Ramban (Vayikra 26:11) In general then, when Israel is in perfect accord with G-d, constituting a large number, their affairs are not conducted at all by the natural order of things, neither in connection with themselves, nor with reference to their Land, neither collectively nor individually, for G-d blesses their bread and their water, and removes sickness from their midst, so that they do not need a physician and do not have to observe any of the rules of medicine, just as He said, for I am the Eternal that healeth thee. And so did the righteous ones act at the time when prophecy existed, so that even if a mishap of iniquity overtook them, causing them sickness, they did not turn to the physicians, but only to the prophets, as was the case with Hezekiah when he was sick. And Scripture states of Asa, king of Judah, by way of rebuke, Yet in his disease he sought not to the Eternal, but to the physicians. Now had the practice of consulting physicians been customary among them, why should the verse mention as a sinful act Asa’s consulting the physicians, since his guilt was only because he did not [also] seek G-d? But the verse can be compared to someone saying: “That person did not eat unleavened bread on the Festival of Passover, but instead ate leavened bread.” For he who seeks the Eternal through a prophet, will not consult the physicians. And what part do the physicians have in the house of those who do the will of G-d, after He has assured us, and He will bless thy bread, and thy water, and mostly with food and drink, warning [the patient] against [eating] certain foods and commanding him to eat others. Thus also the Rabbis said: “During all the twenty-two years that Rabbah reigned as head of the Academy at Pumbeditha Yoseph did not call even a blood letter to his house” as he, being a righteous person, was protected directly by G-d and needed no physicians, and they also say by way of proverb: “A gate which is not open for the commandments i.e., a house wherein the commandments are not observed]is open for the physician.” This is also the meaning of their saying: “People should not have to take medicaments, but they have become accustomed to do so.” That is to say] had they not accustomed themselves to takingmedicines, people would become sick according to the degree of punishment corresponding to their sin, and would be healed by the will of G-d, but since they accustomed themselves to medicaments, G-d has left them to natural happenings. This is also the intent of the Rabbis’ interpretation: “And he shall cause him to be thoroughly healed. From here you deduce the principle that permission has been given to the physician to heal.” They did not say that “permission was given to the sick to be healed” by the physician, but instead they stated by implication that since the person who became sick comes to the physician to be healed, because he has accustomed himself to seeking medical help and he was not of the congregation of the Eternal whose portion is in this life, the physician should not refrain from healing him; whether because of fear that he might die under his hand, since he is qualified in this profession, or because he says that it is G-d alone Who is the Healer of all flesh, since after all people have already accustomed themselves [to seeking such help]. Therefore when men contend and one smites the other with a stone or his fist the one who smote must pay for the healing, for the Torah does not base its laws upon miracles, just as it said, for the poor shall never cease out of the Land, knowing beforehand that such will be the case. But when a man’s ways please the Eternal, he need have no concern with physicians.
