Rabbi's Blog

This week's Dvar Torah should serve as a Z'chus for a Refuah Sheleima, a complete recovery L'Cholei Klal Yisrael

Health insurance, annual checkups, milestone-suggested tests, and more are all part of getting older... and yes, of even getting old. Two of the down sides to longevity include either witnessing our contemporaries moving on to the next world or having to endure our own personal illness and sickness. The fantasy of life is that bad things happen to others, but the reality is that we are affected as well. No one is immune from God's decisions in our lives.

Due to the fact that people in general are living longer, we get caught off guard when someone who is middle-aged gets sick or begins to fail. We tend to look at the oldest people of society becoming sick or progressively frail who need to be taken care of. Prior to the years of longer living, people in their sixties and seventies were considered to be elderly, so when they became ill it was not a surprise. Now that the generations are living longer, we don't think of sixty and seventy year-olds as old. We are taken aback when we hear disturbing news of someone who is "only" in his or her sixties or seventies having serious health issues. Personally, my family is experiencing this phenomenon. I am the second to youngest cousin among all my cousins and the youngest of my siblings. The issues and situations of middle-age illnesses do not indicate that more people are becoming sick. Illness is not necessarily an aging issue but is rather a need to be more proactive with regard to annual physicals and needed tests; to be active participants in practicing preventative medicine. In a way, I compare taking active care of ourselves to that of an automobile which comes with a maintenance manual, clearly telling us, the owners, exactly what kind of servicing we need to do as we reach specific mileage plateaus. Besides the regular oil changes, there are the twenty-five thousand, fifty, seventy-five and one hundred thousand mile service calls that are similar to the annual doctor visits and array of tests we must also do to take proper care of ourselves.

I saw a beautiful explanation given by Rabbi Feuer in his book on Shemonei Esrei regarding the blessing of healing. The Torah in this week's Parsha uses the word Y'Rapay, but in the bracha during the Amida it starts with R'faeinu and concludes with Rofeh. Why in the Torah is there a Dagesh - a dot - making it a hard sound, and in the Amida there is no Dagesh, making it a 'phey' - a soft sound? Rabbi Feuer answers that when a human doctor tries to heal, it can sometimes be harsh and painful to get good, healthy results. But when it comes to Hashem's healing, He heals softly and swiftly without pain. This is the way we want it.

Life can be scary and full of fear at these junctures. What else can we do besides following medical advice and trying to lead a healthy lifestyle to ensure a better outcome? The Gemara Bava Kamma 85a brings quotes from this week's Parsha Mishpatim: 'V'Rapo Y'Rapay', the permission given to doctors by Hashem to heal people. The words V'Rapo Y'Rapay here in Shmos 21:19 is significant because the the word for healing is repeated. The Torah is replete with repetitive words, each usually used to emphasize a point. Rav Chaim Ozer Grodzenski pointed out that in Shmos 15:26 in B'shalach, Hashem refers to Himself as "Ani Hashem Rofecha", "I am Hashem the Healer". Why the double usage of the word? The reason is that Hashem only takes one time to heal, but a human being may sometimes grow worse before getting better after the initial efforts of healing by the doctor. Furthermore, the Gemara Sanhedrin 17 states: "A talmid chacham is not allowed to live in a city that does not have a doctor! In fact many of the Tannaim, Amoraim and Rishonim were physicians in their spare time, dedicating daily time for healing and helping the sick following their Torah studies.

I have spoken and written on the parallels between the physical and the spiritual many times before. This topic is one more example of the need for a regimen dedicated to physical healing as well as to spiritual healing. Maintaining our physical well-being requires that we follow the guidelines suggested by the medical professionals. Even if our medical insurance does not cover certain things, we must find the resources to get those needs taken care of. On the spiritual side, the regimen we must follow can be found in a tefilla we say every single morning throughout our lives.

The order of healing is listed in the first blessing of the Shema in the Shacharis service. It states: "Borei Refuos, Nora Tehilos, Adon Haniflaos". First and foremost Borei Refuos - the Creator of healing is directing us to consult with doctors and to follow their instructions, whether that means doing exercise, losing weight or taking medication. If that does not work, then step two is Nora Tehilos, the awesome praises directing us to pour out our hearts and recite Tehilim - the book of Psalms. I view Tehilim as medicinal; even though we don't necessarily understand the words of Dovid Hamelech, we say them. Similarly, we take medication which, while prescribed, has ingredients listed which we don't understand, but we follow the doctor's instructions and hope that the medication will work. If the situation persists or grows worse and, Chas V'Shalom, deteriorates, then we say Adon Haniflaos, the Master of the wonders. With all the bad that is going on we should never become despondent and give up hope. Rather we should hope for the wondrous ways that Hashem can fix problems and situations through miracles. We should continue to wait and pray for a miracle to intervene on our behalf During these difficult times of stress and illness I want to wish everyone who is in need a Refua Shelaima. We should focus inward and concentrate a little more fervently during our davening for people to regain the health they lost and at least maintain that which they have. I would like to conclude with a somewhat familiar Bracha that many of you have heard me say.

When I share a L'Chaim with someone, the person knows the bracha or the common toast I offer when drinking. I say "to health, to health and to health, because when you have your health you have it all"!

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avraham Bogopulsky