Savta Shiur: The Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim

These are precepts⁵Mishnah, Peah 1:1: Talmud Maseches Shabbos 127a. for which no fixed measure is prescribed: [leaving] the corner [of a field unharvested],⁶ [the offering of] the first fruits, the appearance-offering, [performing] deeds of kindness, and the study of Torah. These are precepts, the fruits of which man enjoys in this world, [while] the principal [reward] is preserved for him in the World-to-Come. They are: honoring father and mother, [performing] deeds of kindness, early attendance in the House of Study morning and evening, providing hospitality to guests, visiting the sick, participating in making a wedding, accompanying the dead [to the grave], concentrating on the meaning of prayers, making peace between fellow men and between husband and wife— and the study of Torah is equal to them all.

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, ” (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), 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: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (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.

He brought the suffering of illness upon Hezekiah and told Isaiah: Go and visit the sick. Isaiah did as God instructed, as it is stated: “In those days Hezekiah became deathly ill, and Isaiah ben Amoz the prophet came and said to him: Thus says the Lord of Hosts: Set your house in order, for you will die and you will not live” (Isaiah 38:1)...Hezekiah continued: I have received a tradition from the house of my father’s father, from King David, the founding father of the dynasty of kings of Judea: Even if a sharp sword rests upon a person’s neck, he should not prevent himself from praying for mercy.

Rav Ḥelbo fell ill. There was no one who came to visit him. Rav Kahana said to the Sages: Didn’t the incident involving one of the students of Rabbi Akiva who became sick transpire in that manner? In that case, the Sages did not enter to visit him, and Rabbi Akiva entered to visit him and instructed his students to care for him. And since they swept and sprinkled water on the dirt floor before the sick student, he recovered. The student said to Rabbi Akiva: My teacher, you revived me. Rabbi Akiva went out and taught: With regard to anyone who does not visit the ill, it is as though he is spilling blood, as it could be that the sick person has no one to care for him. If there are no visitors, no one will know his situation and therefore no one will come to his aid. When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia he said: Anyone who visits the ill causes that he will live, and anyone who does not visit the ill causes that he will die. The Gemara asks: In what way are his actions the cause of that result? If we say that anyone who visits the ill pleads for mercy from God that he will live, and anyone who does not visit the ill pleads for mercy that he will die, does it enter your mind that he would pray that the sick person will die? Rather, anyone who does not visit the ill does not plead for mercy for him, neither that he will live nor that he will die.

(Rambam, c. 1177, Egypt)

It is a rabbinic positive precept to visit the sick, comfort the mourners, ... Even though all these precepts are of rabbinic origin, they are implied in the biblical verse: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18); that is, whatever you would have others do to you, do to your brothers in Torah and precepts.

(Rav Yaakov ben Asher 1300-1340, Spain)

And when one is sick, it is a mitzvah on every person to visit him as we find that HaKadosh Baruch Hu visits the sick as the pasuk "And Hashem appeared to him [Avraham] in Alonei Mamre" teaches us that He came to him to visit the sick and it is [also] based on the verse "And you shall show them the path where they shall walk" and it is a great mitzvah to visit, that due to the visit he will pray for him and this will revive him. Also, he will see him and inquire about his needs and see that they are met - including cleaning (my translation)

(commentary on Tur; Rav Yehoshua Falk 1590-1620; Poland)

From this we learn that visiting the sick so that they will sweep and wash before him and see to the needs of the sick and find calmness of spirit with his friends. In addition, he will have

(Rav Yosef Karo c. 1550, Tzfat)

(1) LAWS OF VISITING THE SICK; HEALING; THE APPROACH OF DEATH AND ONE IN A DYING CONDITION.
(1) It is a religious duty to visit the sick.

(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 pray¹⁵ 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.

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.

(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.

(Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein 1865-1905; Navahruduk)