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The Good Physician
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הרופא הטוב The Good Physician
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אִם־שָׁמ֨וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֜ע לְק֣וֹל ׀ יי אֱלֹקֶ֗יךָ וְהַיָּשָׁ֤ר בְּעֵינָיו֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְהַֽאֲזַנְתָּ֙ לְמִצְוֺתָ֔יו וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֖ כָּל־חֻקָּ֑יו כָּֽל־הַמַּֽחֲלָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹא־אָשִׂ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יי רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ (ס)

He said, “If you will heed the LORD your God diligently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I the LORD am your healer.”

א - אני I

יי - יי the LORD

ר - רפאך am your healer

Just as this promise and condition was given in the month of Iyar, immediately after the yetziat mizraim, the exodus from Egypt during hodesh Nisan, Chazal observe that IYAR is an acronym, in hebrew:

(ב) בּוֹנֵ֣ה יְרוּשָׁלַ֣͏ִם יי נִדְחֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל יְכַנֵּֽס׃ (ג) הָ֭רֹפֵא לִשְׁב֣וּרֵי לֵ֑ב וּ֝מְחַבֵּ֗שׁ לְעַצְּבוֹתָֽם׃ (ד) מוֹנֶ֣ה מִ֭סְפָּר לַכּוֹכָבִ֑ים לְ֝כֻלָּ֗ם שֵׁמ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽא׃
(2) The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem;
He gathers in the exiles of Israel.
(3) He heals their broken hearts,
and binds up their wounds.
(4) He reckoned the number of the stars;
to each He gave its name.
וַיֶּחֱלֶ֣א אָסָ֡א בִּשְׁנַת֩ שְׁלוֹשִׁ֨ים וָתֵ֤שַׁע לְמַלְכוּתוֹ֙ בְּרַגְלָ֔יו עַד־לְמַ֖עְלָה חָלְי֑וֹ וְגַם־בְּחָלְיוֹ֙ לֹא־דָרַ֣שׁ אֶת־יי כִּ֖י בָּרֹפְאִֽים׃
In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa suffered from an acute foot ailment; but ill as he was, he still did not turn to the LORD but to physicians.
(יא) וַיְרַפּ֞וּ אֶת־שֶׁ֤בֶר בַּת־עַמִּי֙ עַל־נְקַלָּ֔ה לֵאמֹ֖ר שָׁל֣וֹם ׀ שָׁל֑וֹם וְאֵ֖ין שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (יב) הֹבִ֕שׁוּ כִּ֥י תוֹעֵבָ֖ה עָשׂ֑וּ גַּם־בּ֣וֹשׁ לֹֽא־יֵבֹ֗שׁוּ וְהִכָּלֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָדָ֔עוּ לָכֵ֞ן יִפְּל֣וּ בַנֹּפְלִ֗ים בְּעֵ֧ת פְּקֻדָּתָ֛ם יִכָּשְׁל֖וּ אָמַ֥ר יי׃ (ס)
(11) They offer healing offhand For the wounds of My poor people, Saying, “All is well, all is well,” When nothing is well. (12) They have acted shamefully; They have done abhorrent things— Yet they do not feel shame, They cannot be made to blush. Assuredly, they shall fall among the falling, They shall stumble at the time of their doom —said the LORD.
(ב) בֶּן־אָדָ֕ם הִנָּבֵ֖א עַל־רוֹעֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִנָּבֵ֣א וְאָמַרְתָּ֩ אֲלֵיהֶ֨ם לָרֹעִ֜ים כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֣ר ׀ אדושם יי ה֤וֹי רֹעֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר הָיוּ֙ רֹעִ֣ים אוֹתָ֔ם הֲל֣וֹא הַצֹּ֔אן יִרְע֖וּ הָרֹעִֽים׃ (ג) אֶת־הַחֵ֤לֶב תֹּאכֵ֙לוּ֙ וְאֶת־הַצֶּ֣מֶר תִּלְבָּ֔שׁוּ הַבְּרִיאָ֖ה תִּזְבָּ֑חוּ הַצֹּ֖אן לֹ֥א תִרְעֽוּ׃ (ד) אֶֽת־הַנַּחְלוֹת֩ לֹ֨א חִזַּקְתֶּ֜ם וְאֶת־הַחוֹלָ֣ה לֹֽא־רִפֵּאתֶ֗ם וְלַנִּשְׁבֶּ֙רֶת֙ לֹ֣א חֲבַשְׁתֶּ֔ם וְאֶת־הַנִּדַּ֙חַת֙ לֹ֣א הֲשֵׁבֹתֶ֔ם וְאֶת־הָאֹבֶ֖דֶת לֹ֣א בִקַּשְׁתֶּ֑ם וּבְחָזְקָ֛ה רְדִיתֶ֥ם אֹתָ֖ם וּבְפָֽרֶךְ׃ (ה) וַתְּפוּצֶ֖ינָה מִבְּלִ֣י רֹעֶ֑ה וַתִּהְיֶ֧ינָה לְאָכְלָ֛ה לְכָל־חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה וַתְּפוּצֶֽינָה׃
(2) O mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy, and say to them: To the shepherds: Thus said the Lord GOD: Ah, you shepherds of Israel, who have been tending yourselves! Is it not the flock that the shepherds ought to tend? (3) You partake of the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, and you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not tend the flock. (4) You have not sustained the weak, healed the sick, or bandaged the injured; you have not brought back the strayed, or looked for the lost; but you have driven them with harsh rigor, (5) and they have been scattered for want of anyone to tend them; scattered, they have become prey for every wild beast.
אַ֭שְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּ֣יל אֶל־דָּ֑ל בְּי֥וֹם רָ֝עָ֗ה יְֽמַלְּטֵ֥הוּ יי׃ יי ׀ יִשְׁמְרֵ֣הוּ וִֽ֭יחַיֵּהוּ יאשר [וְאֻשַּׁ֣ר] בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְאַֽל־תִּ֝תְּנֵ֗הוּ בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ אֹיְבָֽיו׃ יי יִ֭סְעָדֶנּוּ עַל־עֶ֣רֶשׂ דְּוָ֑י כָּל־מִ֝שְׁכָּב֗וֹ הָפַ֥כְתָּ בְחָלְיֽוֹ׃ אֲ‍ֽנִי־אָ֭מַרְתִּי יי 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.'
(כא) וְנוֹדַ֤ע יי לְמִצְרַ֔יִם וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֛יִם אֶת־יי בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וְעָֽבְדוּ֙ זֶ֣בַח וּמִנְחָ֔ה וְנָדְרוּ־נֵ֥דֶר לַיי וְשִׁלֵּֽמוּ׃ (כב) וְנָגַ֧ף יי אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם נָגֹ֣ף וְרָפ֑וֹא וְשָׁ֙בוּ֙ עַד־יי וְנֶעְתַּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם וּרְפָאָֽם׃ {ס} (כג) בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא תִּהְיֶ֨ה מְסִלָּ֤ה מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ אַשּׁ֔וּרָה וּבָא־אַשּׁ֥וּר בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם וּמִצְרַ֣יִם בְּאַשּׁ֑וּר וְעָבְד֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם אֶת־אַשּֽׁוּר׃ {ס}
(21) For the LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians shall acknowledge the LORD in that day, and they shall serve [Him] with sacrifice and oblation and shall make vows to the LORD and fulfill them. (22) The LORD will first afflict and then heal the Egyptians; when they turn back to the LORD, He will respond to their entreaties and heal them. (23) In that day, there shall be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians shall join with the Egyptians and Egyptians with the Assyrians, and then the Egyptians together with the Assyrians shall serve [the LORD].
(טז) לָכֵ֞ן כׇּל־אֹכְלַ֙יִךְ֙ יֵאָכֵ֔לוּ וְכׇל־צָרַ֥יִךְ כֻּלָּ֖ם בַּשְּׁבִ֣י יֵלֵ֑כוּ וְהָי֤וּ שֹׁאסַ֙יִךְ֙ לִמְשִׁסָּ֔ה וְכׇל־בֹּזְזַ֖יִךְ אֶתֵּ֥ן לָבַֽז׃ (יז) כִּי֩ אַעֲלֶ֨ה אֲרֻכָ֥ה לָ֛ךְ וּמִמַּכּוֹתַ֥יִךְ אֶרְפָּאֵ֖ךְ נְאֻם־יי כִּ֤י נִדָּחָה֙ קָ֣רְאוּ לָ֔ךְ צִיּ֣וֹן הִ֔יא דֹּרֵ֖שׁ אֵ֥ין לָֽהּ׃ {ס} (יח) כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יי הִנְנִי־שָׁב֙ שְׁבוּת֙ אׇהֳלֵ֣י יַֽעֲק֔וֹב וּמִשְׁכְּנֹתָ֖יו אֲרַחֵ֑ם וְנִבְנְתָ֥ה עִיר֙ עַל־תִּלָּ֔הּ וְאַרְמ֖וֹן עַל־מִשְׁפָּט֥וֹ יֵשֵֽׁב׃
(16) 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.
(17) 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,”
(18) Thus said the LORD:
I will restore the fortunes of Jacob’s tents
And have compassion upon his dwellings.
The city shall be rebuilt on its mound,
And the fortress in its proper place.
(ו) הִנְנִ֧י מַעֲלֶה־לָּ֛הּ אֲרֻכָ֥ה וּמַרְפֵּ֖א וּרְפָאתִ֑ים וְגִלֵּיתִ֣י לָהֶ֔ם עֲתֶ֥רֶת שָׁל֖וֹם וֶאֱמֶֽת׃ (ז) וַהֲשִֽׁבֹתִי֙ אֶת־שְׁב֣וּת יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאֵ֖ת שְׁב֣וּת יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבְנִתִ֖ים כְּבָרִֽאשֹׁנָֽה׃
(6) I am going to bring her relief and healing. I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of true favor. (7) And I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel, and I will rebuild them as of old.
(א) מִזְמ֡וֹר שִׁיר־חֲנֻכַּ֖ת הַבַּ֣יִת לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) אֲרוֹמִמְךָ֣ יי כִּ֣י דִלִּיתָ֑נִי וְלֹֽא־שִׂמַּ֖חְתָּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃ (ג) יי אֱלֹקָ֑י שִׁוַּ֥עְתִּי אֵ֝לֶ֗יךָ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי׃ (ד) יי הֶעֱלִ֣יתָ מִן־שְׁא֣וֹל נַפְשִׁ֑י חִ֝יִּיתַ֗נִי (מיורדי) [מִיׇּֽרְדִי־]בֽוֹר׃
(1) A psalm of David. A song for the dedication of the House.
(2) I extol You, O LORD,
for You have lifted me up,
and not let my enemies rejoice over me.
(3) O LORD, my God,
I cried out to You,
and You healed me.
(4) O LORD, You brought me up from Sheol,
preserved me from going down into the Pit.