Bikkur Cholim: The Jewish Imperative to Heal Through Presence

...(26) Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that very day; (27) and all his household, his homeborn slaves and those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised with him. (1) The LORD appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot...

And Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “After the Lord your God shall you walk, and Him shall you fear, and His commandments shall you keep, and unto His voice shall you hearken, and Him shall you serve, and unto Him shall you cleave” (Deuteronomy 13:5)? But is it actually possible for a person to follow the Divine Presence? But hasn’t it already been stated: “For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and one cannot approach fire. He explains: Rather, the meaning is that one should follow the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He. He provides several examples. Just as He clothes the naked, as it is written...(Genesis 3:21), so too, should you clothe the naked. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, visits the sick, as it is written with regard to God’s appearing to Abraham following his circumcision: “And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, consoles mourners, as it is written:...(Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners. Just as the Holy One, Blessed be He, buried the dead, as it is written:...(Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.

...(17) But Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing you are doing is not right; (18) you will surely wear yourself out, and these people as well. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone. (19) Now listen to me. I will give you counsel, and God be with you! You represent the people before God: you bring the disputes before God, (20) and enjoin upon them the laws and the teachings, and make known to them the way they are to go and the practices they are to follow...

“And you shall teach them,” that is referring to the structure of their livelihood, i.e., teach the Jewish people trades so that they may earn a living; “the path,” that is referring to acts of kindness; “they shall walk,” that is referring to visiting the ill; “wherein,” that is referring to burial; “and the action,” that is referring to acting in accordance with the letter of the law; “that they must perform,” that is referring to acting beyond the letter of the law. 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.

Rav Sheisha, son of Rav Idi, said: Let one not visit a sick person, neither during the first three hours of the day, nor in the last three hours of the day, so that he will not be diverted from praying for mercy. Rav Sheisha elaborates: During the first three hours the sick person is relieved, as after a night’s sleep his suffering is somewhat alleviated and the visitor will conclude that there is no need for prayer. In the last three hours of the day his weakness is exacerbated, and the visitor will despair of ameliorating his suffering and will conclude that prayer is futile.

“And the Lord appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day” (Genesis 18:1). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of “the heat of the day”? Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: That day was the third day after Abraham’s circumcision, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, came to inquire about the well-being of Abraham. The Holy One, Blessed be He, removed the sun from its sheath in order not to bother that righteous one with guests, i.e., God made it extremely hot that day to allow Abraham to recover from his circumcision, as he would not be troubled by passing travelers whom he would invite into his tent.

(1) LAWS OF VISITING THE SICK; HEALING; THE APPROACH OF DEATH AND ONE IN A DYING CONDITION.
It is a religious duty to visit the sick.¹Shab. 127a; B.M. 30b; B.K. 100a; Ned. 39b-40a; Sot. 14a. Relatives and friends²Who are intimate with him and are on an equal footing as relatives. may enter at once and strangers after three days. If the sickness overtakes him³Lit. ‘springs upon him.’ both may enter forthwith.⁴Tur in abridged form from T.H. — G. Y. Peah III, 9(17d); ibid. Git. VI, 7 (48a-b) ; Sem. de R. Ḥiyya (H) I, 1; also Sem. (H). Int. pp. 17-19 and cf. Ber. 55b; Yad, Ebel XIV, 5 and Kes. Mish. ibid. Strangers are not permitted to visit the sick person before three days elapse, for prior to this period their visit indicates that the patient’s luck is shaky and that he is designated a sick person. This, however, does not apply to relatives and intimate friends who are much closer to him. Hence, if the sickness overtakes him even strangers are permitted to visit him immediately — BaḤ. A Kohen is permitted to visit a sick person in a hospital, although it is quite likely that a corpse is present there. However, he should first make inquiries from the hospital authorities whether there is a corpse there or not. Where this is impossible to be determined, the Kohen may visit the patient in order to fulfil the religious duty of visiting the sick. The Kohen should not fear that there are sick people in the hospital who are in a dying condition, for we apply the principle that the majority of sick people recover — Resp. Teshurath Shai.

(2) Even a prominent person must visit a humble one;⁵Ned. 39b. even many times a day and even if the visitor is of his affinity.⁶Of the same age as the invalid. Thus Rashi. According to Asheri: ‘under the same planetary influence.’ ‘For a master said: ‘A man’s affinity takes away a sixtieth of his (the sick person’s) illness’ (Ned. ibid.; B.M. 30b). One who increases [his visits] is considered praiseworthy,⁷In accord with Raba’s dictum (Ned. ibid.), ‘Even a hundred times a day.’ provided he does not trouble him.⁸Ibid. The visitor should not come empty-handed — Sefer Yesh Noḥalin. Gloss: Some say that an enemy may visit a sick person.⁹Maharil s. 197 — G. However, this does not seem plausible to me; but he should not visit a sick person nor comfort a mourner whom he hates, so that [the latter] should not think that he rejoices at his misfortune, and thereby feel depressed.¹⁰One may, however, follow the funeral procession of his enemy since this is the end of every human and ‘rejoicing at one’s misfortune’ does not apply (BaḤ). But as to visiting the sick or offering comfort to a mourner, it depends upon the degree of enmity. — ShaK. One should therefore, use his judgment, especially if the sick person gives him permission to visit him — Sefer ha-Ḥayyim. Thus seems to me [to be the correct view].¹¹San. 19a — G. also Me’iri ibid.

(3) One who visits the sick may neither sit upon a bed, nor upon a chair, nor upon a stool, but must [reverently] wrap himself and sit in front of him [the invalid], for the Divine Presence is above the top-side of his bed.¹²For it is written, ‘The Lord supports him upon the bed of illness’ (PS. XLI, 4). Shab. 12b, and Tosaf. s.v. לא; Ned. 40a and RaN s.v. לא. Gloss: [This applies] only if the sick person lies on the ground so that he who sits [near him] will be on a higher level; but when he lies upon the bed, it is permissible [for the visitor] to sit on a chair or a stool.¹³B.Yos. citing RaN; Hag. Maim.; Tosaf. and Hag. Asheri — G. And thus is our accepted practice.¹⁴This means that it is permissible to sit on any side of the invalid’s bed as long as the visitor is not on a higher level. , however, Zohar Pinḥas 234b where it is stated that if the invalid is an average person בינוני one should not sit at his feet, and at the top-side of the bed it is forbidden even if both are on the same level; if the invalid is a perfectly righteous person צדיק גמור the visitor may sit only in front of him at his feet, for in this case the Divine Presence is found on every side of the invalid excluding the side at his feet.

(4) One must not visit the sick during the first three hours of the day, — for every invalid's illness is alleviated in the morning and [consequently] one will not trouble himself to pray¹⁵Lit. ‘to ask for mercy.’ for him; and not during the last three hours of the day, — for then his illness grows worse and one will give up hope to pray for him.¹⁶Ned. ibid. This is not a prohibition but only general advice. Hence, people are not particular with respect to this requirement — A.H. Gloss: One who visited [a sick person] and did not pray for him has not fulfilled the religious duty [of visiting the sick].¹⁷B.Yos. citing N (in T.H.) — G.

(5) When one prays for him, — if in his presence,¹⁸e., the invalid’s. one may pray in any language one desires; if one prays, not in his presence,¹⁸e., the invalid’s. one should pray only in Hebrew.¹⁹Shab. ibid. according to which the Divine Presence is with the invalid and supports him (v. supra n. 12). Hence, the visitor may pray in any language since he is in the presence of God. But when he is not in the presence of the invalid he requires the angel’s intercession who according to tradition understands only Hebrew (v. Sot. 33a). This should not be confused with the notion that Judaism advocates praying to angels to intercede on our behalf. The angel merely acts as a carrier of prayers to God. Y.Ber. IX, 1(13a), “If a misfortune befalls a person, he should not cry to Michael or Gabriel, but let him cry to me and I will answer him forthwith, as it is written, ‘whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered’” (Joel III, 5).

(6) One should combine him with other Jewish sick by saying, 'May the Omnipresent have compassion upon you in the midst of the sick of Israel;'²⁰Shab. ibid. since the merit of a group is more efficacious. and on the Sabbath he says, 'It is the Sabbath when it is forbidden to cry out²¹Ibid., which is not in keeping with the spirit of the Sabbath. Siddur for text. and healing will come soon.'²² O.Ḥ. § 287.

(7) He is told to consider his affairs whether he lent to or deposited [aught] with others,²³Or whether he wishes to leave instructions for his children — A.H. or vice versa, and that he should not fear death on account of this.²⁴T.H. citing Sem. However, this is not found in cur. edd. of Sem. The source of this ruling is Sem. de R. Ḥiyya(H) ibid.

(8) One must not visit those suffering with bowel diseases,²⁵Ned. 41a, on account of embarrassment, since the invalid has to move his bowels frequently. or with eye diseases, or from headaches.²⁶Ibid., on account of engaging in conversation which is injurious to people suffering from headaches. And likewise, whosoever is very sick²⁷Lit. ‘the world rests heavily upon him.’ and conversation is injurious to him must not be visited in his presence, but one may enter the outer chamber and ask and inquire regarding him, — whether it is necessary to sweep or sprinkle the ground before him²⁸Ibid., 40a. or anything similar to this, and hear his suffering and and pray for him.

(9) One must visit the sick of the Gentiles in the interests of peace.²⁹Git. 61a. Cf. W.G. a.l.

(10) [In the case of] those suffering with bowel diseases,—[the law is that] the man must not attend upon the woman, but the woman may attend upon the man.³⁰In such cases attendance by a man upon a wowan leads to obscene thoughts and licentiousness. In the reverse case the passion is not as strong and hence permissible. Thus D.M. TaZ and ShaK make a distinction between diseases, where the male is more prone to be tempted, and other illnesses, where this is not applicable. Cf. supra § 195, 18 and infra § 352, 3. also Resp. N.B., E.H. s. 69. Gloss: Some say that whosoever has a sick person in his home should go to the Sage of the city in order that he pray for him;³¹B.B. 116a and N.Yos. a.l. — G. and likewise is it the accepted practice to recite blessings [on behalf of] sick persons, in the Synagogues,³²On days when the Torah is read. O.Ḥ. § 54, 2; § 288, Blessings may be recited on behalf of sick people even if the latter do not reside in the same city — P.Tesh. No blessing is recited on behalf of an excommunicant — Sefer Ḥasidim. [viz.,] to give them an [additional] new name, for a change of name causes an evil decree passed upon man to be cancelled.³³R.H. 16b. [The precept of] comforting mourners takes precedence over visiting the sick.³⁴Kol Bo — G. also Yad, Ebel XIV, 7. Since the precept of comforting mourners is a charitable act both on behalf of the living and the dead.