Ibn Ezra[(Shemos
23:25): … a person who observes the Torah has no need for a doctor other
than G‑d…
Avnei Nezer[C.M.
193): [Written by the father of the Avnei Nezer] … According
to the Ramban who says that the ideal is not to use doctors at all... he would
also permit the sick person to refuse treatment.... However according to the
Bach it would be prohibited for a person to refuse medical treatment.
Nevertheless it would appear if the sick person is really a tzadik then he can
rely on the Ibn Ezra and the Ramban since relative to them the Bach is the
minority opinion.... Furthermore it would appear to me that in this matter
everyone would be considered a tzadik since he wants to be strict with himself
with prohibited food and he has trust in G‑d even in the face of death.
Therefore even a person who is not considered a tzadik would be permitted to
refuse the doctors’ orders to be cured by eating unkosher food. .....
Derashos HaRan#6): I have
absolutely no doubt that spiritual sickness is the cause for physical sickness.
In fact there is no cure of the body without cure of the soul. … spiritual
illness is the cause of physical illness and that a totally healthy soul can
ward off all deadly influences…...
Beis HaLevi(Bereishis
41:1): …The fundamental principle is that one should not worry but
should have complete trust in G‑d. However the permission to exert oneself to
achieve a particular goal is because not everyone is able to reach the level of
total trust in G‑d. Therefore it is permitted to exert effort so as to be able
to achieve the proper level of trust. Every person needs to obtain work and
activity so that it will be easy for him to have trust in G‑d. It is not
unusual that the Torah will permit something in order to make it easier to
achieve the desired higher level. For example One should always be involved
in Torah and Mitzvos even for ulterior motives because eventually one’s motives
will be pure. Thus the development of pure motivation can proceed initially
through ulterior motivation. Based on this understanding the degree of
desirable effort is not equal for everyone but rather depends on the nature of
the individual. One who can achieve total trust with little effort is
considered to be sinning if he exerts more effort. Thus there is an inverse
relationship between actual level of trust and the amount of personal effort
which is permitted. The main point is to achieve trust and tranquility by
relying entirely on what G‑d provides. One who exerts himself more than he
needs to achieve that state is punished from Heaven and is required to exert
himself more. In fact he will not attain what he needs except from personal
effort - which is what he has chosen for himself…
Shir HaShirim
Rabbah (6:17): The door that is not open for mitzvos will be open for the
doctor.
MaharaNetzach
Yisroel): Even though the Sages said (Bava Kama 85a) that doctors are
permitted to cure illness, nevertheless the main thing is to have trust in G‑d
and want that He be his doctor in nature. However in the time of Chezkiyahu
they only wanted a cure from nature and they paid no attention at all to the
cure that comes from G‑d in a manner which transcends nature. Therefore he
concealed the Book of Cures which is itself totally in nature and it was good
that he removed this exclusive focus on the material aspects of cure.
Rambam(Commentary
to Pesachim 4:10): Chezkiah hid the Book of Cures The
only reason I have gone into detail in this matter is because there are those
who mistakenly claim that Shlomo composed the Book of Cures [Ramban
Introduction to Torah Commentary] so that if someone was sick he could readily
find the treatment and be cured. The further claim that because Chezkiah saw
that people were not relying on G‑d to be cured he concealed the book. Besides
being utterly nonsensical, it ascribes to Chezkiyahu and his peers who agreed
with him such tremendous stupidity that is only found amongst the lowest of the
masses. According to their mistaken idiotic fantasy if a person is hungry and
he takes food to eat to be obviously cured from the tremendous pains of hunger
- would we say that such a person is lacking in bitachon? Woe are the fools!.
Just as I thank G‑d when I eat that He provided me with something to remove my
hunger and to rejuvenate and sustain me, I similarly thank Him that He produced
medicines that cure my illnesses when I use them. There was no need to refute
such this disgusting explanation except for the fact that it is so widespread
רמב"ן על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יא
אבל הדורש השם בנביא לא ידרוש ברופאים - ומה חלק לרופאים בבית עושי רצון השם, אחר שהבטיח וברך את לחמך ואת מימיך והסירותי מחלה מקרבך, והרופאים אין מעשיהם רק על המאכל והמשקה להזהיר ממנו ולצוות עליו:
וכך אמרו (ברכות סד -) כל עשרין ותרתין שנין דמלך רבה רב יוסף אפילו אומנא לביתיה לא קרא, והמשל להם (במדב"ר ט ג) תרעא דלא פתיח למצותא פתיח לאסיא והוא מאמרם (ברכות ס) שאין דרכם של בני אדם ברפואות אלא שנהגו, אילו לא היה דרכם ברפואות יחלה האדם כפי אשר יהיה עליו עונש חטאו ויתרפא ברצון ה', אבל הם נהגו ברפואות והשם הניחם למקרי הטבעים:
וזו היא כונתם באמרם (שם) ורפא ירפא מכאן שנתנה רשות לרופא לרפאות, לא אמרו שנתנה רשות לחולה להתרפאות, אלא כיון שחלה החולה ובא להתרפאות כי נהג ברפואות והוא לא היה מעדת השם שחלקם בחיים, אין לרופא לאסור עצמו מרפואתו, לא מפני חשש שמא ימות בידו, אחרי שהוא בקי במלאכה ההיא, ולא בעבור שיאמר כי השם לבדו הוא רופא כל בשר, שכבר נהגו ועל כן האנשים הנצים שהכו זה את זה באבן או באגרוף (שמות כא יח) יש על המכה תשלומי הרפואה, כי התורה לא תסמוך דיניה על הנסים, כאשר אמרה (דברים טו יא) כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ, מדעתו שכן יהיה אבל ברצות השם דרכי איש אין לו עסק ברופאים:
(49) רמב"ן על ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יא
אין מעשיהם רק
על המאכל והמשקה להזהיר ממנו ולצוות עליו:
וכך אמרו (ברכות
סד -) כל עשרין ותרתין שנין דמלך רבה רב יוסף אפילו אומנא לביתיה לא קרא, והמשל
להם (במדב"ר ט ג) תרעא דלא פתיח למצותא פתיח לאסיא והוא מאמרם (ברכות ס) שאין
דרכם של בני אדם ברפואות אלא שנהגו, אילו לא היה דרכם ברפואות יחלה האדם כפי אשר
יהיה עליו עונש חטאו ויתרפא ברצון ה', אבל הם נהגו ברפואות והשם הניחם למקרי
הטבעים:
וזו היא כונתם באמרם (שם) ורפא ירפא מכאן שנתנה רשות לרופא לרפאות, לא אמרו
שנתנה רשות לחולה להתרפאות, אלא כיון שחלה החולה ובא להתרפאות כי נהג ברפואות והוא
לא היה מעדת השם שחלקם בחיים, אין לרופא לאסור עצמו מרפואתו, לא מפני חשש שמא ימות
בידו, אחרי שהוא בקי במלאכה ההיא, ולא בעבור שיאמר כי השם לבדו הוא רופא כל בשר,
שכבר נהגו ועל כן האנשים הנצים שהכו זה את זה באבן או באגרוף (שמות כא יח) יש על
המכה תשלומי הרפואה, כי התורה לא תסמוך דיניה על הנסים, כאשר אמרה (דברים טו יא)
כי לא יחדל אביון מקרב הארץ, מדעתו שכן יהיה אבל ברצות השם דרכי איש אין לו עסק
ברופאים
The Chazon Ish is a rational or pragmatist in his approach -
ReplyDeleteIn Biblical times it was a different world from today. Just as we had Neviim, also there was more of a direct relation between our sins and punishments.
In Rambam's times, it was the precursor of modern science. Professor Rabbi Maimonides was a leading scientist and doctor of his time - he was the Gadol haDor in every field , including Astronomy, medicine, philosophy - of course it doesn't need saying he was the Gadol hador and for every generation a Torah leader. So obviously he would differ from others. Rambam wrote a treatise on asthma, but in those days they did not have inhalers and modern treatments.
There are a lot of diseases which are being treated by modern science, so it is difficult to rely on views of ancient times. All Gedolei hador have their own doctors, Rav Shach ztl had a special doctor, so it is again not something that applies today.
This isn't even a debate between MO and Hareidi or Chassidim. It is also true what Chazal say, even the best doctors are butchers - ie they can often cause more harm than good, and they treat people like rats.
I commented about 5 years ago on this. My views have developed. A lot of disease is influenced by genes, and mutations - which can be random or inherited. Genetics is a bit like gilgul, but on a more molecular scale.
ReplyDeleteSo why do some people get disease, and others not.? Is it the aveirot I did that led to my genetic makeup, which in turn causes disease? Did the mutations occur from the X ray machine in the airport, the agrochemicals in Israeli salads, or from my ling list of aveirot? Does teshuva change disease, or is it part of the deal, and kapara process?
Why are there rashaim who live to 100?
Is being Jewish a liability, because any aveira can cause severe punishment? What about the inherited diseases, is that punishment for grandparents sins? Or gilgul?