ֣ד הַשְּׂבָכָ֗ה בַּעֲלִיָּת֛וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּשֹׁמְר֖וֹן וַיָּ֑חַל וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח מַלְאָכִ֔ים וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ לְכ֣וּ דִרְשׁ֗וּ בְּבַ֤עַל זְבוּב֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י עֶקְר֔וֹן אִם־אֶחְיֶ֖ה מֵחֳלִ֥י זֶֽה׃ (ס) וּמַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהוָ֗ה דִּבֶּר֙ אֶל־אֵלִיָּ֣ה הַתִּשְׁבִּ֔י ק֣וּם עֲלֵ֔ה לִקְרַ֖את מַלְאֲכֵ֣י מֶֽלֶךְ־שֹׁמְר֑וֹן וְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י אֵין־אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתֶּם֙ הֹֽלְכִ֔ים לִדְרֹ֕שׁ בְּבַ֥עַל זְב֖וּב אֱלֹהֵ֥י עֶקְרֽוֹן׃
And Ahaziah fell down through the lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick; and he sent messengers, and said unto them: ‘Go, inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this sickness.’ But an angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite: ‘Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them: Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר פְּתַ֧ח הַחַלּ֛וֹן קֵ֖דְמָה וַיִּפְתָּ֑ח וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלִישָׁ֤ע יְרֵה֙ וַיּ֔וֹר וַיֹּ֗אמֶר חֵץ־תְּשׁוּעָ֤ה לַֽיהוָה֙ וְחֵ֣ץ תְּשׁוּעָ֣ה בַֽאֲרָ֔ם וְהִכִּיתָ֧ אֶת־אֲרָ֛ם בַּאֲפֵ֖ק עַד־כַּלֵּֽה׃
And he said: ‘Open the window eastward’; and he opened it. Then Elisha said: ‘Shoot’; and he shot. And he said: ‘The LORD’S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory against Aram; for thou shalt smite the Arameans in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.’
מִכְתָּ֖ב לְחִזְקִיָּ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה בַּחֲלֹת֕וֹ וַיְחִ֖י מֵחָלְיֽוֹ׃ אֲנִ֣י אָמַ֗רְתִּי בִּדְמִ֥י יָמַ֛י אֵלֵ֖כָה בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֣י שְׁא֑וֹל פֻּקַּ֖דְתִּי יֶ֥תֶר שְׁנוֹתָֽי׃ אָמַ֙רְתִּי֙ לֹא־אֶרְאֶ֣ה יָ֔הּ יָ֖הּ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַחַיִּ֑ים לֹא־אַבִּ֥יט אָדָ֛ם ע֖וֹד עִם־י֥וֹשְׁבֵי חָֽדֶל׃ דּוֹרִ֗י נִסַּ֧ע וְנִגְלָ֛ה מִנִּ֖י כְּאֹ֣הֶל רֹעִ֑י קִפַּ֨דְתִּי כָאֹרֵ֤ג חַיַּי֙ מִדַּלָּ֣ה יְבַצְּעֵ֔נִי מִיּ֥וֹם עַד־לַ֖יְלָה תַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי׃ שִׁוִּ֤יתִי עַד־בֹּ֙קֶר֙ כָּֽאֲרִ֔י כֵּ֥ן יְשַׁבֵּ֖ר כָּל־עַצְמוֹתָ֑י מִיּ֥וֹם עַד־לַ֖יְלָה תַּשְׁלִימֵֽנִי׃ כְּס֤וּס עָגוּר֙ כֵּ֣ן אֲצַפְצֵ֔ף אֶהְגֶּ֖ה כַּיּוֹנָ֑ה דַּלּ֤וּ עֵינַי֙ לַמָּר֔וֹם אֲדֹנָ֖י עָֽשְׁקָה־לִּ֥י עָרְבֵֽנִי׃ מָֽה־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר וְאָֽמַר־לִ֖י וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑ה אֶדַּדֶּ֥ה כָל־שְׁנוֹתַ֖י עַל־מַ֥ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃ אֲדֹנָ֖י עֲלֵיהֶ֣ם יִֽחְי֑וּ וּלְכָל־בָּהֶן֙ חַיֵּ֣י רוּחִ֔י וְתַחֲלִימֵ֖נִי וְהַחֲיֵֽנִי׃ הִנֵּ֥ה לְשָׁל֖וֹם מַר־לִ֣י מָ֑ר וְאַתָּ֞ה חָשַׁ֤קְתָּ נַפְשִׁי֙ מִשַּׁ֣חַת בְּלִ֔י כִּ֥י הִשְׁלַ֛כְתָּ אַחֲרֵ֥י גֵוְךָ֖ כָּל־חֲטָאָֽי׃ כִּ֣י לֹ֥א שְׁא֛וֹל תּוֹדֶ֖ךָּ מָ֣וֶת יְהַלְלֶ֑ךָּ לֹֽא־יְשַׂבְּר֥וּ יֽוֹרְדֵי־ב֖וֹר אֶל־אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ חַ֥י חַ֛י ה֥וּא יוֹדֶ֖ךָ כָּמ֣וֹנִי הַיּ֑וֹם אָ֣ב לְבָנִ֔ים יוֹדִ֖יעַ אֶל־אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ יְהוָ֖ה לְהוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי וּנְגִנוֹתַ֧י נְנַגֵּ֛ן כָּל־יְמֵ֥י חַיֵּ֖ינוּ עַל־בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְשַׁעְיָ֔הוּ יִשְׂא֖וּ דְּבֶ֣לֶת תְּאֵנִ֑ים וְיִמְרְח֥וּ עַֽל־הַשְּׁחִ֖ין וְיֶֽחִי׃ וַיֹּ֥אמֶר חִזְקִיָּ֖הוּ מָ֣ה א֑וֹת כִּ֥י אֶעֱלֶ֖ה בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃ (ס)
The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness. I said: In the noontide of my days I shall go, even to the gates of the nether-world; I am deprived of the residue of my years. I said: I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world. My habitation is plucked up and carried away from me as a shepherd’s tent; I have rolled up like a weaver my life; He will cut me off from the thrum; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me. The more I make myself like unto a lion until morning, the more it breaketh all my bones; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me. Like a swallow or a crane, so do I chatter, I do moan as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed, be Thou my surety. . What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it; I shall go softly all my years for the bitterness of my soul. O Lord, by these things men live, and altogether therein is the life of my spirit; wherefore recover Thou me, and make me to live. Behold, for my peace I had great bitterness; But Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it From the pit of corruption; For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back. For the nether-world cannot praise Thee, Death cannot celebrate Thee; They that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise Thee, As I do this day; The father to the children shall make known Thy truth. The LORD is ready to save me; Therefore we will sing songs to the stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of the LORD. And Isaiah said: ‘Let them take a cake of figs, and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover.’ And Hezekiah said. 'What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?’
מִ֥י הֶאֱמִ֖ין לִשְׁמֻעָתֵ֑נוּ וּזְר֥וֹעַ יְהוָ֖ה עַל־מִ֥י נִגְלָֽתָה׃ וַיַּ֨עַל כַּיּוֹנֵ֜ק לְפָנָ֗יו וְכַשֹּׁ֙רֶשׁ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צִיָּ֔ה לֹא־תֹ֥אַר ל֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א הָדָ֑ר וְנִרְאֵ֥הוּ וְלֹֽא־מַרְאֶ֖ה וְנֶחְמְדֵֽהוּ׃ נִבְזֶה֙ וַחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִי וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ׃ אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה׃ וְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ׃ כֻּלָּ֙נוּ֙ כַּצֹּ֣אן תָּעִ֔ינוּ אִ֥ישׁ לְדַרְכּ֖וֹ פָּנִ֑ינוּ וַֽיהוָה֙ הִפְגִּ֣יעַ בּ֔וֹ אֵ֖ת עֲוֺ֥ן כֻּלָּֽנוּ׃ נִגַּ֨שׂ וְה֣וּא נַעֲנֶה֮ וְלֹ֣א יִפְתַּח־פִּיו֒ כַּשֶּׂה֙ לַטֶּ֣בַח יוּבָ֔ל וּכְרָחֵ֕ל לִפְנֵ֥י גֹזְזֶ֖יהָ נֶאֱלָ֑מָה וְלֹ֥א יִפְתַּ֖ח פִּֽיו׃ מֵעֹ֤צֶר וּמִמִּשְׁפָּט֙ לֻקָּ֔ח וְאֶת־דּוֹר֖וֹ מִ֣י יְשׂוֹחֵ֑חַ כִּ֤י נִגְזַר֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּ֔ים מִפֶּ֥שַׁע עַמִּ֖י נֶ֥גַע לָֽמוֹ׃ וַיִּתֵּ֤ן אֶת־רְשָׁעִים֙ קִבְר֔וֹ וְאֶת־עָשִׁ֖יר בְּמֹתָ֑יו עַ֚ל לֹא־חָמָ֣ס עָשָׂ֔ה וְלֹ֥א מִרְמָ֖ה בְּפִֽיו׃ וַיהוָ֞ה חָפֵ֤ץ דַּכְּאוֹ֙ הֶֽחֱלִ֔י אִם־תָּשִׂ֤ים אָשָׁם֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ יִרְאֶ֥ה זֶ֖רַע יַאֲרִ֣יךְ יָמִ֑ים וְחֵ֥פֶץ יְהוָ֖ה בְּיָד֥וֹ יִצְלָֽח׃ מֵעֲמַ֤ל נַפְשׁוֹ֙ יִרְאֶ֣ה יִשְׂבָּ֔ע בְּדַעְתּ֗וֹ יַצְדִּ֥יק צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י לָֽרַבִּ֑ים וַעֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם ה֥וּא יִסְבֹּֽל׃ לָכֵ֞ן אֲחַלֶּק־ל֣וֹ בָרַבִּ֗ים וְאֶת־עֲצוּמִים֮ יְחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָל֒ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶעֱרָ֤ה לַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נַפְשׁ֔וֹ וְאֶת־פֹּשְׁעִ֖ים נִמְנָ֑ה וְהוּא֙ חֵטְא־רַבִּ֣ים נָשָׂ֔א וְלַפֹּשְׁעִ֖ים יַפְגִּֽיעַ׃ (ס)
“Who can believe what we have heard? Upon whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he has grown, by His favor, like a tree crown, Like a tree trunk out of arid ground. He had no form or beauty, that we should look at him: No charm, that we should find him pleasing. He was despised, shunned by men, A man of suffering, familiar with disease. As one who hid his face from us, He was despised, we held him of no account. Yet it was our sickness that he was bearing, Our suffering that he endured. We accounted him plagued, Smitten and afflicted by God; But he was wounded because of our sins, Crushed because of our iniquities. He bore the chastisement that made us whole, And by his bruises we were healed. We all went astray like sheep, Each going his own way; And the LORD visited upon him The guilt of all of us.” He was maltreated, yet he was submissive, He did not open his mouth; Like a sheep being led to slaughter, Like a ewe, dumb before those who shear her, He did not open his mouth. By oppressive judgment he was taken away, Who could describe his abode? For he was cut off from the land of the living Through the sin of my people, who deserved the punishment. And his grave was set among the wicked, And with the rich, in his death— Though he had done no injustice And had spoken no falsehood. But the LORD chose to crush him by disease, That, if he made himself an offering for guilt, He might see offspring and have long life, And that through him the LORD’s purpose might prosper. Out of his anguish he shall see it; He shall enjoy it to the full through his devotion. “My righteous servant makes the many righteous, It is their punishment that he bears; Assuredly, I will give him the many as his portion, He shall receive the multitude as his spoil. For he exposed himself to death And was numbered among the sinners, Whereas he bore the guilt of the many And made intercession for sinners.”
כִּֽי־כֹה֙ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הִנְנִ֥י קוֹלֵ֛עַ אֶת־יוֹשְׁבֵ֥י הָאָ֖רֶץ בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֑את וַהֲצֵר֥וֹתִי לָהֶ֖ם לְמַ֥עַן יִמְצָֽאוּ׃ (ס) א֥וֹי לִי֙ עַל־שִׁבְרִ֔י נַחְלָ֖ה מַכָּתִ֑י וַאֲנִ֣י אָמַ֔רְתִּי אַ֛ךְ זֶ֥ה חֳלִ֖י וְאֶשָּׂאֶֽנּוּ׃ אָהֳלִ֣י שֻׁדָּ֔ד וְכָל־מֵיתָרַ֖י נִתָּ֑קוּ בָּנַ֤י יְצָאֻ֙נִי֙ וְאֵינָ֔ם אֵין־נֹטֶ֥ה עוֹד֙ אָהֳלִ֔י וּמֵקִ֖ים יְרִיעוֹתָֽי׃ כִּ֤י נִבְעֲרוּ֙ הָֽרֹעִ֔ים וְאֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֣א דָרָ֑שׁוּ עַל־כֵּן֙ לֹ֣א הִשְׂכִּ֔ילוּ וְכָל־מַרְעִיתָ֖ם נָפֽוֹצָה׃ (ס) ק֤וֹל שְׁמוּעָה֙ הִנֵּ֣ה בָאָ֔ה וְרַ֥עַשׁ גָּד֖וֹל מֵאֶ֣רֶץ צָפ֑וֹן לָשׂ֞וּם אֶת־עָרֵ֧י יְהוּדָ֛ה שְׁמָמָ֖ה מְע֥וֹן תַּנִּֽים׃ (ס) יָדַ֣עְתִּי יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֛י לֹ֥א לָאָדָ֖ם דַּרְכּ֑וֹ לֹֽא־לְאִ֣ישׁ הֹלֵ֔ךְ וְהָכִ֖ין אֶֽת־צַעֲדֽוֹ׃ יַסְּרֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֖ה אַךְ־בְּמִשְׁפָּ֑ט אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֖ פֶּן־תַּמְעִטֵֽנִי׃ שְׁפֹ֣ךְ חֲמָתְךָ֗ עַל־הַגּוֹיִם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־יְדָע֔וּךָ וְעַל֙ מִשְׁפָּח֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּשִׁמְךָ֖ לֹ֣א קָרָ֑אוּ כִּֽי־אָכְל֣וּ אֶֽת־יַעֲקֹ֗ב וַאֲכָלֻ֙הוּ֙ וַיְכַלֻּ֔הוּ וְאֶת־נָוֵ֖הוּ הֵשַֽׁמּוּ׃ (פ)
For thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land at this time, and will distress them, that they may feel it. Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is grievous; But I said: ‘This is but a sickness, And I must bear it.’ My tent is spoiled, And all my cords are broken; My children are gone forth of me, and they are not; There is none to stretch forth my tent any more, And to set up my curtains. For the shepherds are become brutish, And have not inquired of the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flocks are scattered. Hark! a report, behold, it cometh, And a great commotion out of the north country, To make the cities of Judah desolate, A dwelling-place of jackals. O LORD, I know that man’s way is not his own; It is not in man to direct his steps as he walketh. . O LORD, correct me, but in measure; Not in Thine anger, lest Thou diminish me. Pour out Thy wrath upon the nations that know Thee not, And upon the families that call not on Thy name; For they have devoured Jacob, Yea, they have devoured him and consumed him, And have laid waste his habitation.
כִּ֣י כֹ֥ה אָמַ֛ר יְהוָ֖ה אָנ֣וּשׁ לְשִׁבְרֵ֑ךְ נַחְלָ֖ה מַכָּתֵֽךְ׃ אֵֽין־דָּ֥ן דִּינֵ֖ךְ לְמָז֑וֹר רְפֻא֥וֹת תְּעָלָ֖ה אֵ֥ין לָֽךְ׃ כָּל־מְאַהֲבַ֣יִךְ שְׁכֵח֔וּךְ אוֹתָ֖ךְ לֹ֣א יִדְרֹ֑שׁוּ כִּי֩ מַכַּ֨ת אוֹיֵ֤ב הִכִּיתִיךְ֙ מוּסַ֣ר אַכְזָרִ֔י עַ֚ל רֹ֣ב עֲוֺנֵ֔ךְ עָצְמ֖וּ חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃ מַה־תִּזְעַק֙ עַל־שִׁבְרֵ֔ךְ אָנ֖וּשׁ מַכְאֹבֵ֑ךְ עַ֣ל ׀ רֹ֣ב עֲוֺנֵ֗ךְ עָֽצְמוּ֙ חַטֹּאתַ֔יִךְ עָשִׂ֥יתִי אֵ֖לֶּה לָֽךְ׃ לָכֵ֞ן כָּל־אֹכְלַ֙יִךְ֙ יֵאָכֵ֔לוּ וְכָל־צָרַ֥יִךְ כֻּלָּ֖ם בַּשְּׁבִ֣י יֵלֵ֑כוּ וְהָי֤וּ שֹׁאסַ֙יִךְ֙ לִמְשִׁסָּ֔ה וְכָל־בֹּזְזַ֖יִךְ אֶתֵּ֥ן לָבַֽז׃ כִּי֩ אַעֲלֶ֨ה אֲרֻכָ֥ה לָ֛ךְ וּמִמַּכּוֹתַ֥יִךְ אֶרְפָּאֵ֖ךְ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֤י נִדָּחָה֙ קָ֣רְאוּ לָ֔ךְ צִיּ֣וֹן הִ֔יא דֹּרֵ֖שׁ אֵ֥ין לָֽהּ׃ (ס)
For thus said the LORD: Your injury is incurable, Your wound severe; No one pleads for the healing of your sickness, There is no remedy, no recovery for you. All your lovers have forgotten you, They do not seek you out; For I have struck you as an enemy strikes, With cruel chastisement, Because your iniquity was so great And your sins so many. Why cry out over your injury, That your wound is incurable? I did these things to you Because your iniquity was so great And your sins so many. Assuredly, All who wanted to devour you shall be devoured, And every one of your foes shall go into captivity; Those who despoiled you shall be despoiled, And all who pillaged you I will give up to pillage. But I will bring healing to you And cure you of your wounds —declares the LORD. Though they called you “Outcast, That Zion whom no one seeks out,”
אַ֭שְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּ֣יל אֶל־דָּ֑ל בְּי֥וֹם רָ֝עָ֗ה יְֽמַלְּטֵ֥הוּ יְהוָֽה׃ יְהוָ֤ה ׀ יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ וִֽ֭יחַיֵּהוּ יאשר [וְאֻשַּׁ֣ר] בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְאַֽל־תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבָֽיו׃ יְֽהוָ֗ה יִ֭סְעָדֶנּוּ עַל־עֶ֣רֶשׂ דְּוָ֑י כָּל־מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ הָפַ֥כְתָּ בְחָלְיֽוֹ׃ אֲֽנִי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי יְהוָ֣ה חָנֵּ֑נִי רְפָאָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י כִּי־חָטָ֥אתִי לָֽךְ׃
Happy is he that considereth the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of evil. The LORD preserve him, and keep him alive, let him be called happy in the land; and deliver not Thou him unto the greed of his enemies. The LORD support him upon the bed of illness; mayest Thou turn all his lying down in his sickness. As for me, I said: 'O LORD, be gracious unto me; heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee.'
רֽוּחַ־אִ֭ישׁ יְכַלְכֵּ֣ל מַחֲלֵ֑הוּ וְר֥וּחַ נְ֝כֵאָ֗ה מִ֣י יִשָּׂאֶֽנָּה׃
A hero's spirit will sustain his sickness [(and it will not prevail over him)]; but a broken spirit, who will bear it?
יֵ֚שׁ רָעָ֣ה חוֹלָ֔ה רָאִ֖יתִי תַּ֣חַת הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ עֹ֛שֶׁר שָׁמ֥וּר לִבְעָלָ֖יו לְרָעָתֽוֹ׃ וְאָבַ֛ד הָעֹ֥שֶׁר הַה֖וּא בְּעִנְיַ֣ן רָ֑ע וְהוֹלִ֣יד בֵּ֔ן וְאֵ֥ין בְּיָד֖וֹ מְאֽוּמָה׃ כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר יָצָא֙ מִבֶּ֣טֶן אִמּ֔וֹ עָר֛וֹם יָשׁ֥וּב לָלֶ֖כֶת כְּשֶׁבָּ֑א וּמְא֙וּמָה֙ לֹא־יִשָּׂ֣א בַעֲמָל֔וֹ שֶׁיֹּלֵ֖ךְ בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ וְגַם־זֹה֙ רָעָ֣ה חוֹלָ֔ה כָּל־עֻמַּ֥ת שֶׁבָּ֖א כֵּ֣ן יֵלֵ֑ךְ וּמַה־יִּתְר֣וֹן ל֔וֹ שֶֽׁיַּעֲמֹ֖ל לָרֽוּחַ׃ גַּ֥ם כָּל־יָמָ֖יו בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ יֹאכֵ֑ל וְכָעַ֥ס הַרְבֵּ֖ה וְחָלְי֥וֹ וָקָֽצֶף׃ הִנֵּ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־רָאִ֣יתִי אָ֗נִי ט֣וֹב אֲשֶׁר־יָפֶ֣ה לֶֽאֶכוֹל־וְ֠לִשְׁתּוֹת וְלִרְא֨וֹת טוֹבָ֜ה בְּכָל־עֲמָל֣וֹ ׀ שֶׁיַּעֲמֹ֣ל תַּֽחַת־הַשֶּׁ֗מֶשׁ מִסְפַּ֧ר יְמֵי־חיו [חַיָּ֛יו] אֲשֶׁר־נָֽתַן־ל֥וֹ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים כִּי־ה֥וּא חֶלְקֽוֹ׃
There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt; and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he go back as he came, and shall take nothing for his labour, which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go; and what profit hath he that he laboureth for the wind? All his days also he eateth in darkness, and he hath much vexation and sickness and wrath. . Behold that which I have seen: it is good, yea, it is comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy pleasure for all his labour, wherein he laboureth under the sun, all the days of his life which God hath given him; for this is his portion.
וַיֶּחֱלֶ֣א אָסָ֡א בִּשְׁנַת֩ שְׁלוֹשִׁ֨ים וָתֵ֤שַׁע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ֙ בְּרַגְלָ֔יו עַד־לְמַ֖עְלָה חָלְי֑וֹ וְגַם־בְּחָלְיוֹ֙ לֹא־דָרַ֣שׁ אֶת־יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֖י בָּרֹפְאִֽים׃ וַיִּשְׁכַּ֥ב אָסָ֖א עִם־אֲבֹתָ֑יו וַיָּ֕מָת בִּשְׁנַ֛ת אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וְאַחַ֖ת לְמָלְכֽוֹ׃
And Assa was stricken in the thirty-ninth year of his reign in his legs and (his ailment spread) upwards. And in his sickness, too, he did not seek out the L rd, but the doctors. And Assa rested with his fathers, and he died in the forty-first year of his reign.
וַיָּבֹ֤א אֵלָיו֙ מִכְתָּ֔ב מֵֽאֵלִיָּ֥הוּ הַנָּבִ֖יא לֵאמֹ֑ר כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֗ה אֱלֹהֵי֙ דָּוִ֣יד אָבִ֔יךָ תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־הָלַ֙כְתָּ֙ בְּדַרְכֵי֙ יְהוֹשָׁפָ֣ט אָבִ֔יךָ וּבְדַרְכֵ֖י אָסָ֥א מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָֽה׃ וַתֵּ֗לֶךְ בְּדֶ֙רֶךְ֙ מַלְכֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַתַּזְנֶ֤ה אֶת־יְהוּדָה֙ וְאֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֣י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֔ם כְּהַזְנ֖וֹת בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב וְגַ֨ם אֶת־אַחֶ֧יךָ בֵית־אָבִ֛יךָ הַטּוֹבִ֥ים מִמְּךָ֖ הָרָֽגְתָּ׃ הִנֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה נֹגֵ֛ף מַגֵּפָ֥ה גְדוֹלָ֖ה בְּעַמֶּ֑ךָ וּבְבָנֶ֥יךָ וּבְנָשֶׁ֖יךָ וּבְכָל־רְכוּשֶֽׁךָ׃ וְאַתָּ֛ה בָּחֳלָיִ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים בְּמַחֲלֵ֣ה מֵעֶ֑יךָ עַד־יֵצְא֤וּ מֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ מִן־הַחֹ֔לִי יָמִ֖ים עַל־יָמִֽים׃ וַיָּ֨עַר יְהוָ֜ה עַל־יְהוֹרָ֗ם אֵ֣ת ר֤וּחַ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ וְהָ֣עַרְבִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־יַ֥ד כּוּשִֽׁים׃ וַיַּעֲל֤וּ בִֽיהוּדָה֙ וַיִּבְקָע֔וּהָ וַיִּשְׁבּ֗וּ אֵ֤ת כָּל־הָרְכוּשׁ֙ הַנִּמְצָ֣א לְבֵית־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ וְגַם־בָּנָ֖יו וְנָשָׁ֑יו וְלֹ֤א נִשְׁאַר־לוֹ֙ בֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י אִם־יְהוֹאָחָ֖ז קְטֹ֥ן בָּנָֽיו׃ וְאַחֲרֵ֖י כָּל־זֹ֑את נְגָפ֨וֹ יְהוָ֧ה ׀ בְּמֵעָ֛יו לָחֳלִ֖י לְאֵ֥ין מַרְפֵּֽא׃ וַיְהִ֣י לְיָמִ֣ים ׀ מִיָּמִ֡ים וּכְעֵת֩ צֵ֨את הַקֵּ֜ץ לְיָמִ֣ים שְׁנַ֗יִם יָצְא֤וּ מֵעָיו֙ עִם־חָלְי֔וֹ וַיָּ֖מָת בְּתַחֲלֻאִ֣ים רָעִ֑ים וְלֹא־עָ֨שׂוּ ל֥וֹ עַמּ֛וֹ שְׂרֵפָ֖ה כִּשְׂרֵפַ֥ת אֲבֹתָֽיו׃ בֶּן־שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים וּשְׁתַּ֙יִם֙ הָיָ֣ה בְמָלְכ֔וֹ וּשְׁמוֹנֶ֣ה שָׁנִ֔ים מָלַ֖ךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָ֑ם וַיֵּ֙לֶךְ֙ בְּלֹ֣א חֶמְדָּ֔ה וַֽיִּקְבְּרֻ֙הוּ֙ בְּעִ֣יר דָּוִ֔יד וְלֹ֖א בְּקִבְר֥וֹת הַמְּלָכִֽים׃
And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying: ‘Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father: Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah; but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go astray, like as the house of Ahab made [Israel] to go astray; and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father’s house, who were better than thyself; behold, the LORD will smite with a great plague thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy substance; and thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness, day by day.’ And the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians that are beside the Ethiopians; and they came up against Judah, and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king’s house, and his sons also, and his wives; so that there was never a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons. And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease. And it came to pass, that in process of time, at the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness, and he died of sore diseases. And his people made no burning for him, like the burning of his fathers. Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years; and he departed joyless; and they buried him in the city of David, but not in the sepulchres of the kings.
וימת. בכל הדורות עד נח כתיב הכי להודיע שנקנסה עליהם מיתה בעטיו של נחש, ומנח ואילך לא חש.
וימת, “he died;” this is the standard formula used by the Torah for the death of anyone who died before Noach. It is to tell us that this death occurred not due to sickness, etc., but due to the curse of mortality that man became subject to after having been seduced by the serpent. From Noach’s time onward, the Torah did not always add the fact that a person died, once it had informed us about how many years they lived. [The author’s problem appears to have been that the words: “he died,” were superfluous once we knew how old they became. Ed.]
זקנים באים בימים מתחלת הספר עד כאן לא תמצא זקנה כתובה בשום אדם עד שבא אברהם ואמר לפני הקב״ה רבונו של עולם אדם ובנו נכנסין למקום אחד ואין אדם יודע את מי יכבד, ומתוך שאתה מעטרו בשיבה אדם יודע למי יכבד. א״ל הקב״ה דבר טוב תבעת וממך הוא מתחיל מתחלת הספר עד יצחק לא כתיב יסורין עד שבא יצחק ותבע יסורין, אמר לפניו רבון העולמים אדם מת בלא יסורין מדת הדין מתוחה כנגדו א״ל הקב״ה חייך דבר טוב תבעת וממך הוא מתחיל ותכהין עיניו מראות יעקב תבע חולי אמר רבון העולמים אדם מת בלא חולי אינו מתיישב בין בניו ומתוך שהוא חולה שנים או שלשה ימים הוא מיושב בין בניו א״ל הקב״ה חייך דבר טוב תבעת וממך הוא מתחיל הה״ד ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה נמצא אברהם חדש זקנה שנאמר ואברהם זקן. יצחק חדש יסורים שנא׳ ויהיה כי זקן יצחק ותכהין עיניו מראות. יעקב חדש חולי כדכתיב הנה אביך חולה.
זקנים באים בימים, “old advanced in years.” We do not find a single reference to old age in the Torah anywhere before this point. Avraham was the first human being described as having “aged.” The Midrash attributes the fact that the Torah here refers to Avraham’s age as due to his having said to G-d: “with all respect, G-d, when father and son walk together and come to a town where neither of them is known, how will they know to honour the father, seeing that they both appear as equally youthful? If You were to “crown” elderly people with a visible sign of their being old, they will know to whom to pay their respects first.” G-d answered Avraham that he had presented a valid argument and that therefore he would be the first human being upon whom this distinction would be bestowed. Along similar lines, the Midrash points out that before Yitzchok, no one was afflicted with physical handicaps, (such as Yitzchok’s blindness) Yitzchok was afflicted with such a handicap at his own request, having said to G-d: “if a human being dies without ever having endured physical handicaps and pain, the attribute of Justice will present a strong case against him by saying that he had never had to suffer any pain for any of the sins he had committed while alive. These pains would have been deemed as punishment so that upon death he could proceed to the regions of eternal bliss in the celestial regions without further delay. G-d agreed with him, and made him the first human being to be thus afflicted. We have not read about anyone falling sick before Yaakov requested that sickness become part of life on earth. Yaakov argued that unless sickness precedes death, a person would not have an opportunity to allocate his estate to his various beneficiaries. G-d agreed with him, and thus he became the first person of whom sickness preceding his death is reported in the Torah in Genesis 48,1. The two or tree days that his sickness lasted, gave him an opportunity to arrange his affairs. This is the reason why the Torah informed us that Joseph was given notice that his father was sick. Otherwise, seeing that he had 11 other sons around him in Goshen, why did special notice have to be sent to the capital where Joseph resided? To sum up: Avraham introduced the concept of old age; Yitzchok introduced the concept of people becoming afflicted with serious physical handicaps. Yaakov introduced the concept of sickness due to approaching death.
תחת שינו. אע״פ שגופו קנוי לו אין הקב״ה חפץ שישחיתנו באבריו. הלשון מוכיח כי באחד הוא חפשי ואם שחת עינו ואח״כ הפיל שנו, לעולם יש לו דמי אבר השני. מה שעבד כנעני יוצא בראשי אברים היינו מקל וחומר אם מידי שמים קונה עצמו ביסורין, כדכתיב יסור יסרני יה ולמות לא נתנני, מידי אדם לא כ״ש.
תחת שינו, “on account of his tooth.” The Torah teaches us that even though the master owns the slave bodily, this does not mean that each body part of that slave is his to do with as he likes. G-d did not consent to slaves being owned in order for their masters to be able to mutilate them when they are angry at them. The Torah singling out the word: his “tooth” (sing), teaches that even if the slave lost only one tooth through his being beaten this suffices to his master having to free him unconditionally. In the event that the master had caused the slave to lose an eye, and before releasing him he caused him to also lose a tooth, he will have to compensate him financially for the loss of the tooth, as by that time, halachically, he did not own that slave’s body anymore, even though he was still under his physical control. According to our author, the rule that a gentile slave receives his freedom in return for losing a limb, is arrived at by simple logic. If he gains his freedom at the hands of heaven when he becomes unable through disease to perform his duties, how much more does he qualify for his freedom when he has been abused by a human being owning him. [Rabbi Chavell in his glossaries, cites a statement from the Talmud B’rachot 5 according to which the logic is precisely the reverse, i.e. “if a gentile slave receives his freedom in return for having lost a limb as a result of punishment by his master, how much more so must G-d forgive sinners whose entire bodies have been punished by Him with painful sickness and disease!” This is whatDavid asked for when he said in Psalms 118,18: 'יסור יסרני קה ולמות לא נתנני, “the Lord punished me severely but did not hand me over to the angel of death.” Surely, if someone had to endure man’s inhumanity to man, he would be entitled to his release in exchange.]
והסרתי מחלה מקרבך שתהא בריא כי מה יועיל מאכל לחולה שאינו יכול לאכול.
והסירותי מחלה מקרבך, “I will remove sickness from your midst.” In other words, “you will be healthy;” for what good is food to a sick person who cannot enjoy it?”
כי אני ה' רופאך. המשכילך בדרך זו תלך שלא תבא לידי מחלה כרופא המזהיר
לאוהבו לא תאכל מאכל פלוני שלא תבא לידי חולי רק אם שמוע תשמע וגו' כל המחלה וגו' כי אני
ה' המזהירך קודם שלא תעשה דבר המביאך לידי מחלה וכאב שעבירה מביאה לידי מחלה שנאמר נד
קציר ביום מחלה וגו'. והמצוה היא רפואה לאדם שנא' ולכל בשרו מרפא מהרב יוסף קרא. וכל זה
מתפרש כמו ולרש אין כל ולא יעיר כל חמתו שום דבר מחמתו. וכן הכא שום דבר מהמחלה לא
תשים עליך:
כי אני, ה' רופאך, “for I, the Lord, am your physician.” The Torah here speaks of preventive medicine. It tells us that G–d, i.e. His Torah, teaches us how to forestall sickness. Physicians are in the habit of telling their patients what to eat and what not to eat so that that they will not become victims of certain common diseases. This is why the verse commences with the warning to pay heed to what your Physician tells you before you become a victim to these diseases. We are to consider the performance of the Torah’s commandments as preventive medicine. Our author also quotes Isaiah 17,11 as support for his interpretation. The prophet wrote: נד קציר ביום נחלה וכאב אנוש, “on the day that you plant you see it grow.” He also quotes proverbs 4,22, where the author concludes his advice in verse 20 by stating: ולכל בשרו מרפא, “and healing for all his flesh.” (Attributed to Rabbi Joseph Kara). The words: כל המחלה in our verse above is interpreted as having the same meaning as the same word in Samuel II 12,2: ולרש אין כל, “and the poor man does not have anything,” and as in Psalms 78,38: ולא יעיר כל חמתו, “and He did not give full vent to His fury,” i.e. “any of the different kinds of disease I will not inflict upon you.”
מזמור, חנוכת הבית - יש אומרים: שצוה דוד שינגנו המשוררים זה המזמור בחנוכת הבית הראשון. ויש אומרים: בחנוכת הבית השני או השלישי, כי דמה ימי הגלות לימי החולי כאשר אפרש. והקרוב אלי: כי זה המזמור חברו בחנוכת ביתו בית ארזים, כי הכתוב לא הזכיר בית השם וכמוהו: עור ופסח לא יבוא אל הבית כאשר פירשתי במקומו, ואותו הזמן חלה דוד ויחי מחליו. ויאמר רבי משה: כי דוד התאבל כאשר אמר לו נתן כי הוא לא יבנה הבית לשם וכאשר אמר לו, כי שלמה בנו יבנה הבית אז התאזר שמחה תחת אבלו כי בנו כמוהו ולא יחרפהו האויב. ואמר: כי יגון הנפש נמשל לחולי הגון ויותר קשה, כדרך: רוח איש יכלכל מחלהו.
A psalm; a song of dedication of the House – There are those who say that David commanded that the singers play this song at the dedication of the First Temple, and those who say at the dedication of the Second Temple or the Third, because he compared the time of exile to a time of sickness as I will explain. It seems to me that he composed this song at the dedication of his own house, the House of Cedars, because the psalm does not mention the House of God. This usage is similar to “The blind and the lame shall not come into the house,” (Samuel II 5:8) as I explained there. At that time David fell sick and then recovered from his sickness. R’ Moshe said that David mourned when Natan told him that he would not build the house for the Lord. When he told him that Shlomo his son would build the house he was clothed with joy in place of his mourning because his son was like him, and his enemies could not disparage him. And he said that suffering of the soul is similar to physical suffering, and even worse in the sense that “A man's spirit will sustain his illness…” (Proverbs 18:14)
ויראו בני אלהים, בני השופטים והגדולים ומנהיגי המדינות, כי הם נקראו אלהים, כמו "אלהים לא תקלל" (שמות כ"ב) והדומי' לו. וכן תרגום אונקלס בני רברביא, ודרש עזא ועזאל רחוק. ובב"ר (כ"ו) רבי שמעון בן יוחאי מקלל לכל מאן דקרא להו בני אלהים, תני ר"ש ב"י כל פרצה שאינה מן הגדולים אינה פרצה; ועוד אמרו למה קורא אותם בני האלהים, ר"ח ור"ל תרויהון אמרין שהרבו ימים בלא צער ובלא יסורין; רב הונא בשם ר' יוסי אמר הרבו ימים כדי לעסוק על התקופות ועל החשבונות ועל המזלות, והוא הטעם שכתבנו למעלה באריכות שנות האנשים הנזכרים.
ויראו בני האלוהים, the sons of the judges, the elite of the species who are here referred to as אלוהים, just as in Exodus 22,27 אלוהים לא תקלל, “you must not curse a judge.” There are numerous similar examples in the Torah of the attribute אלוהים being applied to morally high ranking human beings. Onkelos also translates it in this vein when he speaks of בני רברביא. The explanations offered that the Torah refers to Uzza and Uzael are very far fetched. (compare Torah shleymah on this verse). [The two aforementioned are supposed to have been angels who had voted against the creation of man and who belittled man’s effort to conquer the evil urge. They were supposedly punished by being consigned to earth to experience life on earth by themselves. Instead of proving their superiority, they were the first to succumb to the allurement of physically attractive females. Their request to return to the celestial regions was denied by G’d. Ed.]
According to Bereshit Rabbah 26,5 Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai cursed anyone who translated the words בני האלוהים as “the sons of G’d.” He added that when the elite of the people are themselves guilty of the sins they want the common man to refrain from, their efforts are doomed to start with. Another reason offered why these people were referred to as בני האלוהים, (according to both Rabbi Chaninah and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, is that these were the people enjoying carefree long lives, free from sickness and other impediments. [This may have given them the illusion of being able to get away with whatever they felt like doing. Ed.] Rav Hunna, quoting Rabbi Yossi, says that these people were granted such long lives in order to enable them to study the sky, observe the orbits of the stars and make calculations resulting in our calendar.
According to Bereshit Rabbah 26,5 Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai cursed anyone who translated the words בני האלוהים as “the sons of G’d.” He added that when the elite of the people are themselves guilty of the sins they want the common man to refrain from, their efforts are doomed to start with. Another reason offered why these people were referred to as בני האלוהים, (according to both Rabbi Chaninah and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, is that these were the people enjoying carefree long lives, free from sickness and other impediments. [This may have given them the illusion of being able to get away with whatever they felt like doing. Ed.] Rav Hunna, quoting Rabbi Yossi, says that these people were granted such long lives in order to enable them to study the sky, observe the orbits of the stars and make calculations resulting in our calendar.
O Lord, how long - wilt Thou crush me with sickness and not heal me ?
I am weary with my groaning; Every night make I my bed to swim ; I melt my couch with my tears. - For I groan and am anxious on account of my sickness and weep until I make my bed swim every night, because at night the sickness is grievous, and a man laments and weeps on account of his sickness. Or he weeps at night because the household is asleep and no one sees him. And lo ! he is weary with groaning and with weeping. And as for what he says : I make to swim and I water - it is by way of exaggeration and hyperbole. And the interpretation of אשחה (I make to swim) is (to be derived) from (such passages) as : "as he that swimmeth (השחה) spreadeth out his hands to swim (לשׂחות)" (Is. 25:11); or from the Targum (rendering) of "and he washed (וירחץ)" (Gen. 43:31), which is ואסתי. And the interpretation of אמסה (I melt) is (to be gathered) from (such passages) as : " they made the heart of the people melt (המסיו)" (Josh. 14:8) ; "and like a moth Thou makest his beauty to melt away (ותמס)" (Ps. 39:12). These (instances) are from verbs lamed he of the hifil conjugation. And there are many (cases) of double 'ayin verbs of this signification, as : "They have made my heart to melt (הֵמַסּוּ)" (Deut. 1:28) ; "and the heart of the people melted (וַיִּמָּס)" (Josh. 7:8).
Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity ; For the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping. - He said this on recovering from his sickness, or even during his sickness ; and (then) he is speaking of the future by the Holy Spirit. And every sick man who prays by this Psalm is able to say this, for he is confident that God will hear his prayer if he prays with a broken and contrite heart.
והסיר ה' ממך כל חולי. הנהוג בעולם. ואמר עוד: וכל מדוי מצרים. הבאים בשנוי והרמב"ן כתב הזכיר מדוי מצרים הרעים להבטיח אותם בהם ונתנם בכל שונאיך או ירמוז כי בעשותם המשפטים יכלו מהם ואם לא יעשו אותם יבואו עליהם כאשר באו על המצרים כאשר אמר בתוכחות והשיב בך את כל מדוי מצרים. והזכיר תחלה במשפטים להכרית ולכלות כל עובדי ע"ז ולכך אמר ואכלת את כל העמים שתכריתם כענין שנאמר כי לחמנו הם ואמר לא תחוס עינך עליהם כי ברחמנות השופט יאבד כל משפט:
והסיר ה' ממך כל חולי, “Hashem will remove every sickness from you.” This refers to sicknesses that are part and parcel of everyday life. Moses adds:
וכל מדוי מצרים “as well as all the bad maladies specifically prevalent in Egypt.” Probably, what are meant are different kinds of intestinal maladies, cancer of the colon, etc. Moses singles out these diseases with which the Israelites were familiar from their stay in Egypt, to assure them that G’d will cure them even from such diseases as part of the reward for observing the משפטים. He would instead afflict our enemies with such diseases. It is also possible that Moses hints here that if once afflicted with these diseases the meticulous observance of the social laws would cause G’d to heal the afflicted person, whereas non observance of these laws may bring in its wake such afflictions.
When singling out specific commandments representing the social laws, משפטים, Moses singles out first (8,19) and foremost the eradication of every person guilty of practicing any kind of idolatry.
וישמע אלקים את קול הנער. פירש"י מכאן שיפה תפלת החולה על עצמו מתפלת אחרים אע"פ דאין חבוש מתיר עצמו תפלה שאני כדאשכחן בחזקיהו ויסב חזקיהו פניו אל הקיר ויתפלל:
וישמע אלוקים אל קול הנער, “G’d listened to the voice (cries) of the lad.” Rashi derives from this wording that the prayer of the sick person himself concerning his recovery is more likely to be heard than all the prayers of other people on his behalf. This is so although we have a principle according to which a person whose hands and feet have been tied is unable to free himself, i.e. the stricken need outside assistance. We know that Chizkiyah whose sickness had been declared by the prophet to be terminal, was healed after he personally appealed to G’d on behalf of himself.
ונתתי משכני בתוככם. כתב ר' אברהם לא תפחדו שתבואו לעולם לידי חסרון כי כבודי דר עמכם ואיני כבן אדם שתגעל נפשו לדור במקום אחד. ועוד כי בלכתכם אל ארץ אויביכם והמקדש (איננו?) עמכם יתהלך כבודי עמכם הנה אני אהיה לכם לאלהי' ואתם עמי כי על כן הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים. והרמב"ן פי' והתהלכתי בתוככם שתהיה הנהגתי בכם מפורסמת כמלך מתהלך בקרב מחנהו ומספיק להם כל צרכם. ואינו מזכיר כאן שכר קיום הנפשות בעולם הנשמות ובעולם הבא אחרי תחיית המתים כי קיומם מחויב בדרך היצירה וכמו שפירשתי בכריתות והעונש הוא שמכרית החייבים מהם והשאר כולם קיימים ביסוד יצירתן. וכתב עוד ואף כי אלו הברכות רבות כלליות בענין המטר והשובע והשלום ופריה ורביה אינם כל כך כמו הברכות שבירך כבר בקצרה ובירך את לחמך ואת מימך והסירותי מחלה מקרבך כי שם הבטיח במאכל ובמשתה ושנהיה לברכה עד שלא יארע שום חולי בגופינו ועל כן יהיו כל הזרע שלמים ובריאים ונוליד כהוגן ונחיה ימים מלאים כמו שאמר לא תהי' משכלה ועקרה בארצך את מספר ימיך אמלא וכן אמר תחלה כי אני ה' רופאך. והטעם בזה כי הברכות ההם אע"פ שהם נסים הן מן הנסים הנסתרים שכל התורה מליאה מהם כאשר פירשתי והם אפי' ליחיד העובד כי כאשר יהיה האיש החסיד שומר כל מצות ה' אלהיו ישמרהו אל מכל חולי והעקרות והשכול וימלא ימיו בטובה אבל אלו הברכות שבפרשה הזאת הם כלליות בעם והם בהיות כל עמינו צדיקים לכך יזכיר תמיד בכאן הארץ ונתנה הארץ. לבטח בארצכם. שלום בארץ. חיה רעה מן הארץ. לא תעבור בארצכם. וכבר ביארנו כי אלו הברכות כולם נסים כי אין בטבע שיבואו הגשמים ויהיה שלום לנו מן האויבים ויבא מורך בלבם לנוס ק' מפני ה' בעשותינו החקים והמצות ולא שיהיה הפוך הכל מפני זרענו השנה השביעית אע"פ שהם נסים נסתרים שעולם כמנהגו נוהג בהם אבל הם מתפרסמים מצד היותם לעולם תמיד בכל הארץ כי אם צדיק א' יחיה ויסיר השם מחלה מקרבו וימלא ימיו יקרה זה גם בקצת הרשעים אבל שתהיה ארץ אחת כולה ועם אחד תמיד ברדת הגשמים בעתם שובע ושלום ושלוה ובריאות וגבורה ושברון האויבים כענין שאין כמוהו בכל הארץ יודע כי מאת ה' היתה זאת ועל כן אמר וראו כל עמי ארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ויראו ממך והפוך אלה יהיה בקללות בעונשי הארץ שאמר והיו שמיכם כברזל ועונשי החולי כמו שאמר וחלאים רעים ונאמנים שיקולל המאכל והמשתה ויחליא ויתפרסם הנס בהיותו תמיד בכולם ועל כן כתיב ואמר הדור האחרון בניכם אשר יקומו וגו' שלא יתמהו באיש ההוא אשר רבצה בו כל האלה כי כן יהיה בעמים רבים בכל האומות שיבואו מקרים רבים לאיש אחד רק בארץ ההיא יתמהו וישאלו ואמרו כל הגוים על מה עשה ה' ככה לארץ הזאת כי כולם ידעו ויראו כי יד ה' עשתה זאת ואמרו על אשר עזבו את ברית ה' אלהי אבותם. והכלל כי בהיות ישראל שלמים והם רבים לא יתנהג ענינם בטבע כלל לא בארצם ולא בגופם ולא ביחיד מהם כי יברך השם לחמם ומימם ויסיר מחל' מקרבם עד שלא יצטרכו לרופא ולא להשמר בדרכי רפואה כלל כמו שאמר אני ה' רופאך כן היו הצדיקים עושים בזמן הנבואה כי גם אם יקרה עון שיחלו לא ידרשו ברופאים כי אם בנביאים וזהו שאמרו אין דרכם של בני אדם ברפואות אלא שנהגו שאם לא היה דרכם ברפואות יחלה האדם כפי שיהיה עליו עונש חטאו ויתרפא ברצון השם אבל הם נהגו ברפואות והשם הניחם למקרי הטבעים וזו היא באמרם ורפא ירפא מכאן שנתנו רשות לרופא לרפאות ולא אמרו שנתנה רשות לחולי להתרפאות אלא כיון שחלה החולה ובא להתרפאות ברפואות והוא לא היה מעדת השם שחלקם בחיים אין לרופא לאסור עצמו מרפואתו לא מפני חשש שמא ימות בידו אחרי שהוא בקי במלאכה ההיא ולא בעבור שיאמר כי השם לבדו הוא רופא כל בשר שכבר נהגו. ועל כן ציותה תורה לחובל בחבירו ליתן תשלומי הרפואה כי התורה אינה סומכת על הנס כאשר אמרה לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ ומדעתו שכן יהיה אבל ברצות השם דרכי איש אין לו עסק ברפואתו. וכתב עוד ואלה הברכות בתשלומיהן לא תהיינה אלא בהיות כל ישראל עושין רצון אביהם שבשמים ובנין שמים וארץ על מכונו ואין בתורה ברכות שלימות כאלה שהם דברי הברית והתנאים שהן בין הקב"ה לישראל. ודע כי לא השיגו ישראל לעולם בברכות האלה בתשלומיהן לא הרבים ולא היחידים מהם שלא עלתה זכותם לכך כמו שאמרו על דוד והוא מעורר חניתו על שמנה מאות חלל והיה מצטער על ר' יצתה בת קול ואמרה לו רק בדבר אוריה החתי. ועל כן תמצא לרבותינו שיזכירו בפסוקים האלה לעתיד לבא מלמד שתינוק מישראל עתיד להיות מושיט וכו' עתיד הקב"ה לטייל עם הצדיקים לעתיד לבוא כי לא נתקיים אבל יתקיים עמנו בזמן השלימות:
ונתתי משכני בתוככם, “I shall place My Sanctuary among you.” According to Ibn Ezra the meaning is that you should not worry that you will ever experience scarcity of basic supplies seeing that My glory dwells among you, and I am not like human beings whose nature it is to get bored with a certain location and to look for greener pastures.
Furthermore, even if you will be forced to take up residence in the land of your enemies, where My Sanctuary will no longer be among you, My glory will not abandon you, so that you will have evidence that I will still consider Myself as your G’d, and all that this entails. This was the reason why I took you out of Egypt in the first place.
Nachmanides explains the words והתהלכתי בתוככם, (verse 12) “I shall be taking walks among you,” to mean that My special providence which guides your fate will be in evidence just as when a king travels through his domain his impending presence will be advertised ahead of time and will be brought to the attention of the masses. He will be recognized as the One supplying his subjects’ needs.
The Torah, at this stage, makes no mention of the reward for keeping the mitzvoth that accrues to us in the world of disembodied souls after our death. Neither does it mention the reward that accrues to such people after the resurrection of the dead in G’d’s own good time. There is no need to do this as such “reward” is an integral part of man’s having been created as G’d’s most favoured creature. This latter “reward” is automatic unless the creature (man) has forfeited it by committing serious sins without confessing them, repenting them and changing his way of life as a result of such repentance. (Nachmanides had explained his understanding of how this works in his commentary at the end of acharey mot, adding that the concept is rooted in the verse כי נר ה' נשמת אדם, “that the soul of man is part of G’d’s light.” Proverbs) The Torah by repeating all the time the words על הארץ, makes sure that we do not misinterpret the parameters within which all these blessings apply.
He writes further that although all these blessings are of a collective nature, applying to the people as a whole on the understanding that the majority observes the Torah, as opposed to when the Torah, briefly, spoke about G’d blessing “your bread, etc.,” addressing each Israelite individually, in the singular mode, the difference is that even though collectively we may have lots of food and drink this does not necessarily mean that each one of us benefits in equal measure from such abundance of food and drink. Individual supervision by G’d of our well being, is always in the nature of a miracle, though not what we call a נס גלוי, a manifest miracle. When addressing the people in general terms such as here, this is part of השגחה כללית, G’d’s broad supervision of the nation (or nations as the case maybe) and this is made clear by the emphasis on the ארץ, i.e. nature, providing the visible aspects of these blessings. [Naturally, nature works under the guidance of Hashem, but that guidance is not usually manifest, and man does not attribute crop failures, destructive acts of nature by hurricanes, etc., to divine intervention, but to nature’s caprice. Ed.] Nachmanides quotes such phrases as שלום בארץ, לבטח בארץ, חיה רעה בארץ, חרב לא תעבור בארצכם, as examples of such indirect blessings, blessings emanating from השגחה כללית, G’d’s general supervision of the fate of man and nations. Anyone familiar with rainfall patterns realizes that if beneficial rains occur year after year at times when they are most welcome to the farmer that this is more than nature at work. It proves that nature is “inspired.” In other words, the Torah promises as a reward for collective mitzvah performance, and refraining from violating negative commandments, that “nature” will display its appreciation by making the individual as well as the national lives of the Jewish people free from the major problems life on earth is beset with. This, in turn, will convince the nations surrounding the Holy Land, that the Jewish G’d takes care of His own, and if G’d forbid, we should fail to live up to the standards expected of us, it will be the nations of the world who will be the first ones to attribute our misfortunes to G’d’s displeasure with the Jewish people, as pointed out by Moses in Deuteronomy
To sum up, when the Jewish people behave in the manner expected of them, their lives will not be subject to natural law at all, but G’d will intervene on their behalf all the time, both manifestly and behind the scenes. Expressions such as אני ה' רופאך, “I the Lord am your Healer,” do not mean that G’d will have to heal our diseases when the medical practitioners are unable to do so, but the expression is an oblique way of saying that we will never even have occasion to call on the services of a physician made of flesh and blood. Righteous people in former times would not call on the services of a physician even when they did fall sick, but they would turn to the prophet during their time.
When the Talmud B’rachot 60 states in connection with a short prayer invoking G’d’s help that one should say before undergoing even minor surgery, by adding אין דרכן של בני אדם לרפאות, mistakenly understood as “because man has not mastered the art of healing,” the meaning of the Talmud is that we are not to call on a physician as an alternative to G’d, but that the physician when becoming aware of our sickness is allowed to practice his art, as the Torah issued specific permission for him to do in Exodus 21,19 writing (about the physician) ורפוא ירפא, “he shall certainly provide the healing,” the assumption being that the physician does so at his own initiative. The Torah nowhere gave permission for the sick or injured Jew to turn to the physician instead of turning to G’d. [If many great scholars earned their livelihood by curing the sick, they did so primarily to help gentile patients. Ed.]
It is interesting that the Torah commanded all of us to pay the physician for services rendered (Maimonides 1,1 hilchot chovel umazik) the reason being that Torah laws do not assume G’d’s miraculous intervention on our behalf, [we must not be arrogant enough to assume that we deserve such miracles. Ed.] After all, the Torah has told us כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ, “destitute people will never disappear from earth completely.” (Deut. 16,1) [I believe the author uses this verse to make sure that we do not use His intervention in our fates as an excuse not to do all we can to relieve all manner of pain, economic hardship, etc. among our fellow human beings if we feel that we can be helpful to them. Ed.]
Nachmanides writes also that the blessings spelled out above never all materialized at any one time in Jewish history, as the conduct of the Jewish people thus far had never been on such a level that we deserved all of these blessings. This is precisely the reason why our sages when speaking of blessings, cite the ones mentioned here as the kind which are reserved for a future after the arrival of the Messiah, as only then will we be on the spiritual level when the conditions are ripe for the fulfillment of all these promises. Fulfillment of such promises as G’d walking with the righteous presupposes a kind of perfect world which is hardly conceivable until our total redemption from the galut.
ר' יהודה אומר לא ירעה רווק בהמה. ולא ישנו שני רווקים בטלית אחת. וחכמים מתירין. כל שעסקו עם הנשים לא יתייחד עם הנשים. ולא ילמד אדם את בנו אומנות בין הנשים. רבי מאיר אומר לעולם ילמד אדם את בנו אומנות נקיה וקלה. ויתפלל למי שהעושר והנכסים שלו. שאין אומנות שאין בה עניות ועשירות. שלא עניות מן האומנות. ולא עשירות מן האומנות. אלא הכל לפי זכותו. רבי שמעון בן אליעזר אומר. ראית מימיך חיה ועוף שיש להם אומנות והן מתפרנסין שלא בצער. והלא לא נבראו אלא לשמשני. ואני נבראתי לשמש את קוני. אינו דין שאתפרנס שלא בצער. אלא שהרעותי מעשי. וקפחתי את פרנסתי: אבא גוריין איש צדיין אומר משום אבא גוריא לא ילמד אדם את בנו חמר. גמל. ספר. ספן. רועה. וחנוני. שאומנתן אומנות לסטים. רבי יהודה אומר משמו. החמרין רובן רשעים. והגמלין רובן כשרים. הספנין רובן חסידים. טוב שברופאים לגיהנם. והכשר שבטבחים שותפו של עמלק. רבי נהוראי אומר מניח אני כל אומנות שבעולם. ואיני מלמד את בני אלא תורה. שאדם אוכל משכרה בעולם הזה. וקרן קיימת לעולם הבא. ושאר כל אומנות אינן כן. כשאדם בא לידי חולי. או לידי זקנה. או לידי יסורין. ואינו יכול לעסוק במלאכתו. הרי הוא מת ברעב. אבל התורה אינה כן אלא משמרתו מכל רע בנערותו. ונותנת לו אחרית ותקוה בזקנותו. בנערותו מה הוא אומר (ישעיה מ, לא) וקוי ה' יחליפו כח. בזקנותו מהו אומר (תהלים צב, טו) עוד ינובון בשיבה. וכן הוא אומר באברהם אבינו עליו השלום (בראשית כד, א) ואברהם זקן וה' ברך את אברהם בכל. מצינו שעשה אברהם אבינו את כל התורה כולה עד שלא נתנה שנאמר (בראשית כו, ה) עקב אשר שמע אברהם בקולי. וישמור משמרתי. מצותי חקותי ותורותי:
Rabbi Yehudah says, "An unmarried man should not herd animals, and two unmarried men should not sleep in the same garment." And the Sages permit it. Whoever's business is with women should not be alone with women. And one should not teach his son a profession [that would cause him to be] among women. Rabbi Meir says, "A person should always teach his son a clean and easy profession, and he should pray to the One to whom wealth and possessions belong, as there is no profession which does not have in it poverty and wealth. For poverty is not due to one's profession, and wealth is not due to one's profession, rather, it is all according to one's merit." Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says, "Have you seen in all your days a beast or fowl that has a profession? [Yet] they sustain themselves without trouble. And weren't they created solely to serve me, and I was created to serve my Master. Isn't it logical, then, that I should be able to sustain myself without trouble? However, I my actions were bad, and I deprived myself of my sustenance." Abba Garin, a man of Tzaydin says in the name of Abba Guria, "A person should not teach his son [to be] a donkey-driver, a camel-driver, a barber, a sailor, a shepherd, or a shopkeeper, for their professions are the professions of thieves." Rabbi Yehudah says in his name, "Most donkey-drivers are wicked, and most camel-drivers are honorable. Most sailors are pious. The best physicians [are destined] for hell, and the most honorable among the butchers is the partner of Amalek." Rabbi Nehorai says, "I leave [aside] all professions in the world and I do not teach my son anything other than Torah, for a person enjoys its reward in this world and the principle remains into the world to come." And this is not the case for the rest of the professions. When a person encounters sickness, or old age, or suffering and is not able to engage in his profession, he will surely die of hunger. But the Torah is not like this; rather, it protects him from all evil in his youth and grants him an end and hope in his old age. Regarding his youth, what does it say? "Those who wait for the Lord will have their strength renewed" (Isaiah 40:31). Regarding his old age what does it say? "They shall still bear fruit in old age" (Psalms 92:15). And so it says with regard to Abraham, our father, peace be upon him, "And Abraham was old...and the Lord blessed Abraham with everything" (Genesis 24:1). We find that Abraham our father performed the entire Torah [even] before it was given, as it says "Because Abraham listened to My voice, and he observed My statutes, commandments, laws, and teachings" (Genesis 26:5).
באחד בשבת מ"ט לא אמר ר' יוחנן מפני הנוצרים ר' שמואל בר נחמני אמר מפני שהוא שלישי ליצירה
The Gemara asks: What is the reason that they would not fast on Sunday? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Due to the Christians, as Sunday is their day of rest, and they would claim that even the Jews ascribe significance to their special day. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Because it is the third day after the creation of man, who was created on Friday, and the third day of recovery from a wound or sickness, in this case one’s very creation, is considered the most painful.
ומאי חזית דסמכת אהא סמוך אהא כתב קרא אחרינא (תהלים קג, ג) הסולח לכל עוניכי הרופא לכל תחלואיכי הגואל משחת חייכי למימרא דגאולה ורפואה בתר סליחה היא והכתיב ושב ורפא לו ההוא לאו רפואה דתחלואים היא אלא רפואה דסליחה היא
But what did you see to rely on this verse? Rely rather on the other! There is written another verse, “Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit”(Psalms 103:3-4). This implies that redemption and healing come after forgiveness. But it is written, “And he will repent and be healed”? That refers not to the healing of sickness but to the healing [power] of forgiveness.
אמר רבי אלעזר כל הדר בארץ ישראל שרוי בלא עון שנאמר (ישעיהו לג, כד) ובל יאמר שכן חליתי העם היושב בה נשוא עון א"ל רבא לרב אשי אנן בסובלי חלאים מתנינן לה
Rabbi Elazar said: Anyone who resides in Eretz Yisrael dwells without transgression, as it is stated: “And the inhabitant shall not say: I am sick; the people that dwell there shall be forgiven their iniquity” (Isaiah 33:24). Rava said to Rav Ashi: We learned this promise with regard to those who suffer from sickness. The phrase “I am sick” indicates that they are the ones who are forgiven their sins.
אמר ר' אלכסנדרי אמר ר' חייא בר אבא אין החולה עומד מחליו עד שמוחלין לו על כל עונותיו שנאמר (תהלים קג, ג) הסולח לכל עוניכי הרופא לכל תחלואיכי רב המנונא אמר חוזר לימי עלומיו שנאמר (איוב לג, כה) רוטפש בשרו מנוער ישוב לימי עלומיו כל משכבו הפכת בחליו (תהלים מא, ד) אמר רב יוסף לומר דמשכח למודו
§ Rabbi Alexandri said that Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: The sick person recovers from his illness only when the heavenly court forgives him for all his sins, as it is stated: “Who forgives all your iniquity; Who heals all your diseases” (Psalms 103:3). Rav Hamnuna said: When he recovers, he returns to the days of his youth, as it is stated in a verse with regard to one recovering from illness: “His flesh is tenderer than a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth” (Job 33:25). Interpreting the verse: “The Lord will support him upon the bed of suffering; You overturned all his lying down in his illness” (Psalms 41:4), Rav Yosef said: That is to say that the sick person forgets his studies, as everything that is organized is overturned.
עד יעקב לא הוה חולשא אתא יעקב בעא רחמי והוה חולשא שנאמר (בראשית מח, א) ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה עד דאתא אלישע לא הוה דחליש ואתפח אתא אלישע בעא רחמי ואתפח שנאמר (מלכים ב יג, יד) ואלישע חלה את חליו אשר ימות בו מכלל דחלה חלי אחריתי
Until Jacob, there was no illness leading up to death; rather, one would die suddenly. Jacob came and prayed for mercy, and illness was brought to the world, allowing one to prepare for his death, as it is stated: “And one said to Joseph: Behold, your father is sick” (Genesis 48:1), which is the first time that sickness preceding death is mentioned in the Bible. Until Elisha, one did not fall ill and then heal, as everyone who fell ill would die. Elisha came and prayed for mercy and he was healed, as it is written: “Now Elisha fell ill with his illness from which he was to die” (II Kings 13:14). By inference, one can derive that he had previously fallen ill with other illnesses from which he did not die.
תני רב יוסף (שמות יח כט) והודעת להם זה בית חייהם. את הדרך זה גמילות חסדים. ילכו זה ביקור חולים. בה זו קבורה. ואת המעשה זה הדין. אשר יעשון זו לפנים משורת הדין. אמר מר אשר ילכו זה ביקור חולים היינו ג״ח לא נצרכה אלא לבן גילו דאמר מר בן גילו נוטל אחד מששים מחליו ואפילו הכי מיבעי ליה למיזל לגביה. בה זו קבורה והיינו ג״ח לא נצרכה אלא לזקן ואינה לפי כבודו. אשר יעשון זו לפנים משורת הדין דאמר רבי יוחנן לא חרבה ירושלים אלא על שדנו בה דין תורה אלא דיני דמגיזתא לדיינו אלא אימא שהעמידו דיניהם על דין תורה ולא עבדו לפנים משורת הדין:
(Ib. b) R. Joseph was taught: Concerning the verse (Ex. 18, 29) And thou shalt make them know, means how to make a living; the way, refers to loving kindness; wherein they walk, refers to visit the sick ; in it, refers to bury the dead; and the work, means the exact law; which they do, refers to equity. The master says: Wherein they walk refers to visit the sick. Is this not included in loving kindness? It was necessary to name this separately, in case when the sick one was a ben gilo, and the master says [elsewhere] that by visiting a sick ben gilo, a sixtieth part of the sickness goes over to him, and notwithstandmg this he must do so. But is not the burying of the dead included in loving kindness? It was necessary to teach that even if he was a sage, and it is beyond his dignity, he must nevertheless do so iu such a case. Which they must do, refers to equity; for R. Jochanan said that Jerusalem was destroyed because they insisted upon the fulfillment of the exact law and never upon equity.
(דף נח ע״ב) תנו רבנן (ויקרא כה יז) לא תונו איש את עמיתו באונאת דברים הכתוב מדבר אתה אומר באונאת דברים או אינו אלא באונאת ממון כשהוא אומר (שם) וכי תמכרו ממכר לעמיתך או קנה מיד עמיתך הרי אונאת ממון אמור הא מה אני מקיים לא תונו איש את עמיתו באונאת דברים הא כיצד אם היה בעל תשובה אל יאמר לו זכור מעשיך הראשונים אם היה בן גרים אל יאמר לו זכור מעשה אבותיך אם היה גר ובא ללמוד תורה אל יאמר לו פה שאכל נבילות וטריפות שקצים ורמשים יבא ללמוד תורה שנאמרה מפי הגבורה אם היו יסורין באים עליו או אם היו חולאים באים עליו או שהיה מקבר את בניו אל יאמר לו כדרך שאמרו לו חבריו לאיוב (איוב ד ו) הלא יראתך כסלתך תקותך ותום דרכיך זכור נא מי נקי אבד אם היו חמרים מבקשים תבואה ממנו לא יאמר להם לכו אצל פלוני שהוא מוכר תבואה ויודע בו שלא מכר מעולם רבי יהודה אומר אף לא יתלה עיניו על המקח בשעה שאין לו דמים שהרי הדבר מסור ללב וכל דבר המסור ללב נאמר בו (ויקרא יט יד) ויראת מאלהיך:
(Fol. 58 b) Our Rabbis were taught: Concerning the verse (Lev. 25, 17) And ye shall not wrong one another — the passage warns here against wrong of words. You say it warns against wrong committed with words; perhaps it warns against wrong committed with money? Since the passage says (Ib., ib. 14) And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbor, or buy of thy neighbor's hand; this is a warning against wrong committed with money. Hence the above verse must be a warning against wrong committed with words. How so? If a person has repented one must not say to him. Remember thy former acts. If one was a descendant of proselytes, one must not say to him, Remember the acts of your parents. If a proselyte comes to learn the Torah, one shall not say to him, The mouth that hath eaten carcasses, etc., should utter the words of the Torah, which was pronounced by the mouth of the Almighty. To a person who suffers from chastisements, sickness, or burying his children, one must not say, as Job's colleagues said to him (Job 4, 6-7 ) Is not thy fear of God thy confidence, and thy hope the integrity of thy ways? Remember, I pray thee, whoever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off? Also, if drivers were looking for a place where to buy grain, one must not send them to anyone, telling them that he is a grain seller, knowing that he never was such. R. Juda says: "One must also not inquire the price of an article, having no money to pay for it, as all that refers to the heart, and in everything which refers to the heart, the passage says (Lev. 19, 14) Thou shalt fear thy God."
א״ר אלכסנדרי א״ר חייא בר אבא אין החולה עומד מחליו עד שמוחלין לו כל עונותיו שנאמר (תהלים קג ג) הסולח לכל עונכי הרופא לכל תחלואיכי. רב המנונא אומר חוזר לימי עלומיו שנא׳ (איוב לג כה) רטפש בשרו מנוער ישוב לימי עלומיו (תהלים מא ד) כל משכבו הפכת בחליו אמר רב יוסף לומר שמשכח תלמודו:
R. Alexandria said in the name of R. Chiya b. Abba: "A sick person does not recover from his sickness until all his sins are forgiven, as it is said (Ps. 103, 3) Who forgiveth all thy iniquities should heal all thy diseases." R. Hamnuna said : "Such a person regains his youthful days, as it is said (Job 33, 25) His flesh becometh full again as in youth; he returneth to the days of his boyhood." (Ps. 41, 4) Mayest Thou turn all his lying down in his sickness. R. Joseph said : "This means that he forgets his learning."
עד אברהם לא הוה זקנה מאן דהוה בעי למשתעי בהדי אברהם משתעי בהדי יצחק בהדי יצחק משתעי בהדי אברהם אתא אברהם בעי רחמי והוה זקנה שנאמר (בראשית כד א) ואברהם זקן בא בימים. עד יעקב לא הוה חולשא אתא יעקב בעא רחמי והוה חולשה שנאמר (בראשית מח א) ויאמר ליוסף הנה אביך חולה. עד דאתא אלישע לא הוה דחליש ואתפח אתא אלישע בעי רחמי ואתפח שנאמר (מ״ב יג) ואלישע חלה את חליו אשר ימות בו מכלל דחלה חולי אחריתי. תנו רבנן שלשה חלאים חלה אלישע אחד שדחפו לגיחזי בשתי ידיו ואחר שגירה דובים בתינוקות ואחד שמת בו שנאמר ואלישע חלה את חליו אשר ימות בו:
Until the time of Abraham there was no mark of old age, and anyone who wanted to talk to Abraham spoke to Isaac, or vice versa, [since their appearance was the same]. Then Abraham prayed, and the mark of old age was visible, as it is said (Ib. 47) And Abraham was old. Until the time of Jacob there was no sickness [death occurred suddenly]. Then Jacob prayed that sickness should come before death; as it is said (Ib. 48, 1) Behold, thy father is sick. Until the time of the prophet Elisha there was no one who was cured of sickness. But Elisha prayed and was cured; as it is said (II Kings 13) Elisha was sick of the sickness where he had to die, which signifies that previously he was sick and was cured. Our Rabbis were taught: "Three times was Elisha sick; first at the time he discharged Gechazi from his service, secondly when he set the bears on the children, and the third time when he died."
שמעון בני חכם מאי קאמר ה״ק אע״פ ששמעון בני חכם גמליאל בני נשיא אמר לוי צריכא למימר אמר ר״ש בר רבי צריכא לך ולמטלעתך מאי קשיא ליה הא קרא קאמר (דה״ב כא ג) ואת הממלכה נתן ליהורם כי הוא הבכור ההוא ממלא מקום אבותיו הוה ורבן גמליאל אינו ממלא מקום אבותיו הוה ורבי מאי טעמא עבד הכי נהי דאינו ממלא מקום אבותיו בחכמה ביראת חטא ממלא מקום אבותיו הוה. חנינא בר חמא ישב בראש לא קבל רבי חנינא שהיה ר׳ אפס גדול ממנו שתי שנים ומחצה, יתיב ר׳ אפס ברישא ויתיב ר׳ חנינא אבראי ואתא לוי ויתיב גביה נח נפשיה דר׳ אפס ויתיב ר׳ חנינא ברישא ולא הוה ללוי אינש למיתב גביה וקאתא לבבל והיינו דאמרי ליה לרב גברא רבה אקלע לנהרדעא ומטלע ודריש כלילא שרי אמר ש״מ נח נפשיה דר׳ אפס ויתיב ר׳ חנינא ברישא ולא הוה ליה ללוי אינשי למיתב גביה וקאתי אימא ר׳ חנינא נח נפשיה ורבי אפס כדיתיב יתיב ולא הוה ליה ללוי אינש למיתב גביה וקאתי אבע״א לוי לר׳ אפס מיכף הוה כייף ליה ואב״ע כיון דאמר ר׳ חנינא בר חמא ישב בראש לא סגי דלא מליך דכתיב בהו בצדיקים (איוב כב כח) תגזר אומר ויקם לך והא הוה ר׳ חייא נח נפשיה. והא״ר חייא אני ראיתי קברו של רבי והורדתי עליו דמעות איפוך והא״ר חייא אותו היום שמת רבי בטלה קדושה איפוך והתניא כשחלה רבי נכנס ר׳ חייא אצלו ומצא שהוא בוכה א״ל רבי מפני מה אתה בוכה והתניא מת מתוך שחוק סימן יפה מתוך הבכי סימן רע לו פניו כלפי הכותל סימן רע לו פניו כלפי העם סימן יפה לו פניו ירוקין סימן רע לו פניו צהובין ואדומים סימן יפה לו מת בערב שבת סימן יפה לו במוצאי שבת סימן רע לו מת בערב יום הכפורים סימן רע לו במוצאי יום הכפורים סימן יפה לו מת בחלי מעים סימן יפה לו מפני שרובן של צדיקם מיתתן בחולי מעים א״ל אנא אתורה ומצות קא בכינא אבע״א איפוך ואבע״א (לעולם לא תיפוך) רבי חייא עסוק במצוה הוה ור׳ סבר לא אפגריה:
"Simon, my son, should be the Chacham." What did he mean by this ? He means thus : although Simon, my son, is wise, nevertheless Gamaliel, my son, should be conferred with the dignity of Patriarch. Levi asked: "Why was it necessary to give such an instruction [since he was the oldest one?"] Said R. Simon b. Rabbi: "It was necessary for thee and for thy lame foot." Why did not R. Simon understand the question. Is there not a passage (II Chr. 21, 3) But the kingdom gave he to Jehoram; because he was the first born? There it was different, because he was able to fill out the place of his father in every respect; but Gamaliel was not able to fill out the place of his father. If so, then why did Rabbi give instructions to make him the Patriarch? Rabbi's reason was because, granted that he was not able to fill his father's place in wisdom, nevertheless in fearing God he did fill his father's place. "Chanina b. Chama should be the head of the academy." R. Chanina, however, did not accept the position, because R. Appas was two and a half years older than he. Therefore R. Appas became the head. R. Chanina, nevertheless, remained outside. Levi then joined R. Chanina as an associate to him, and when R. Appas died, which caused the elevation of R. Chanina to the chief of the academy, Levi, not having anyone to join him, left the land of Israel and emigrated to Babylonia, and this is what the people informed Rab. "A great man happened to come to Nehardea, lame on one leg, and expounded that a woman is permitted [on the Sabbath] to take a stroll, while bearing a wreath on her head." Rab then said: "This proves that R. Appas died and R. Chanina became the chief of the academy, hence Levi did not have anyone to associate with him and therefore came here." Why not say that R. Chanina died, so R. Appas remained as before, but Levi merely lost his associate and was compelled to come to Babylon? If you wish I will explain that Levi would have subordinated himself to the control of R. Appas [and his refusal was chiefly because he desired to be an associate to R. Chanina] ; and if you wish I will say since Rabbi ordered that R. Chanina should become the chief of the academy, it became impossible that he should die and not become a chief, for it is said (Job. 22, 28) And if thou decree a thing, it will be fulfilled unto thee. But why did not Rabbi appoint as the chief of the academy R. Chiya, who was the oldest? Because R. Chiya had been dead already. But do we not find that R. Chiya said: "I saw the grave of Rabbi upon which I shed tears"? This was the reversed condition [that Rabbi saw R. Chiya's grave and shed tears on it.] But has not R. Chiya said that the day on which Rabbi died, holiness was abolished? This was taught in the reversed way. But again, is there not a Baraitha that when Rabbi became ill, R. Chiya entered to visit him and found him weeping, whereupon R. Chiya said to him : "Why art thou crying? Are we not taught in a Baraitha that when one dies while laughing it is a good omen, but when one dies while crying it is a bad omen, dying with his face upward, it is a good omen ; but with his face downward, it is a bad omen; with his face towards the wall, it is a bad omen; but with his face towards the people, it is a good omen. If one's face turns green after death, it is a bad omen ; but if one's face looks reddish or yellow, it is a good omen. If one dies on the Sabbath eve, it is a good omen ; but if one dies on the termination of the Sabbath, it is a bad omen. If one dies on the eve of the Day of Atonement, it is a bad omen; but if one dies on the termination of the Day of Atonement, it is a good omen. If one dies of an intestinal sickness, it is a good omen, because the majority of the righteous die of an entrail sickness." Whereupon Rabbi answered him: "I am weeping because of the Torah and the meritorious deeds which I will not be able to perform." [Hence we see that R. Chiya was alive when Rabbi died.] If you wish, you may reverse the above Baraitha, and if you wish you may say that it is not necessary to reverse the Baraitha; but since R. Chiya devoted his time to important meritorious deeds, Rabbi thought it is better not to disturb him.
THE SICKNESS OF ADAM When Adam had lived to be nine hundred and thirty years old, a sickness seized him, and he felt that his days were drawing to an end. He summoned all his descendants, and assembled them before the door of the house of worship in which he had always offered his prayers to God, to give them his last blessing. His family were astonished to find him stretched out on the bed of sickness, for they did not know what pain and suffering were. They thought he was overcome with longing after the fruits of Paradise, and for lack of them was depressed. Seth announced his willingness to go to the gates of Paradise and beg God to let one of His angels give him of its fruits. But Adam explained to them what sickness and pain are, and that God had inflicted them upon him as a punishment for his sin. Adam suffered violently; tears and groans were wrung from him. Eve sobbed, and said, "Adam, my lord, give me the half of thy sickness, I will gladly bear it. Is it not on account of me that this hath come upon thee? On account of me thou undergoest pain and anguish." Adam bade Eve go with Seth to the gates of Paradise and entreat God to have mercy upon him, and send His angel to catch up some of the oil of life flowing from the tree of His mercy and give it to his messengers. The ointment would bring him rest, and banish the pain consuming him. On his way to Paradise, Seth was attacked by a wild beast. Eve called out to the assailant, "How durst thou lay hand on the image of God?" The ready answer came: "It is thine own fault. Hadst thou not opened thy mouth to eat of the forbidden fruit, my mouth would not be opened now to destroy a human being." But Seth remonstrated: "Hold thy tongue! Desist from the image of God until the day of judgment." And the beast gave way, saying, "See, I refrain myself from the image of God," and it slunk away to its covert. Arrived at the gates of Paradise, Eve and Seth began to cry bitterly, and they besought God with many lamentations to give them oil from the tree of His mercy. For hours they prayed thus. At last the archangel Michael appeared, and informed them that he came as the messenger of God to tell them that their petition could not be granted. Adam would die in a few days, and as he was subject to death, so would be all his descendants. Only at the time of the resurrection, and then only to the pious, the oil of life would be dispensed, together with all the bliss and all the delights of Paradise. Returned to Adam, they reported what had happened, and he said to Eve: "What misfortune didst thou bring upon us when thou didst arouse great wrath! See, death is the portion of all our race! Call hither our children and our children's children, and tell them the manner of our sinning." And while Adam lay prostrate upon the bed of pain, Eve told them the story of their fall.
Until the time of Jacob death had always come upon men suddenly, and snatched them away before they were warned of the imminent end by sickness. Once Jacob spoke to God, saying, "O Lord of the world, a man dies suddenly, and he is not laid low first by sickness, and he cannot acquaint his children with his wishes regarding all he leaves behind. But if a man first fell sick, and felt that his end were drawing nigh, he would have time to set his house in order." And God said, "Verily, thy request is sensible, and thou shalt be the first to profit by the new dispensation," and so it happened that Jacob fell sick a little while before his death. His sickness troubled him grievously, for he had undergone much during his life. He had worked day and night while he was with Laban, and his conflicts with the angel and with Esau, though he came off victor from both, had weakened him, and he was not in a condition to endure the hardships of disease.
"Hear now, my children, the words of truth, that ye may practice justice and the whole law of the Most High, and permit yourselves not to be tempted by the spirit of hatred. Evil is hatred, for it is the constant companion of deception, it always contradicts the truth. A little thing it magnifies into a great thing, light it takes for darkness, the sweet it calls bitter, and it teaches slander, enkindles anger, brings on war and violence, and fills the heart with devilish poison. I tell you my own experience, my children, that ye may drive hatred out of your hearts, and cleave to the love of the Lord. Righteousness banishes hatred, and humility kills it, for he that fears to give umbrage to the Lord, desires not to do wrong even in his thoughts. This is what I recognized at the last, after I had done penance on account of Joseph, for true atonement, pleasing to God, enlightens the eyes, illumines the soul with knowledge, and creates a counsel of salvation. My penance came in consequence of a sickness of the liver that God inflicted upon me. Without the prayers of my father Jacob, my spirit would have departed from me, for through the organ wherewith man transgresses, he is punished. As my liver had felt no mercy for Joseph, unmerciful suffering was caused unto me by my liver. My judgment lasted eleven months, as long as my enmity toward Joseph.
His second miracle, the "healing" of the waters of Jericho, so that they became fit to drink, resulted in harm to himself, for the people who had earned their livelihood by the sale of wholesome water were very much incensed against the prophet for having spoiled their trade. Elisha, whose prophetic powers enabled him to read both the past and the future of these tradesmen, knew that they, their ancestors, and their posterity had "not even the aroma of good about them." Therefore he cursed them. Suddenly a forest sprang up and the bears that infested it devoured the murmuring traders. The wicked fellows were not undeserving of the punishment they received, yet Elisha was made to undergo a very serious sickness, by way of correction for having yielded to passion. In this he resembled his master Elijah; he allowed wrath and zeal to gain the mastery over him. God desired that the two great prophets might be purged of this fault. Accordingly, when Elisha rebuked King Jehoram of Israel, the spirit of prophecy forsook him, and he had to resort to artificial means to re-awaken it within himself.
שִׁכְבַת זֶרַע הִיא כֹּחַ הַגּוּף וְחַיָּיו וּמְאוֹר הָעֵינַיִם וְכָל שֶׁתֵּצֵא בְּיוֹתֵר הַגּוּף כָּלֶה וְכֹחוֹ כָּלֶה וְחַיָּיו אוֹבְדִים. הוּא שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה בְּחָכְמָתוֹ (משלי לא ג) "אַל תִּתֵּן לַנָּשִׁים חֵילֶךָ". כָּל הַשָּׁטוּף בִּבְעִילָה זִקְנָה קוֹפֶצֶת עָלָיו. וְכֹחוֹ תָּשֵׁשׁ. וְעֵינָיו כֵּהוֹת. וְרֵיחַ רַע נוֹדֵף מִפִּיו וּמִשֶּׁחְיוֹ. וּשְׂעַר רֹאשׁוֹ וְגַבּוֹת עֵינָיו וְרִיסֵי עֵינָיו נוֹשְׁרוֹת. וּשְׂעַר זְקָנוֹ וְשֶׁחְיוֹ וּשְׂעַר רַגְלָיו רַבֶּה. שִׁנָּיו נוֹפְלוֹת. וְהַרְבֵּה כְּאֵבִים חוּץ מֵאֵלּוּ בָּאִים עָלָיו. אָמְרוּ חַכְמֵי הָרוֹפְאִים אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף מֵת בִּשְׁאָר חֳלָאִים וְהָאֶלֶף מֵרֹב הַתַּשְׁמִישׁ. לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ אָדָם לְהִזָּהֵר בְּדָבָר זֶה אִם רָצָה לִחְיוֹת בְּטוֹבָה. וְלֹא יִבְעל אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁיִּמָּצֵא גּוּפוֹ בָּרִיא וְחָזָק בְּיוֹתֵר וְהוּא מִתְקַשֶּׁה הַרְבֵּה שֶׁלֹּא לְדַעְתּוֹ. וּמַסִּיחַ עַצְמוֹ לְדָבָר אַחֵר וְהַקִּשּׁוּי בּוֹ כְּשֶׁהָיָה. וְיִמָּצֵא כֹּבֶד מִמָּתְנָיו וּלְמַטָּה וּכְאִלּוּ חוּטֵי הַבֵּיצִים נִמְשָׁכִים וּבְשָׂרוֹ חַם. זֶה צָרִיךְ לִבְעל וּרְפוּאָה לוֹ שֶׁיִּבְעל. לֹא יִבְעל אָדָם וְהוּא שָׂבֵעַ וְלֹא רָעֵב אֶלָּא אַחַר שֶׁיִּתְעַכֵּל הַמָּזוֹן שֶׁבְּמֵעָיו. וְיִבְדֹק נְקָבָיו קֹדֶם בְּעִילָה וּלְאַחַר בְּעִילָה. וְלֹא יִבְעל מְעֻמָּד וְלֹא מְיֻשָּׁב. וְלֹא בְּבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ וְלֹא בְּיוֹם שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס לַמֶּרְחָץ. וְלֹא בְּיוֹם הַקָּזָה. וְלֹא בְּיוֹם יְצִיאָה לַדֶּרֶךְ אוֹ בִּיאָה מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ לֹא לִפְנֵיהֶם וְלֹא לְאַחֲרֵיהֶם:
Semen is the strength of the body and its life and the light of the eyes. And the more it comes out, the more the body withers and its strength withers and his life is dissipated. This is what Shlomo said in his wisdom (Proverbs 31:3), "Do not give your force to women." Anyone who is relentless in sexual relations has old age come to him suddenly, and his power weakens and his eyes dim; and a bad smell wafts from his mouth and from his armpit; and the hair on his head and his eyebrows and eye lashes shed, and the hair of his beard and armpit and the hair on his legs multiply; and his teeth fall out; and may other pains besides these come to him. The medical sages said [that] one out of a thousand dies from other sicknesses and the thousand from too much intercourse. Hence, a person should be careful about this if he wants to live well, and only have sexual relations when his body is healthy and very strong and he has frequent involuntary erections, [and even] when he puts his mind to something else, the erection continues, and he finds heaviness in his loins and below and it is as if the vas deferens is taut and his flesh is hot. Such [a one] needs to have sexual relations and it is medicinal for him to have sexual relations. A person should not have sexual relations when he is satiated and not when he is hungry, but rather after the food in his intestines has been digested. And he should check his orifices before sexual relations and after sexual relations. And he should not have sexual relations standing up or sitting down, nor in a bathhouse, and not [even] on a day when he goes to the bathhouse; and [also] not on a day of bloodletting; and not on a day when he goes out on the road or when he comes back from the road - not before them and not after them.
ואמרו כי אני ה' רופאך נסתפקו בו המפרשים, איך תתכן רפואה אם לא יוקדם חולי, ודעתי בפירושו הוא כך, ידוע הוא כי הרופאים אינם מרפאים החולי בעצם אבל במקרה, ואינם נקראים רופאים אלא על צד ההעברה, כי הם אינם מבינים הסמים לטבע האנושי, ולכן תהיה פעולתם כפי הכלים אשר יפעלו בהם, כי אם היו נאותים לטבע ירפאו החולי, ואם היו מנגדים הטבע יוסיפו בחולי, ואם יהיו בלתי נאותים ולא מנגדים לא ימשך מהם לא פעל ולא הפעלות כלל, אך הש"י הוא הרופא האמתי המרפא בעצם ואין פעולותיו משועבדות לכלי אשר בהם יפעל, אבל הכלים משועבדים אליו, והוא יכול להסיר כל מחלה בכל מה שירצה, ולכן אמר אל תתמה איך יעדתיך להסיק המחלה בשמירת החקים והמשפטים, אשר נראה לך שאין ביניהם ובין הסרת החולי יחס כלל, כי אני ה' רופאך, ואני יכול להסיר ממך כל חולי באיזו סבה שארצה, כי כמו שרפאתי החולי שבמים במה שהיה ראוי להוסיף בו, כן תוכל האמין שאסיר מחלה מקרבך בדברים שאין להם יחס כלל לפי דעתך, וכן היה ענין אמרו למשה (במדבר כא) עשה לך שרף ושים אותו על נס, כי הש"י שלח בהם נחשים שרפים ונתיחד בהם זה הפורענות בנחשים שרפים מיתר הפורענות, לפי שהם דברו באלהים ובמשה ללא דבר, כי ביתר התלונות חטאו לסבת דבר צריך להם כתלונת על הבשר ועל המים, אבל כאן לא חסרו דבר רק הראו רוע בנפשם, עד שתראה שגנו המשובח שבמינים והוא המן, וחטאו בלשון הרע שענינו שוה לנחש. שכמו שהנחש מזיק ללא תועלת רק לתכלית רוע ענינו כן בעל לשון הרע ישלח פיו ברע ללא תועלת עצמו רק לגודל רשעו, והוא מה שאמרו רבותינו ז"ל (ערכין ט) לעתיד לבא מתקבצין כל החיות אצל הנחש ואומרות לו ארי דורס ואוכל זאב טורף ואוכל אתה מה הנאה יש לך אומר להם ואין יתרון לבעל הלשון, ולפי שהם הראו רוע לבם, שלח בהם הרעים שבנחשים שהם השרפים שהם בתכלית הרוע, וכשהתודו על עונם ושבו בתשובה כאמרו ויבא העם אל משה ויאמרו חטאנו כי דברנו בה' ובך, אמר השם יתברך למשה עשה לך שרף, ויפה אמר הרמב"ן כי זה היה ראוי להוסיף בחליים כי נשוכי הבעלי ארס אין ראוי מדרכי הרפואה שיביטו אל המזיק ההוא כי יזיק להם מאד, וכאן צוה להם להביט אל צורת הנחש, להראות להם כי כל ענינם בידי שמים ואינם נמסרים לדרכי הטבע ולא למקרה כלל, אבל בקיום כל התורה לא נירא מהסבות הממיתות גם כי יהיו חזקות, כענין רבי חנינא בערוד:
"For I am the L-rd who heals you" has puzzled the expositors. How can "healing" be understood without sickness beforehand? I understand it as follows: It is well known that doctors do not heal an illness intrinsically but adventitiously, and that they are called "healers" only by extension. For they do not understand the inter-relationship between the drugs they employ and the nature of man, so that whatever they do is a function of the "tools" they use. If they agree with man's nature, they will cure the illness, and if they disagree with it they will aggravate the illness. And if they neither agree nor disagree with it, then they will have no effect whatsoever. But the Blessed One is the true Healer, who heals intrinsically, His acts not being subservient to the tools that He employs, but the tools being subservient to Him! And He can remove any ailment by any means which He desires. Therefore, it is written: Do not wonder at My assuring you of the removal of illness through the observance of statutes and ordinances, there seeming to be no relationship in your eyes between these — "for I am the L-rd who heals you," and I can remove from you any ailment through any means I desire. For just as you saw Me heal the sickness of the water by that which in its nature should have aggravated it, in the same way you may believe that I can remove illness from your midst through means which, in your eyes, seem to have no relationship to it whatsoever. And this was, likewise, His intent in telling Moses (Numbers 21:8): "Make for yourself a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole." For the Blessed One had sent fiery serpents upon them, having singled out this punishment for their having spoken in vain against G-d and Moses. For in their other complaints, though they had sinned, it was in respect to one of their needs, such as meat or water. But in this instance [their complaint over the manna] they lacked for nothing, but simply reflected a great evil in their souls, nothing other than wickedness of heart, debasing the choicest of foods, the manna. Their sin was slander, and the slanderer is comparable to the serpent in that just as the serpent injures for no cause but simply to satisfy his evil nature, in the same way, the slanderer spews evil from his mouth, not deriving any benefit thereby, but simply giving vent to the great evil within him. This is the intent of the statement of our sages (Ta'anith 8a): "In the future all of the animals will gather before the serpent and say to him: 'A lion tramples and eats; a wolf tears and eats; but you — what pleasure do you have?' And he will answer (Koheleth 10:11): 'What benefit is there to the man of the tongue [the slanderer]?'" And because they had shown the evil of their hearts, He sent against them the most evil of the snakes, the fiery serpents, unparalleled in venomousness (and there transpired with the Jews what transpired). Afterwards, when they admitted their sin and repented, as it is written (Numbers 21:7): "And the people came to Moses and said: 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the L-rd and against you…'", the Blessed One said to Moses: "Make for yourself a fiery serpent…" The Ramban remarks very aptly that this, if anything, should have aggravated their illness, for it runs counter to the healing art for those bitten by a serpent to gaze upon it, such gazing being extremely injurious to them. But here the Blessed One specifically commanded them to gaze at the form of the serpent to impress it upon them that all of their affairs were in the hands of Heaven, that they had not been consigned to the ways of nature or of chance at all, that with the fulfillment of all of the Torah there need be no fear of fatal agents, as potent as they may be, as witness the episode of R. Chanina b. Dosa and the serpent.
ולפעמים מתחדשים מקרים ברחוק מקום ובאיים הרחוקים כדי שיתעוררו ישראל אל התשובה וייראו ויפחדו פן יגיעם הפורענות, והוא מאמר הנביא (צפניה ג) הכרתי גוים נשמו פנותם וגו' אמרתי אך תיראי אותי תקחי מוסר, וכשאינם מתיסרים ברעת האחרים הפורענות הולך הלוך ונסוע וילך הלוך וקרב, ואין ספק כי מי שרואה כל אלו התלאות אשר הם באמת התראות הש"י, ועודנו מחזיק בדרכו אשר דרך בה, הוא כמי שעובר עבירה וקבל עליו התראה שהתיר עצמו למיתה מכאן ואילך, לכן אין ספק כי בזמנים האלו ראוי לחפש היטב על רפואת הנפש ולהקדימה על רפואת הגוף, הוא שאמר דוד המלך ע"ה (תהלים מא) אני אמרתי ה' חנני רפאה נפשי כי חטאתי לך, פירוש אני בחליי הייתי מתפלל על רפואת נפשי ועליה היא השתדלותי, לא על רפואת הגוף, כי גם בחולי הגוף נשאלה שאלה בחכמת הרפואה כשיזדמנו שני חלאים בשני איברים איזה מהם ראוי להקדימו ברפואתו, והשיב על זה בשלשה דרכים. האחד שראוי לרפאות אותו שהוא יותר חזק הסכנה, והשני שראוי לרפאות אותו שהוא סבה לחבירו, השלישי שראוי לרפאות אותו שלא יתרפא חבירו כי אם בהרפאו. וכל אלה השלשה מסכימים ברפואת הנפש והגוף, כי אין ספק שהנפש היא גדולת הסכנה מהגוף, שהגוף אובד והנפש נשארת, וכן אין ספק אצלי שחליי הנפש סבה לחליי הגוף, וכי לא יתרפא הגוף מבלי הרפא הנפש, כמו שאמרו רז"ל בברכות (דף לג) שבמקומו של רבי חנינא בן דוסא היה ערוד א' שהיה ממית את הבריות ובאו ואמרו לרבי חנינא ונתן עקבו על חורו ונשכו ומת הערוד והביאו לבית המדרש ואמר להם ראו בני שאין ערוד ממית אלא חטא ממית. הנה מבואר שחליי הנפש סבה לחליי הגוף, וכי הנפש הבריאה תדחה הסבות הממיתות כלם, ואם ישתבש אדם לומר שאין זה רק לרבי חנינא או שקול כמותו אבל שאר האנשים אין להם מבוא בזה כלל, זה שבוש וטעות גמור, שבריאות הנפש ורעיעותה הולכים על דרך בריאות הגוף ורעיעותו, וכמו שתראה אנשים רעועי הגוף חלושי האברים כל סבה מזקת להם, גם אם תהיה חלושה מאד יזיקם, כי אין בריאותם דוחה שום סבה מזקת לחולשתם, כן האנשים רעועי הנפש, לא תדחה נפשם סבה מזקת כלל, וכמו שהאנשים הבריאים ידחה בריאותם קצת הסבות המזיקות כפי יתרון בריאותם, כן הנפשות הבריאות ידחו הסבות המזיקות כפי יתרון בריאותם. וכמו היחיד אשר הוא בתכלית הבריאות ושתה התריאק"ה והמרקחות המצילים ידחו סמי המות כלם ולא יזיקוהו, כן הנפש הבריאה בתכלית הבריאות הנכפפת למצות ועושה אותם צרי ותריאק"ה התשובה, תדחה הסבות המזיקות כלם, וזהו מעלת רבי חנינא בן דוסא ודומיהם:
And sometimes calamities occur in faraway places and in the distant isles to arouse Israel to repentance and to fill them with fear and trepidation lest the disaster descend upon them, as the prophet writes (Zephaniah 3:6-7): "I have cut off nations. Their high places are desolate. I have laid their streets waste, without a passerby. Their cities are destroyed, without a man, without an inhabitant. I said: 'Surely, you will fear Me; you will accept chastisement…'" And when they refuse to be chastised by the evil descending upon the others, it draws closer and closer to them. And there is no doubt that one who witnesses these calamities (which are, in truth, the warnings of the Blessed One) and persists in his evil way is comparable to one who transgresses and is warned, in which case he incurs the death penalty with repeated transgressions. Therefore, there is no doubt that in these times one must earnestly seek healing for the soul and give it precedence to the healing of the body. This is the intent of KinG-david, may peace be upon him (Psalms 41:5): "I said, O L-rd, be gracious to me. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You." That is, when I was ill I prayed for the healing of my soul, and made that the focal point of all my exertions, not the healing of my body. And there is no question that every thinking man should place the healing of his soul before that of his body. For even as concerns bodily ailments the question is raised in the practice of medicine: If there are two ailments affecting two organs, which organ should be healed first? And the answer is given that the following take priority: first, that organ which is in greater danger; second, that organ which is the cause of the other's illness; third, that organ whose healing is a prerequisite for the healing of the other. And all of these three apply to the healing of body and soul. For there is no doubt that the danger to the soul is greater than that to the body, the body being ephemeral and the soul eternal. And there is likewise no doubt in my mind that the illnesses of the soul are the cause of the bodily ailments and that the latter cannot be healed without the soul being healed first. As our sages state (Berachoth 33a): "In the locale of R. Chanina b. Dosa there was a killer serpent. When they came and told R. Chanina about it, he went and placed his heel upon its lair. The serpent bit him — and died, whereupon R. Chanina took it to the study hall and said: 'See, my children, it is not the serpent that kills, but sin!'" It is hereby plainly indicated that spiritual ills are the cause of bodily ills and that the healthy soul repels all causes of bodily death. And if one would err and say that this is true only of R. Chanina b. Dosa or of those like him but that it does not even remotely apply to the common run of mankind, this would be an error indeed and a complete misapprehension. For the health and sickness of the soul follow the same path as the health and sickness of the body. And just as you see men of such defective constitutions and weak organs that even the weakest forces injure them, their bodies, because of their weakness, being unable to offer any resistance to these forces — in the same way, those whose souls are defective will not repel any counter-force whatsoever. And just as those who are healthy can, in the access of their health, withstand some of the things that are normally injurious to the body, in the same way healthy souls can withstand injurious influences in proportion to their health. And just as one in the prime of health, by drinking theriac or other such specifics can ward off the effects of all of the poisons and not be injured by them, in the same way, that soul which is in the prime of health, which yearns for mitzvoth and drinks the theriac of repentance — that soul will repel all adverse influences, and this was the estate of R. Chanina b. Dosa and of all those like him.
ועם ברור אמונתו כי ענינו מסור אל גזרות הבורא יתעלה ושבחירת הבורא לו היא הבחירה הטובה הוא חייב להתגלגל לסבות תועלותיו ולבחר הטוב כנראה לו מן הענין והאלהים יעשה מה שקדמה בו גזרתו.
With clear faith that his matters are given over to the decrees of the Creator, and that the Creator's choice for him is the best choice, it is also his duty to be engaged in means which appear to be beneficial to him and to choose what seems to be the best choice under the circumstances, and the Al-mighty will do according to what He has already pre-decreed.
וכן נאמר בענין הבריאות והחלי כי על האדם לבטח בבורא בזה ולהשתדל בהתמדת הבריאות בסבות אשר מטבען זה ולדחות המדוה במה שנהגו לדחותו כמו שצוה הבורא יתעלה (שמות כא יט) ורפא ירפא מבלי שיבטח על סבות הבריאות והחלי שהן מועילות או מזיקות אלא ברשות הבורא. וכאשר יבטח בבורא ירפאהו מחליו בסבה ובלתי סבה כמו שנאמר (תהלים קז כ) ישלח דברו וירפאם וגו' ואפשר שירפאהו בדבר המזיק הרבה כמו שידעת מענין אלישע במים הרעים שרפא הזקם במלח כמו שכתוב (מלכים ב ב יט) והמים רעים והארץ משכלת, שריפא היזקם במלח, וכן (שמות טו כה) ויורהו ה' עץ וישלך אל המים, ואמרו הקדמונים (במדרש תנחומא שם) שהיה עץ של הרדופני וכמוהו (ישעיה לח כא) ישאו דבלת תאנים וימרחו על השחין ויחי וכבר ידעת מה שהיה מענין אסא כשבטח על הרופאים והניח בטחונו באלהים בחליו מהמוסר והתוכחה לו ואמר הכתוב (איוב ה יח) כי הוא יכאיב ויחבש וגו'.
Similarly, we will say regarding health and sickness. A man is placed under a duty to trust in the Creator in this, while working on maintaining his health according to the means whose nature promotes this, and to fight sickness according to the customary ways, as the Creator commanded "and he shall surely heal him" (shmos 21:19). All of this, without trusting in the means of health or illness that they could help or hurt without the permission of the Creator. And when one puts his trust in the Creator, He will heal him with or without a means, as written "He sends His word and heals them" (Tehilim 107:20). It is even possible that He will heal him through something that is normally very harmful, as you know from the story of Elisha and the bad water, that he healed their damaging properties with salt (Melachim II 2:19), and similarly "And G-d showed him a tree and he tossed it into the waters [and the waters became sweet]" (Shmos 15:25), And the midrash tanchuma there explains that this was a bitter, oleander tree. Another example, "let him smear crushed figs on the boils, and he will heal" (Yeshaya 38:21) (and figs normally damage even healthy flesh - PL). And you already know of what happened to the pious king Asa when he trusted in the doctors, and removed his trust in G-d regarding his illness, the sharp rebuke he received for this (i.e. because he did not pray to be healed). And the verse says: "For He brings pain and binds it; He wounds, and His hands heal." (Iyov 5:18).
ומי שבחר במות בעבודת הבורא מן החיים בהמרותו והריש מן העשר והחלי מן הבריאות והצרה מן השלוה ונמסר לדין הבורא ורצה בגזרתו ראוי הוא לחסד הבורא עליו בנועם העולם הבא אשר אמר עליו הכתוב (משלי ח כא) להנחיל אוהבי יש ואוצרותיהם אמלא, ואמר (ישעיה סד ג) עין לא ראתה אלהים זולתך יעשה למחכה לו, ואמר (תהלים לא כ) מה רב טובך אשר צפנת ליראיך.
Whoever chooses to die in the service of G-d, rather than rebel against Him, whoever chooses poverty rather than riches, sickness rather than health, suffering rather than tranquility, submits to the Creator's judgment, and desires in His decrees - such a person is worthy of the Divine grace of the Creator in the bliss of Olam Haba, of which it is written "That I may cause those that love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures" (Mishlei 8:21), and "no eye has ever seen, O G-d, beside You, what He has prepared for him that waits for Him" (Yeshaya 64:3), and "How great is Your goodness that You have hidden away for those who fear You" (Tehilim 31:20).
והששי שבעל הכימיה אינו בטוח מהחליים והמדוים שמערבבין עליו שמחתו בעשרו ואינם מניחין אותו להנות ממה שיש לו ולא להתענג במה שהשיגה ידו. והבוטח ביי בטוח מן המדוים והחליים אלא על דרך הכפרה או על דרך התמורה כמו שכתוב (ישעיה מ ל) ויעפו נערים ויגעו ובחורים כשל יכשלו, ואמר (ישעיה מ לא) וקוי ה' יחליפו כח וגו', ואמר (תהלים לז יז) כי זרועות רשעים תשברנה וגו'.
(6) The alchemist is not immune from sickness and disease which hinders his joy in being wealthy, and prevents him from benefiting from what he has and enjoying what he has acquired. But one who trusts in G-d, is immune from sickness and disease except as an atonement or to increase his reward, as written "Now youths shall become tired and weary, and young men shall stumble" (Yeshaya 40:30), "those who hope in G-d will renew strength" (Yeshaya 40:31), and "For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the L-ord supports the righteous" (Tehilim 37:17).
והששי שבעל הכימיה אינו בטוח מהחליים והמדוים שמערבבין עליו שמחתו בעשרו ואינם מניחין אותו להנות ממה שיש לו ולא להתענג במה שהשיגה ידו. והבוטח ביי בטוח מן המדוים והחליים אלא על דרך הכפרה או על דרך התמורה כמו שכתוב (ישעיה מ ל) ויעפו נערים ויגעו ובחורים כשל יכשלו, ואמר (ישעיה מ לא) וקוי ה' יחליפו כח וגו', ואמר (תהלים לז יז) כי זרועות רשעים תשברנה וגו'.
(6) The alchemist is not immune from sickness and disease which hinders his joy in being wealthy, and prevents him from benefiting from what he has and enjoying what he has acquired. But one who trusts in G-d, is immune from sickness and disease except as an atonement or to increase his reward, as written "Now youths shall become tired and weary, and young men shall stumble" (Yeshaya 40:30), "those who hope in G-d will renew strength" (Yeshaya 40:31), and "For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the L-ord supports the righteous" (Tehilim 37:17).
הדעת נותנת, שאז בהשתלם האדם למרום שלמותו, שאביון יחדל מקרב הארץ, נקשה ורעב וחולה לא ימצא, חסר דעה לא יהיה במציאות כי כולם יהיו למודי ד' וחכמי לב, לימוד חכמה ומלאכת מחשבת וכל כשרון יקל מאד. כשיתפתחו הכשרונות האנושיים בכל רחבם, השלום יהיה שורר בעולם, אין תחרות ומריבה וכל עמל וכל כשרון מעשה לא יהיה לכל האנושות כי אם להטבת המצב הכללי המוסרי והחומרי. אז יתור לו האדם חלקה לעשות צדקה ולשפוך רוח חסדו עליה, ולא ימצא בהיות כל בני האדם יהיו מאושרים חיים חיי עונג והצלחה חומרית ומוסרית ושכלית. אז יפנה לו האדם עם אוצר חכמתו ונסיונו, אל אחיו הנמוכים, אל הבעלי חיים, וימצא עצות לפי מדרגתם לשכללם, ללמדם, להשכילם. ואין ספק כי יגדיל האדם ויאדיר תורת השכלת הבעלי חיים והתפתחותם עד שיעלם אל מדרגה נשאה מאד, אשר אין לצייר בחושינו מראש. ומחלקי ההשלמה תהיה התרבות של הבעלי חיים הדורסים, שאריה כבקר יאכל תבן ופרה ודב תרעינה, ושעשע יונק על חור פתן. ולא ירעו ולא ישחיתו בכל הר קדשי כי מלאה הארץ דעה את ד'. ותהיה הארץ כולה המלאה דעה את ד', הר הקודש באמת.
It makes sense, that then, when the perfection of man will be at the height of his perfection, that there will be no more poor people, and embitterment, famine, and sickness will not be found. Lack of knowledge will cease to exist, for everyone will be learned about God, everyone will be wise of heart. The learning of wisdoms, of art, and all skills, will [come] very easily. When humanity’s talents develop in all their breadth, world peace will reign. There will no longer be any competition or conflict, and all the labor and all practical skills will only be useful to humanity in order to make their general situation better, ethically and physically. Then will people seek to spend their portion [of time] doing righteousness and spilling the spirit of his kindness on it, and he will not find [anyone to help], for all of humanity will be well-off, living lives of contentment and success, physically, ethically, intellectually. Then man will turn, with his storehouse of wisdom and experience, to his lower brethren, to the animals, and he will find ideas according to their level to improve them, to teach them, to make them intelligent. There’s no doubt that man will increase and glorify the science of animal intelligence, developing animals until they are raised to a level so high we cannot even imagine it now. One of the aspects of this perfection will be the acculturation of predatory animals. (Isaiah 11:7-9) "The lion will eat straw like an ox, and the cow and the bear will graze together, and the nursing child shall play at the hole of the cobra. They will not damage, nor destroy, in all my holy mountain, for the land will be filled with knowledge of God." And when the land is filled with the knowledge of God, that will be the real holy mountain.
וזרוע ה', על מי נגלתה! ויעל כיונק לפניו, וכשרש מארץ ציה, לא תאר לו ולא הדר, ונראהו, ולא מראה, ונחמדהו; נבזה וחדל אישים, איש מכאבות, וידוע חלי; — וכמסתר פנים ממנו נבזה ולא חשבנהו, אפן חלינו הוא נשא, ומכאבינו סבלם; ואנחנו — חשבנהו נגוע, מכה אלהים ומענה! והוא — מחלל מפשעינו, מדכא מעונותינו מוסר שלומנו עליו ובחברתו נרפא לנו, כלנו כצאן תעינו, איש לדרכו פנינו;— וה' הפגיע בו את עון כלנו. גש, והוא נענה — ולא יפתח פיו, כשה לטבח יוכל נאלמה, — וכרחל לפני גזזיה ולא יפתח פיו! מעצר וממשפט לקח — ואת־דורו מי ישוחח! כי נגזר מארץ חיים — מפשע עמי נגע למו, ויתן את רשעים קברו ואת עשיר במתיו, על לא חמס עשה ולא מרמה בפיו, וה' חפץ דכאו החלי, אם תשים אשם נפשו, יראה זרע — יאריך ימים וחפץ ה' בידו יצלח. מעמל נפשו יראת, ישבע; בדעתו יצדיק צדיק, עבדי לרבים ועונותם הוא יסבול. לכן אחלק לו ברבים,
"The arm of the Lord, upon whom is it revealed?" He rises as a sapling before him And as a root from arid land. He had nor form nor beauty that we should see him. Nor comeliness that we should desire him. He was despised and forsaken of men; A man of sorrows, acquainted with sickness. And when God hid His face from him, We despised him and considered him not. Yet 'twas but sickness from us he bore; Pains we had inflicted were his burden. And we deemed him plagued. Stricken of God and afflicted. But he, though stricken through our sins, Though crushed through our iniquities. The bond of our peace he took upon him, And in his congregation was healing for us. We all had gone astray as sheep; Each one had turned to his own way; But the Lord afflicted only him — Smote him for the sin of us all. He was oppressed, was harshly persecuted, Silent endured and opened not his mouth. As a sheep to the slaughter he was led, As a lamb before the shearers was he dumb. Nor opened he his mouth. Of kingly rule and judgeship was he deprived, And his fate, who could tell it? For he was cut off from the land of life, Through the sin of the nation came affliction unto him. The wicked brought him to the grave, The great and wealthy to his death, Though violence he had never used And deceit was not in his mouth. But the Lord had willed his affliction and sickness. That he should yield himself as guilt offering, (Nevertheless destruction was not God's plan, but that) He should see posterity, prolong days, And the purpose of the Lord through his hand should be fulfilled. Through suffering he should gain insight, Should learn to be content. And with this knowledge propagate the right And do My service unto the many whose sins he bore. Therefore shall I give him a portion among the many.
ופעמים יבואו לאדם יסורין אם מחולי ואם ממאסר ודומיהן, אם על צד האזהרה להעירם שישובו אל השם מן הרע שנסתבכו בו ואם למרק מעוט עונות שבידם, וביסורין שהן מזה המין יבחנו האנשים העובדים את השם, שאם הם עובדים מאהבה יקבלו היסורין בסבר פנים יפות לאהבת השם, ואם הם עובדים מיראת העונש ואהבת השכר יקראו תגר על מדות השם וידברו עליו תועה, כמו שקרה לאיוב ביסוריו שהיה ירא אלהים והיה עובד מאהבת השכר ויראת העונש, ולזה קרא תגר על משפטי השם מצד יסוריו, וזה הצד מן ההודעה גלה אותו אליהוא במענהו הראשון ואמר בחלום חזיון לילה וגו׳, אז יגלה אזן אנשים וגו׳, להסיר אדם מעשה וגוה מגבר יכסה, יאמר שפעמים תבא ההודעה לאדם בחלום להסיר האדם ממעשה הרע שנסתבך בו, ושיכסה ממנו הענינים הגופיים, ועל ידי כך יחשוך נפשו מני שחת, ואמר עוד שפעמים תבא ההודעה לאדם על ידי חולי, כמו שאמר והוכח במכאוב על משכבו ורוב עצמיו איתן, רוצה לומר במכאוב חזק, והאריך לספר ענין הצער שסובל בחלי ההוא, ואחר כך אמר יעתר אל אלוה וירצהו וירא פניו בתרועה וישב לאנוש צדקתו, רוצה לומר כי כשיעתר אל השם ירצה אותו וישיב לו צדקתו, שהכיר שהחולי היה בסבת עונותיו ומתוך כך שב אל השם והודה לו בקהל רב ובמושב זקנים שעונותיו גרמו לו החולי, וזהו שאמר ישור על אנשים ויאמר חטאתי וישר העויתי, וזה נחשב לו לצדקה.
Sometimes persons are afflicted with suffering in the shape of sickness, imprisonment, and the like, either as a warning that they should abandon the evil in which they are enmeshed and return to God, or in order to wipe out the few sins which they have committed. Sufferings of the last kind are used to test those who serve God. If the motive of their service is love, they will accept the suffering gracefully for the love of God. But if the motive of their service is fear of punishment and love of reward, they will grumble against God’s treatment of them and say improper things about Him, as Job did. Job was a God-fearing man, but he served God from love of reward and fear of punishment. Therefore when he was afflicted with suffering he grumbled against God’s judgment. Elihu in his first speech explained to him this type of divine communication: “In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men … Then He openeth the ears of men, and by their chastisement sealeth the decree, that men may put away their purpose, and that He may hide the body from man.” The meaning is, that sometimes divine communication may come to a person in a dream in order to turn him aside from the evil deed in which he is entangled and to conceal from him the corporeal interests, so as to withhold his soul from the pit. He goes on to say that sometimes the divine communication may be made through illness: “He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and all his bones grow stiff,” i. e. he is punished with great pain. He describes at length the pain that he suffers through the sickness, and then says: “He prayeth unto God, and He is favourable unto him, so that he seeth His face with joy; and He restoreth unto man his righteousness.” The meaning is, that when he prays unto God, He shows him favor and restores his righteousness unto him, i. e. He credits him with the knowledge that his illness was the effect of his sins, and therefore he returns to God and acknowledges before Him in a great assembly and in the seat of the elders that his sins were the cause of his illness: “He cometh before men and saith: ‘I have sinned, and perverted that which was right.’ ” And this is accounted to his credit.
Similarly, we will say regarding health and sickness. A man is placed under a duty to trust in the Creator in this, while working on maintaining his health according to the means whose nature promotes this, and to fight sickness according to the customary ways, as the Creator commanded "and he shall surely heal him" (shmos 21:19). All of this, without trusting in the means of health or illness that they could help or hurt without the permission of the Creator. And when one puts his trust in the Creator, He will heal him with or without a means, as written "He sends His word and heals them" (Tehilim 107:20).
(Pas Lechem: From this verse we see that it is really His word, namely, His decree that heals - not the means.
ואמאי קרו ליה נחום איש גם זו דכל מילתא דהוה סלקא ליה אמר גם זו לטובה זימנא חדא בעו לשדורי ישראל דורון לבי קיסר אמרו מאן ייזיל ייזיל נחום איש גם זו דמלומד בניסין הוא שדרו בידיה מלא סיפטא דאבנים טובות ומרגליות אזל בת בההוא דירה בליליא קמו הנך דיוראי ושקלינהו לסיפטיה ומלונהו עפרא (למחר כי חזנהו אמר גם זו לטובה)
The Gemara inquires: And why did they call him Naḥum of Gam Zu? The reason is that with regard to any matter that occurred to him, he would say: This too is for the good [gam zu letova]. Once, the Jews wished to send a gift [doron] to the house of the emperor. They said: Who should go and present this gift? Let Naḥum of Gam Zu go, as he is accustomed to miracles. They sent with him a chest [sifta] full of jewels and pearls, and he went and spent the night in a certain inn. During the night, these residents of the inn arose and took all of the precious jewels and pearls from the chest, and filled it with earth. The next day, when he saw what had happened, Naḥum of Gam Zu said: This too is for the good.
גמ׳ אמר רבי אלעזר ברבי צדוק למה צדיקים נמשלים בעולם הזה לאילן שכולו עומד במקום טהרה ונופו נוטה למקום טומאה נקצץ נופו כולו עומד במקום טהרה כך הקב"ה מביא יסורים על צדיקים בעולם הזה כדי שיירשו העולם הבא שנאמר (איוב ח, ז) והיה ראשיתך מצער ואחריתך ישגה מאד
GEMARA: Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Tzadok, says: To what are the righteous in this world compared? To a tree that is standing entirely in a pure place and its branches hang over an impure place. If its branches are cut, it will stand entirely in a pure place. So too, the Holy One, Blessed be He, brings afflictions upon the righteous in this world to cleanse them of their few sins. He makes them suffer so that they will inherit the World-to-Come entirely, as it is stated: “And your beginning was in pain, your end shall greatly increase” (Job 8:7).
ואפ"ה יסורי דר' אלעזר בר' שמעון עדיפי מדרבי דאילו ר"א בר"ש מאהבה באו ומאהבה הלכו דרבי ע"י מעשה באו וע"י מעשה הלכו ע"י מעשה באו מאי היא דההוא עגלא דהוו קא ממטו ליה לשחיטה אזל תליא לרישיה בכנפיה דרבי וקא בכי אמר ליה זיל לכך נוצרת אמרי הואיל ולא קא מרחם ליתו עליה יסורין
The Gemara says: But even so, the afflictions of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, were greater than those of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. The reason is that whereas the afflictions of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, came upon him out of love, and left him out of love, i.e., they were solely the result of his own request, not because he deserved them, those of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi came upon him due to an incident and left him due to another incident. The Gemara stated that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s suffering came upon him due to an incident. What was that incident that led to his suffering? The Gemara answers that there was a certain calf that was being led to slaughter. The calf went and hung its head on the corner of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s garment and was weeping. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to it: Go, as you were created for this purpose. It was said in Heaven: Since he was not compassionate toward the calf, let afflictions come upon him.
(ה) וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ ה' אֵלָיו. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שיר השירים ה, ב): אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה וְלִבִּי עֵר, אֲנִי יְשֵׁנָה מִן הַמִּצְוֹת, וְלִבִּי עֵר לַעֲשׂוֹתָן. (שיר השירים ה, ב): תַּמָּתִי בְּסִינַי, שֶׁנִּתַּמְּמוּ עִמִּי בְּסִינַי וְאָמְרוּ (שמות כד, ז): כֹּל אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע. אָמַר רַבִּי יַנַּאי, מַה הַתְּאוֹמִים הַלָּלוּ, אִם חָשַׁשׁ אֶחָד בְּרֹאשׁוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ מַרְגִּישׁ, כֵּן אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כִּבְיָכוֹל (תהלים צא, טו): עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מַהוּ עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְצָרָה, כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם צָרָה אֵינָם קוֹרְאִים אֶלָּא לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, בְּמִצְרַיִם, (שמות ב, כג): וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים. בַּיָּם, (שמות יד, י): וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל ה', וְכָאֵלֶּה רַבִּים. וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה סג, ט): בְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמשֶׁה, אִי אַתָּה מַרְגִּישׁ שֶׁאֲנִי שָׁרוּי בְּצַעַר כְּשֵׁם שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל שְׁרוּיִם בְּצַעַר, הֱוֵי יוֹדֵעַ מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁאֲנִי מְדַבֵּר עִמְּךָ מִתּוֹךְ הַקּוֹצִים כִּבְיָכוֹל אֲנִי שֻׁתָּף בְּצַעֲרָן.
(5) 5. "An angel of the LORD appeared to him." It is written: "I sleep, but my heart is awake" (Song of Songs 5:2). I am sleeping [from performing] the commandments, but my heart is awake to perform them. "My undefiled [tamati]" (ibid.) at Sinai, for they attached themselves [nitmemu] to Me at Sinai and said: "Everything the LORD had spoken we will do and obey" (Exodus 24:7). R. Yannai said: Just as twins [te'omim] feel one another's s headaches, [so too] God said, as it were [as if He were our twin]: "I am with him in sorrow" (Psalms 91:15). Another explanation: What is [the meaning of] "I am with him in sorrow"? When they have sorrows they only call out to the Holy One, Blessed be He. In Egypt, [as it is written] "And their cry came up unto God" (Exodus 2:23). By the sea [as it is written] "And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord" (ibid. 14:10) and there are many other examples like these. And it says: "In all their sorrows He [too] was in sorrow" (Isaiah 63:9). The Holy One, Blessed be He said to Moses, You do not sense that I too dwell in sorrow just as Israel dwells in sorrow. But you should know: from the place I speak to you from within the thorn-bush, [that is a sign] as it were that I too am a partner in their sorrow.
(ה) אמר ר' מאיר בשעה שאדם מצטער. שכינה מה הלשון אומרת כביכול. קלני מראשי קלני מזרועי אם כן המקום מצטער על דמם של רשעים שנשפך קל וחומר על דמם של צדיקים. ולא זו בלבד אלא כל המלין את מתו עובר בלא תעשה. הלינו לכבודו להביא לו ארון ותכריכים. אינו עובר עליו. ולא היו קוברין אותו בקברות אבותיו. אלא שתי בתי קברות היו מתוקנין לבית דין. אחת לנהרגין ולנחנקין. ואחת לנסקלין ולנשרפין:
(5) Said Rabbi Meir, when a human being is in distress, what expression does the Divine Presence use, as it were? "My head is in pain, My arm is in pain." If so, the Omnipresent feels distress over the blood of the wicked that is spilled; how much more so [does He] over the blood of the righteous. And furthermore, anyone who leaves a dead body hanging overnight transgresses a negative commandment. But if one leaves a body hanging overnight for the sake of its honor, to bring it a coffin or shroud, he does not transgress [a negative commandment]. And such a body [i.e. that of one stoned to death] would not be buried in the grave of his ancestors. Rather, two grave-sites were set for the courthouse, one for those put to death by decapitation and strangulation, and one for those put to death by stoning and burning.
סליקא אמתיה דרבי לאיגרא אמרה עליוני' מבקשין את רבי והתחתוני' מבקשין את רבי יהי רצון שיכופו תחתונים את העליונים כיון דחזאי כמה זימני דעייל לבית הכסא וחלץ תפילין ומנח להו וקמצטער אמרה יהי רצון שיכופו עליונים את התחתונים ולא הוו שתקי רבנן מלמיבעי רחמי שקלה כוזא שדייא מאיגרא [לארעא] אישתיקו מרחמי ונח נפשיה דרבי
The maidservant of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi ascended to the roof and said: The upper realms are requesting the presence of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and the lower realms are requesting the presence of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. May it be the will of God that the lower worlds should impose their will upon the upper worlds. However, when she saw how many times he would enter the bathroom and remove his phylacteries, and then exit and put them back on, and how he was suffering with his intestinal disease, she said: May it be the will of God that the upper worlds should impose their will upon the lower worlds. And the Sages, meanwhile, would not be silent, i.e., they would not refrain, from begging for mercy so that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would not die. So she took a jug [kuza] and threw it from the roof to the ground. Due to the sudden noise, the Sages were momentarily silent and refrained from begging for mercy, and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died.
אם היו יסורין באין עליו אם היו חלאים באין עליו או שהיה מקבר את בניו אל יאמר לו כדרך שאמרו לו חביריו לאיוב (איוב ד, ו) הלא יראתך כסלתך תקותך ותום דרכיך זכר נא מי הוא נקי אבד
If torments are afflicting a person, if illnesses are afflicting him, or if he is burying his children, one may not speak to him in the manner that the friends of Job spoke to him: “Is not your fear of God your confidence, and your hope the integrity of your ways? Remember, I beseech you, whoever perished, being innocent?” (Job 4:6–7). Certainly you sinned, as otherwise you would not have suffered misfortune.
(ג) הָאָבֵל מֵסֵב בָּרֹאשׁ. וְאֵין הַמְנַחֲמִין רַשָּׁאִין לֵישֵׁב אֶלָּא עַל גַּבֵּי קַרְקַע. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב ב יג) "וַיֵּשְׁבוּ אִתּוֹ לָאָרֶץ". וְאֵין רַשָּׁאִין לוֹמַר דָּבָר עַד שֶׁיִּפָּתַח הָאָבֵל אֶת פִּיו תְּחִלָּה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב ב יג) "וְאֵין דֹּבֵר אֵלָיו דָּבָר" וּכְתִיב (איוב ג א) "אַחֲרֵי כֵן פָּתַח אִיּוֹב אֶת פִּיהוּ" וְגוֹ' (איוב ד א) "וַיַּעַן אֱלִיפַז". וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּעְנֵעַ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ שׁוּב אֵין הַמְנַחֲמִין רַשָּׁאִין לֵישֵׁב אֶצְלוֹ. שֶׁלֹּא יַטְרִיחוּהוּ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי:
(ה) הַכּל חַיָּבִין לַעֲמֹד בִּפְנֵי נָשִׂיא חוּץ מֵאָבֵל וְחוֹלֶה. וּלְכָל הָעוֹמֵד מִפָּנָיו אוֹמֵר לוֹ שֵׁב חוּץ מֵאָבֵל וְחוֹלֶה שֶׁמַּשְׁמָע יֵשֵׁב בְּאֶבְלוֹ יֵשֵׁב בְּחָלְיוֹ:
(undefined) In the second dimension of man’s existence, destiny, the question of suffering takes on new form. What is an Existence of Destiny? It is an active existence, when man confronts the environment into which he has been cast with an understanding of his uniqueness and value, freedom and capacity; without compromising his integrity and independence in his struggle with the outside world. The slogan of the “I” of destiny is: “Against your will you are born, and against your will you die” (M. Avot 4:22), but by your free will do you live. Man is born as an object, dies as an object, but it is within his capability to live as a “subject” — as a creator and innovator who impresses his individual imprimatur on his life and breaks out of a life of instinctive, automatic behavior into one of creative activity. According to Judaism, man’s mission in this world is to turn fate into destiny — an existence that is passive and influenced into an existence that is active and influential; an existence of compulsion, perplexity, and speechlessness into an existence full of will, vision, and initiative. The blessing of the Holy One to his creation fully defines man’s role: “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:28). Conquer the environment and subjugate it. If you do not rule over it, it will enslave you. Destiny bestows on man a new status in God’s world. It bestows upon man a royal crown, and thus he becomes God’s partner in the work of creation.
(undefined) The halakhic answer to this question is very simple. Suffering comes to elevate man, to purify his spirit and sanctify him, to cleanse his mind and purify it from the chaff of superficiality and the dross of crudeness; to sensitize his soul and expand his horizons. In general, the purpose of suffering is to repair the imperfection in man’s persona. The halakhah teaches us that an afflicted person commits a criminal act if he allows his pain to go for naught and to remain without meaning or purpose. Suffering appears in the world in order to contribute something to man, in order to atone for him, in order to redeem him from moral impurity, from crudeness and lowliness of spirit. The sufferer must arise there from, purified, refined, and cleansed. “An hour of distress it is for Jacob, and from it he should be saved” (Jeremiah 30:7). From the midst of suffering itself he will achieve lasting redemption and merit a self-actualization and exaltation that are unequaled in a world devoid of suffering. From negation sprouts affirmation; from antithesis, thesis emerges; and from a denial of existence, a new existence is revealed. The Torah gave witness to man’s mighty spiritual reaction to suffering inflicted upon him when it said, “In your distress when all these horrors shall come upon you …then you shall return to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:30). Suffering requires man to repent and return to God.3 Distress is designated to arouse us to repentance, and what is repentance if not the renewal and supreme redemption of man?
רבי חייא בר אבא חלש על לגביה ר' יוחנן א"ל חביבין עליך יסורין א"ל לא הן ולא שכרן א"ל הב לי ידך יהב ליה ידיה ואוקמיה.
The Gemara continues to address the issue of suffering and affliction: Rabbi Yoḥanan’s student, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, fell ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to visit him, and said to him: Is your suffering dear to you? Do you desire to be ill and afflicted? Rabbi Ḥiyya said to him: I welcome neither this suffering nor its reward, as one who welcomes this suffering with love is rewarded. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Give me your hand. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba gave him his hand, and Rabbi Yoḥanan stood him up and restored him to health.
(ב) אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃
(2) My God, my God, why have You abandoned me; why so far from delivering me and from my anguished roaring?
(undefined) However, in the realm of destiny man recognizes reality as it is, and does not desire to use harmonizing formulas in order to hide and disregard evil. The “Child of Destiny” is very realistic and does not flinch in anticipation of a face-to-face confrontation with evil. His approach is halakhic and moral, and thus devoid of any metaphysical/speculative nuance. When the “Child of Destiny” suffers, he says in his heart, “There is evil, I do not deny it, and I will not conceal it with fruitless casuistry. I am, however, interested in it from a halakhic point of view; and as a person who wants to know what action to take. I ask a single question: What should the sufferer do to live with his suffering?” In this dimension, the emphasis is removed from causal and teleological considerations (which differ only as to direction) and is directed to the realm of action. The problem is now formulated in the language of a simple halakhah and revolves around a quotidian (i.e. daily) task. The question of questions is: What does suffering obligate man to do? This problem was important to Judaism, which placed it at the center of its Weltanschauung. Halakhah is just as interested in this question, as in issues of issur and heter and hiyyuv and p’tur. We do not wonder about the ineffable ways of the Holy One, but instead ponder the paths man must take when evil leaps up at him. We ask not about the reason for evil and its purpose, but rather about its rectification and uplifting. How should a man react in a time of distress? What should a person do so as not to rot in his affliction?
(ח) כָּל אִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּב בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בֵּין עָנִי בֵּין עָשִׁיר בֵּין שָׁלֵם בְּגוּפוֹ בֵּין בַּעַל יִסּוּרִין בֵּין בָּחוּר בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה זָקֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁתָּשַׁשׁ כֹּחוֹ אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה עָנִי הַמִּתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה וּמְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים וַאֲפִלּוּ בַּעַל אִשָּׁה וּבָנִים חַיָּב לִקְבֹּעַ לוֹ זְמַן לְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע א ח) "וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה":
(ט) גְּדוֹלֵי חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ מֵהֶן חוֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וּמֵהֶן שׁוֹאֲבֵי מַיִם וּמֵהֶן סוּמִים וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה וְהֵם מִכְּלַל מַעְתִּיקֵי הַשְּׁמוּעָה אִישׁ מִפִּי אִישׁ מִפִּי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ:
(8) Every Jew is obligated to learn Torah: whether he is poor or rich; whether he has a full and healthy body or whether he is a person who is suffering; whether he is young or whether he is very old and his strength is weak; even if he is a poor man who supports himself from charity and knocks on each door; and even if he is a husband of a wife and children. He is obligated to have a set time to learn Torah [both] during the day and the night as it is written "You shall think about it day and night."
(9) Among the great ones of the sages of Israel, there were wood-choppers and water-drawers, and blind men, and despite this, they engaged in Torah study during the day and night, and are included among the transmitters of the tradition from person to person from Moses, our teacher.
אמר מר (אשר) ילכו זה ביקור חולים היינו גמילות חסדים לא נצרכה אלא לבן גילו דאמר מר בן גילו נוטל אחד מששים בחליו ואפי' הכי מבעי ליה למיזל לגביה
The Gemara analyzes the baraita. The Master said: With regard to the phrase “they shall walk,” that is referring to visiting the ill. The Gemara asks: That is a detail of acts of kindness; why does the baraita list it separately? The Gemara answers: The reference to visiting the ill is necessary only for the contemporary of the ill person, as the Master said: When one who is a contemporary of an ill person visits him, he takes one-sixtieth of his illness. Since visiting an ill contemporary involves contracting a bit of his illness, a special derivation is necessary to teach that even so, he is required to go and visit him.
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) עַד־אָ֣נָה יְ֭הוָה תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֣נִי נֶ֑צַח עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ תַּסְתִּ֖יר אֶת־פָּנֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃ (ג) עַד־אָ֨נָה אָשִׁ֪ית עֵצ֡וֹת בְּנַפְשִׁ֗י יָג֣וֹן בִּלְבָבִ֣י יוֹמָ֑ם עַד־אָ֓נָה ׀ יָר֖וּם אֹיְבִ֣י עָלָֽי׃ (ד) הַבִּ֣יטָֽה עֲ֭נֵנִי יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י הָאִ֥ירָה עֵ֝ינַ֗י פֶּן־אִישַׁ֥ן הַמָּֽוֶת׃ (ה) פֶּן־יֹאמַ֣ר אֹיְבִ֣י יְכָלְתִּ֑יו צָרַ֥י יָ֝גִ֗ילוּ כִּ֣י אֶמּֽוֹט׃ (ו) וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣ בָטַחְתִּי֮ יָ֤גֵ֥ל לִבִּ֗י בִּֽישׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ אָשִׁ֥ירָה לַיהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י גָמַ֣ל עָלָֽי׃
(1) For the leader. A psalm of David. (2) How long, O LORD; will You ignore me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? (3) How long will I have cares on my mind, grief in my heart all day? How long will my enemy have the upper hand? (4) Look at me, answer me, O LORD, my God! Restore the luster to my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death; (5) lest my enemy say, “I have overcome him,” my foes exult when I totter. (6) But I trust in Your faithfulness, my heart will exult in Your deliverance. I will sing to the LORD, for He has been good to me.
(יג) אִם־אֶמְאַ֗ס מִשְׁפַּ֣ט עַ֭בְדִּי וַאֲמָתִ֑י בְּ֝רִבָ֗ם עִמָּדִֽי׃ (יד) וּמָ֣ה אֶֽ֭עֱשֶׂה כִּֽי־יָק֣וּם אֵ֑ל וְכִֽי־יִ֝פְקֹ֗ד מָ֣ה אֲשִׁיבֶֽנּוּ׃ (טו) הֲֽ֝לֹא־בַ֭בֶּטֶן עֹשֵׂ֣נִי עָשָׂ֑הוּ וַ֝יְכֻנֶ֗נּוּ בָּרֶ֥חֶם אֶחָֽד׃ (טז) אִם־אֶ֭מְנַע מֵחֵ֣פֶץ דַּלִּ֑ים וְעֵינֵ֖י אַלְמָנָ֣ה אֲכַלֶּֽה׃ (יז) וְאֹכַ֣ל פִּתִּ֣י לְבַדִּ֑י וְלֹא־אָכַ֖ל יָת֣וֹם מִמֶּֽנָּה׃ (יח) כִּ֣י מִ֭נְּעוּרַי גְּדֵלַ֣נִי כְאָ֑ב וּמִבֶּ֖טֶן אִמִּ֣י אַנְחֶֽנָּה׃ (יט) אִם־אֶרְאֶ֣ה א֭וֹבֵד מִבְּלִ֣י לְב֑וּשׁ וְאֵ֥ין כְּ֝ס֗וּת לָאֶבְיֽוֹן׃ (כ) אִם־לֹ֣א בֵרֲכ֣וּנִי חלצו [חֲלָצָ֑יו] וּמִגֵּ֥ז כְּ֝בָשַׂי יִתְחַמָּֽם׃ (כא) אִם־הֲנִיפ֣וֹתִי עַל־יָת֣וֹם יָדִ֑י כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֥ה בַ֝שַּׁ֗עַר עֶזְרָתִֽי׃ (כב) כְּ֭תֵפִי מִשִּׁכְמָ֣ה תִפּ֑וֹל וְ֝אֶזְרֹעִ֗י מִקָּנָ֥ה תִשָּׁבֵֽר׃
(13) Did I ever brush aside the case of my servants, man or maid, When they made a complaint against me? (14) What then should I do when God arises; When He calls me to account, what should I answer Him? (15) Did not He who made me in my mother’s belly make him? Did not One form us both in the womb? (16) Did I deny the poor their needs, Or let a widow pine away, (17) By eating my food alone, The fatherless not eating of it also? (18) Why, from my youth he grew up with me as though I were his father; Since I left my mother’s womb I was her guide. (19) I never saw an unclad wretch, A needy man without clothing, (20) Whose loins did not bless me As he warmed himself with the shearings of my sheep. (21) If I raised my hand against the fatherless, Looking to my supporters in the gate, (22) May my arm drop off my shoulder; My forearm break off at the elbow.
(א) אֲנִ֤י הַגֶּ֙בֶר֙ רָאָ֣ה עֳנִ֔י בְּשֵׁ֖בֶט עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃ (ב) אוֹתִ֥י נָהַ֛ג וַיֹּלַ֖ךְ חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֽוֹר׃ (ג) אַ֣ךְ בִּ֥י יָשֻׁ֛ב יַהֲפֹ֥ךְ יָד֖וֹ כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ס) (ד) בִּלָּ֤ה בְשָׂרִי֙ וְעוֹרִ֔י שִׁבַּ֖ר עַצְמוֹתָֽי׃ (ה) בָּנָ֥ה עָלַ֛י וַיַּקַּ֖ף רֹ֥אשׁ וּתְלָאָֽה׃ (ו) בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּ֥ים הוֹשִׁיבַ֖נִי כְּמֵתֵ֥י עוֹלָֽם׃ (ס) (ז) גָּדַ֧ר בַּעֲדִ֛י וְלֹ֥א אֵצֵ֖א הִכְבִּ֥יד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃ (ח) גַּ֣ם כִּ֤י אֶזְעַק֙ וַאֲשַׁוֵּ֔עַ שָׂתַ֖ם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃ (ט) גָּדַ֤ר דְּרָכַי֙ בְּגָזִ֔ית נְתִיבֹתַ֖י עִוָּֽה׃ (ס) (י) דֹּ֣ב אֹרֵ֥ב הוּא֙ לִ֔י אריה [אֲרִ֖י] בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ (יא) דְּרָכַ֥י סוֹרֵ֛ר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵ֖נִי שָׂמַ֥נִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃
(1) I am the man who has known affliction Under the rod of His wrath; (2) Me He drove on and on In unrelieved darkness; (3) On none but me He brings down His hand Again and again, without cease. (4) He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones. (5) All around me He has built Misery and hardship; (6) He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those long dead. (7) He has walled me in and I cannot break out; He has weighed me down with chains. (8) And when I cry and plead, He shuts out my prayer; (9) He has walled in my ways with hewn blocks, He has made my paths a maze. (10) He is a lurking bear to me, A lion in hiding; (11) He has forced me off my way and mangled me, He has left me numb.
תניא ביקור חולים אין לה שיעור מאי אין לה שיעור סבר רב יוסף למימר אין שיעור למתן שכרה אמר ליה אביי וכל מצוות מי יש שיעור למתן שכרן והא תנן (משנה אבות ב א) הוי זהיר במצוה קלה כבחמורה שאין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצוות אלא אמר אביי אפילו גדול אצל קטן רבא אמר אפילו מאה פעמים ביום אמר רבי אחא בר חנינא כל המבקר חולה נוטל אחד משישים בצערו אמרי ליה אם כן ליעלון שיתין ולוקמוה אמר ליה כעישורייתא דבי רבי ובבן גילו
§ Returning to the topic of visiting the ill, the Gemara states: It is taught in a baraita: The mitzva of visiting the ill has no fixed measure. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of: Has no fixed measure? Rav Yosef thought to say: There is no fixed measure for the granting of its reward. Abaye said to him: And do all other mitzvot have a fixed measure for the granting of their reward? But didn’t we learn in a mishna (Avot 2:1): Be as meticulous in the observance of a minor mitzva as a major one, as you do not know the granting of reward for mitzvot. Rather, Abaye said: There is no fixed measure for the disparity between the ill person and his visitor, as even a prominent person pays a visit to a lowly person and should not say that doing so is beneath a person of his standing. Rava said: There is no fixed measure for the number of times that one should visit the ill, as even one hundred times a day is appropriate. Rav Aḥa bar Ḥanina said: Anyone who visits an ill person takes from him one-sixtieth of his suffering. The Sages said to him: If so, let sixty people enter to visit him, and stand him up, and restore him to health. Rav Aḥa bar Ḥanina said to them: It is like the tenths of the school of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, who said that each of one’s daughters inherits one-tenth of his possessions. His intent was that each daughter would receive one-tenth of the remainder after the previous daughter took her portion. Here too, each visitor takes from the ill person one-sixtieth of the suffering that remains, and consequently a degree of suffering will always remain with the ill person. Furthermore, visiting is effective in easing the suffering of the ill person only when the visitor is one born under the same constellation as the ill person.