(יד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתַי:
(14) He [Rabbi Hillel] used to say: If I am not for me, who will be for me? And when I am for myself alone, what am I? And if not now, then when?
(א) וַיֵּרָ֤א אֵלָיו֙ יְהוָ֔ה בְּאֵלֹנֵ֖י מַמְרֵ֑א וְה֛וּא יֹשֵׁ֥ב פֶּֽתַח־הָאֹ֖הֶל כְּחֹ֥ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ (ב) וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּה֙ שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים נִצָּבִ֖ים עָלָ֑יו וַיַּ֗רְא וַיָּ֤רָץ לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִפֶּ֣תַח הָאֹ֔הֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ אָֽרְצָה׃
(ג) וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנָ֗י אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ אַל־נָ֥א תַעֲבֹ֖ר מֵעַ֥ל עַבְדֶּֽךָ׃ (ד) יֻקַּֽח־נָ֣א מְעַט־מַ֔יִם וְרַחֲצ֖וּ רַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וְהִֽשָּׁעֲנ֖וּ תַּ֥חַת הָעֵֽץ׃ (ה) וְאֶקְחָ֨ה פַת־לֶ֜חֶם וְסַעֲד֤וּ לִבְּכֶם֙ אַחַ֣ר תַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן עֲבַרְתֶּ֖ם עַֽל־עַבְדְּכֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֵּ֥ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּֽרְתָּ׃
(ו) וַיְמַהֵ֧ר אַבְרָהָ֛ם הָאֹ֖הֱלָה אֶל־שָׂרָ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר מַהֲרִ֞י שְׁלֹ֤שׁ סְאִים֙ קֶ֣מַח סֹ֔לֶת ל֖וּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂ֥י עֻגֽוֹת׃ (ז) וְאֶל־הַבָּקָ֖ר רָ֣ץ אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקַּ֨ח בֶּן־בָּקָ֜ר רַ֤ךְ וָטוֹב֙ וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל־הַנַּ֔עַר וַיְמַהֵ֖ר לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת אֹתֽוֹ׃ (ח) וַיִּקַּ֨ח חֶמְאָ֜ה וְחָלָ֗ב וּבֶן־הַבָּקָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וַיִּתֵּ֖ן לִפְנֵיהֶ֑ם וְהֽוּא־עֹמֵ֧ד עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם תַּ֥חַת הָעֵ֖ץ וַיֹּאכֵֽלוּ׃
(1) And the LORD appeared unto him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; (2) then he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, three men stood by him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed down to the earth,
(3) He then said: "My Lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant. (4) Let now a little water be brought, bathe your feet, and recline under the tree. (5) Let me fetch a morsel of bread, and satisfy your heart; then go on, seeing that you have come your servant's way." They replied, "Do as you have said"
(6) Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said: "Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes!" (7) Then Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it.(8) He took curds and milk, and the calf which he had prepared, set it before them and he stood by them under the tree, as they ate.
(1) וירא אליו AND THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM to visit the sick man. R. Hama the son of Hanina said: it was the third day after his circumcision and the Holy One, blessed be He, came and enquired after the state of his health (Bava Metsia 86b)
(א) מִצְוָה לְבַקֵּר חוֹלִים. הַקְּרוֹבִים וְהַחֲבֵרִים נִכְנָסִים מִיָּד; וְהָרְחוֹקִים, אַחַר ג' יָמִים. וְאִם קָפַץ עָלָיו הַחֹלִי, אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ נִכְנָסִים מִיָּד. (טוּר בְּקִצוּר מס' ת''ה לְהָרַמְבַּ''ן).
(ב) אֲפִלּוּ הַגָּדוֹל יֵלֵךְ לְבַקֵּר הַקָּטָן, וַאֲפִלּוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים בַּיּוֹם, וַאֲפִלּוּ בֶּן גִּילוֹ. וְכָל הַמּוֹסִיף הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יַטְרִיחַ לוֹ. הַגָּה: יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים דְּשׂוֹנֵא יָכוֹל לֵילֵךְ לְבַקֵּר חוֹלֶה (מהרי''ל קצ''ז), וְלֹא נִרְאֶה לִי, אֶלָּא לֹא יְבַקֵּר חוֹלֶה, וְלֹא יְנַחֵם הָאָבֵל שֶׁהוּא שׂוֹנְאוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא יַחֲשֹׁב שֶׁשָּׂמֵחַ לְאֵידוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ לוֹ אֶלָּא צַעַר, כֵּן נִרְאֶה לִי (ש''ס פ' כ''ג).
(ג) הַמְבַקֵּר אֶת הַחוֹלֶה, לֹא יֵשֵׁב עַל גַּבֵּי מִטָּה, וְלֹא עַל גַּבֵּי כִּסֵא, וְלֹא עַל גַּבֵּי סַפְסָל, אֶלָּא מִתְעַטֵּף וְיוֹשֵׁב לְפָנָיו, שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה לְמַעְלָה מֵרַאֲשׁוֹתָיו. הַגָּה: וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁהַחוֹלֶה שׁוֹכֵב עַל הָאָרֶץ, דְּהַיּוֹשֵׁב גָּבוֹהַּ מִמֶּנּוּ, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹכֵב עַל הַמִּטָּה מֻתָּר לֵישֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא וְסַפְסָל (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הר''ן, וְכֵן נוֹהֲגִין).
(ד) אֵין מְבַקְּרִין הַחוֹלֶה בְּג' שָׁעוֹת רִאשׁוֹנוֹת שֶׁל יוֹם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל חוֹלֶה, מֵקֵל עָלָיו חָלְיוֹ בַּבֹּקֶר, וְלֹא יָחוּשׁ לְבַקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים. וְלֹא בְּג' שָׁעוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת שֶׁל יוֹם, שֶׁאָז מַכְבִּיד עָלָיו חָלְיוֹ, וְיִתְיָאֵשׁ מִלְּבַקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים. וְכָל שֶׁבִּקֵּר וְלֹא בִּקֵּשׁ עָלָיו רַחֲמִים, לֹא קִיֵּם הַמִּצְוָה (בֵּית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרַמְבַּ''ן).
(1) It is a religious obligation to visit the sick. Relatives and close friends may visit immediately and others after three days. But if he (the sick) is gravely ill, all may visit immediately.
(2) A person of high status should visit even a person of modest status, even several times a day, and [one should also visit] one's peer. Anyone who exceeds this standard is worthy of praise, but one should take care not to burden the patient. There are those who maintain that even an enemy should visit the sick individual (Maharal 197). This does not seem correct to me, rather one should not visit a patient or comfort a mourner who is one's enemy lest the [suffering person] think that [the enemy] is rejoicing in his misfortune, which will only cause more suffering. And this is what seems correct to me.
(3) ...The visitor should not sit on the bed, nor on a chair nor on a bench but rather wrap himself (in tallit?) and sit before him because the Divine Presence rests above his head.
Isserles: Especially if the sick person is laying on the ground because the one sitting would be higher then him but if he is laying on a bed it is permitted to sit on a chair or bench....
(4) ...We do not visit a sick person during the first three hours of the day because the illness is less pronounced in the morning and one might be tempted not to pray for him; nor during the last three hours of the day because the illness is more severe then and one might despair of praying for mercy. (And anyone who visits the sick and doesn't pray for him has not fulfilled the mitzvah.) (Bet Yosef based on Ramban.)
A Story: attributed to Former Chief Rabbi of England Lord Jonathan Sacks
Every Friday morning before dawn, the Rebbe of Nemirov would disappear. He could be found in none of hte town's synagogues or houses of study. The doors of his house were open but he was not there. Once a Lithuanian scholar came to Nemirov. Puzzled by the Rebbe's disappearance he asked his followers. 'Where is he? Where is the Rebbe?' They replied 'where else but in heaven? The people of the town need peace, sustenance and health. The Rebbe is a holy man and therefore he is surely in heaven, pleading our cause.'
The Lithuanian, amused by the response, determined to find out for himself. One Thursday night he hid himself in the Rebbe's house. The next morning before dawn he heard the Rebbe weep and sigh. Then he saw him go to the cupboard, take out a parcel of clothes and begin to put them on. They were the clothes, not of a holy man, but of a peasant. The Rebbe then reached into a drawer, pulled out an axe, and went out into the still dark night. Stealthily, the Lithuanian followed him as he walked through the town and beyond, into the forest. There he began chopping down a tree, hewing it into logs, and splitting it into firewood. These he gathered into a bundle and walked back into the town.
In one of the back streets, he stopped outside a run-down cottage and knocked on the door. An old woman, poor and ill, opened the door. 'Who are you?' she said:
'I am Vassily', the Rebbe replied. 'I have wood to sell, very cheap, next to nothing.'
'I have not money', replied the woman
'I will give it to you on credit', he said.
'How will I be able to pay you?' she said.
'I trust you - and do you not trust God he will find a way of seeing that I am repaid.'
'But who will light the fire? I am too ill.'
'I will light the fire', the Rebbe replied, and he did so, reciting under his breath the morning prayers. Then he returned home.
The Lithuanian scholar, seeing this, stayed on in the town and became on of the Rebbe's disciples. After that day, when he heard the people of the town tell visitors that the Rebbe ascended to heaven, he no longer laughed, but added: 'And maybe even higher.'