סומך לכל הנפלים Supporting Those Who Fall: Mental health and Divine encounter

Rabbi Elazar said that Rabbi Avina said: Anyone who recites: “A Psalm of David” (Psalms 145, which now starts with 'Ashrei yoshvei veitecha' in our liturgy) three times every day has secured for themselves the status of ben ha'olam haba - a child of the world to come. What's the reason for this? If you say that it is because it's arranged in an acrositc, then we should recite: “Happy are they who are upright in the way” (Psalms 119) where each letter in the acrostic has eight verses, not just one. Rather, this psalm is so important because it contains the pasuk “Poteach et yadecah umasbia l'chol chai ratzon--You open Your hand and cause all life to overflow with will” (Psalms 145:16). If that's the reason, then you should recite the great hallel (Psalms 136, aka Hodu ladoshem ki tov, ki l'olam chasdo), which contains the pasuk “Notein lechem l'chol basar--Who provides bread to all flesh,” (Psalms 136:25). Rather, tehilla leDavid has this power because it contains both.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Why is there no verse beginning with the letter nun in Ashrei? Because it contains an allusion to the downfall of sonei yisrael--the enemies of Israel*. As it is written: “The maiden of Israel has fallen and she will rise no more; abandoned in her land, none will raise her up” (Amos 5:2). This pasuk begins with the letter nun in the word nafla, fallen. In Eretz Yisrael, they interpreted it in this way: “She has fallen but she shall fall no more; rise, maiden of Israel.” Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Even so, David went back and provided support, through the ruach hakodesh (holy spirit/divine inspiration). As it says: “Somech Adoshem l'chol haNoflim, v'zokef l'chol hak'fufim--Adoshem supports the fallen and raises up all who are bent over” (Psalms 145:14).

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: If people engage in Torah study, afflictions stay away from them, as it says: “And the sparks fly upward.” And fly means nothing other than Torah, and sparks means nothing other than afflictions, as it is stated: “Wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the sparks.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Even schoolchildren, who learn only the Written Torah, know this concept as it says: “And Gdd said you shall surely hear the voice of the Lord your God, and what is upright in Gdd's eyes you shall do and you shall listen to the mitzvot and guard Gdd's statutes; any disease that I have placed upon Egypt I will not place upon you for I am the Lord your healer”

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Rava, and some say Rav Ḥisda, said: If a person sees that afflictions have befallen them, they should examine their actions, as it says: “We will search and examine our ways, and return to God” (Lamentations 3:40). If that person examined and found nothing in their actions, they may attribute it to dereliction in the study of Torah (bittul Torah), as it says: “Happy is the person whom You punish, Lord, and teach out of Your law” (Psalms 94:12). And if that person did attribute it to bittul Torah, and did not find this to be the case, they may be confident that these are afflictions of love, as it says: “For whom the Lord loves, Gdd rebukes, as does a parent rebuke the child in whom they delight” (Proverbs 3:12). So too, Rava said that Rav Seḥora said that Rav Huna said: Anyone in whom HaKadosh Baruch Hu, delights, Gdd oppresses that person with afflictions, as it says: “Yet in whom the Lord delights, Gdd oppresses that person with disease...

And if one accepts those afflictions, what is the reward? As the second part of the verse states: “That the person might see their children, lengthening their days.” Moreover, that person's Torah study will endure as it is stated: “And the desire of Gdd will prosper by his hand.”

What then, is the meaning when the verse states: “And teach him from Your Torah”? Do not read and teach to mean and teach him, rather, and teach us. You teach us the value of these afflictions from Your Torah. This is a kal v'chomer (a fortiori inference) from the law concerning the tooth and eye of a slave: The tooth and eye are each a single limb of a person and if a master damages either, the slave thereby obtains freedom. Afflictions that cleanse (literally scald, as in metalwork) a person’s entire body all the more so.

(And that is the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: A covenant with salt is written about int the Torah, and a covenant with afflictions is written about. About the covenant with salt 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 regarding the covenant with afflictions, 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, so too in the covenant mentioned with regard to afflictions, the afflictions cleanse a person’s transgressions. A tanna recited the following baraita before Rabbi Yoḥanan: If one engages in Torah and acts of charity--gemilut chasadim--

and buries their sons, all their iniquities are forgiven. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: It makes perfect sense that if one engages in Torah and acts of charity, the iniquities are forgiven, as it is written: “With mercy and truth, iniquity is expiated” (Proverbs 16:6). Mercy refers to acts of charity, as it is stated: “One who pursues charity and mercy finds life, charity and honor” (Proverbs 21:21) And truth refers to Torah, as it is stated: “Buy truth and do not sell it; also wisdom, guidance and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23). But "a person who buries their children," from where do we derive that? A certain elder (in Aramaic: Saba) taught him in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai: It is derived from the word in the verse you did not look at: "iniquity." Here, it is written: “With mercy and truth, iniquity is expiated,” and there it is written: “He repays the iniquity of the parents onto/into the bosom of their children” (Jeremiah 32:18). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Leprosy and afflictions due to children are not afflictions of love...

And afflictions due to children are not afflictions of love? What are the circumstances? If you say that a person had children and they died, didn’t Rabbi Yoḥanan himself say: "This is the bone of my tenth son?" Rather, these "afflictions that are not from love" apply in a case where one has no children, and these other "afflictions that are from love" apply when one had children who died.)

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, Rabbi Yochanan's student, became weak by Rabbi Yochanan's side. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Are your afflictions dear to you? Rabbi Hiya replied: Neither them nor their reward. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Give me your hand. Rabbi Ḥiyya gave him his hand, and Rabbi Yoḥanan stood him up.

Rabbi Yoḥanan became weak by Rabbi Hanina's side. Rabbi Hanina said to him: Are your afflictions dear to you? Rabbi Yoḥanan replied: Neither them nor their reward. Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: Give me your hand. He gave him his hand, and Rabbi Ḥanina stood him up.

Why did Rabbi Yoḥanan not stand himself up? They say: A prisoner cannot free themselves from prison.

Rabbi Elazar, another of Rabbi Yoḥanan’s students, became weak by Rabbi Yohanan's side. He saw he was lying enshrouded in a house of darkness. He uncovered his arm, and light fell. Rabbi Yochanan saw that Rabbi Elazar was crying, and said to him: Why are you crying? If you are weeping because you did not study as much Torah as you would have liked, we learned: One who learns substantially and one who learns a meager amount receive the same reward, as long as they direct their hearts toward Heaven. If you are weeping because you lack sustenance, not every person merits to eat off of two tables. If you are crying over children who have died, this is the bone of my tenth son. Rabbi Elazar replied: I am crying over this beauty that will decompose in the earth. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Of course that's why you're crying. And they both cried together.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Are your afflictions dear to you? Rabbi Elazar said to him: Neither them nor their reward. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Give me your hand. Rabbi Elazar gave him his hand, and Rabbi Yoḥanan stood him up.