Berachos (60a) On23 going in to be cupped one should say: ‘May it be Thy will, O Lord, my God, that this operation may be a cure for me, and mayest Thou heal me, for Thou art a faithful healing God, and Thy healing is sure, since men have no power to heal, but this is a habit with them’.24 Abaye said: A man should not speak thus, since it was taught in the school of R. Ishmael: [It is written], He shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.25 From this we learn that permission has been given to the physician to heal.
רש"י מסכת ברכות דף ס עמוד א
שאין דרכן של בני אדם וכו' - כלומר: לא היה להם לעסוק ברפואות אלא לבקש רחמים.
תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף י עמוד ב
תנו רבנן: ששה דברים עשה חזקיהו המלך, על שלשה הודו לו ועל שלשה לא הודו לו. על שלשה הודו לו: גנז ספר רפואות - והודו לו,
רש"י מסכת ברכות דף ס עמוד א
שאין דרכן של בני אדם וכו' - כלומר: לא היה להם לעסוק ברפואות אלא לבקש רחמים.
תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף י עמוד ב
תנו רבנן: ששה דברים עשה חזקיהו המלך, על שלשה הודו לו ועל שלשה לא הודו לו. על שלשה הודו לו: גנז ספר רפואות - והודו לו,
We had this discussion in the comments at the beginning of the pandemic, with Israel Reader..
ReplyDelete1) The ספר רפואות appears to be a fictional book or an allegory for science/medicine.
2) If there was such a book in Hezekiahu's hands, then it must have also been in King David's hands, so why wasn't it used to heal his son? In fact, David fasted and prayed for his son, and there is no mention of him using such a book.
3) even if the story can be taken at face value, this was in a time when we had neviim. Hizkiyahu had a navi, David had a Navi, and there were neviim after them too. If there were still neviim today, they might be able to end plagues if they entreat Hashem. Since these Neviim ended by the beginning of the 2nd Temple, we can only rely on modern science and medicine, and not miracles.
If a navi is avaialble, he would reveal himself, but this has not happened.
Historically, there's a gradual decline in Hashgacha, even through the period of the Tanach. Eliyahu could revive the dead. But how would he do this with a nation of 3 million? How could he visit the sick every day?
ReplyDeleteHere's some cases of medicine
Isaiah 38
כא וַיֹּאמֶר יְשַׁעְיָהוּ, יִשְׂאוּ דְּבֶלֶת תְּאֵנִים; וְיִמְרְחוּ עַל-הַשְּׁחִין, וְיֶחִי
Jeremiah 8
כב הַצֳּרִי אֵין בְּגִלְעָד, אִם-רֹפֵא אֵין שָׁם: כִּי, מַדּוּעַ לֹא עָלְתָה, אֲרֻכַת, בַּת-עַמִּי
Ezekiel 47
יב וְעַל-הַנַּחַל יַעֲלֶה עַל-שְׂפָתוֹ מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה כָּל-עֵץ-מַאֲכָל לֹא-יִבּוֹל עָלֵהוּ וְלֹא-יִתֹּם פִּרְיוֹ, לָחֳדָשָׁיו יְבַכֵּר--כִּי מֵימָיו, מִן-הַמִּקְדָּשׁ הֵמָּה יוֹצְאִים; והיו (וְהָיָה) פִרְיוֹ לְמַאֲכָל, וְעָלֵהוּ לִתְרוּפָה
This is the verse I was looking for in my previous discussion with IR.
ReplyDeleteAsa was before Hizkiyahu
2 chronicles 16
12 And in the thirty and ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet; his disease was exceeding great; yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.