B"H

Thursday, Tevet 12, 5779 / December 20, 2018

The first time sickness is mentioned in the Torah, is in this week's Parsha, Vayechi.  In the beginning of the Parsha, Joseph is told, "Behold your father is sick."

Yaakov (Jacob) was 147 years old at this time. He settled in Egypt at the age of 130 and had already lived there for 17 years.    

Hearing this Joseph hurriedly took his two sons, Menashe and Ephraim and went to visit his sick father, Yaakov, in Goshen.  When Yaakov learns that Joseph arrived, "He strengthened himself and sat upon the bed."

Q.  Why isn’t there any mention in the Torah before this story with Yaakov, of someone becoming ill?

A.The Midrash says that before Yaakov, people would not become sick but would pass away without any warning. Yaakov prayed that G-d let him know when his death was near so that he could pass along his last will and testament to his children and bless them before his passing.  Thus, Yaakov was the first person to become sick before passing away.

Visiting the sick is a great mitzvah.  This mitzvah is called "Bikur Cholim."  Our sages state that by performing this mitzvah, a person "enjoys its fruits-reward in this world while the principal reward remains intact in the World-to-Come."

Our sages say that when we visit a sick person we lighten their sickness by one sixtieth.  There is an allusion to this in the Parsha.  When Joseph is told that his father is sick, the Torah uses the expression, “Hinei Avicha Choleh” (Genesis 48:1).  The numerical value of “Hinei” is 60. 

Later when Joseph visits his sick father, the Torah says, “Vayishtachu Yisrael Al Rosh Hamitah” – “Yaakov bowed to the head of the bed.”  The numerical value of “Hamitah” is 59. Thus, with Joseph’s visit, Yaakov’s sickness was reduced one sixtieth.

Q. Why did Yaakov bow to the head of the bed? 

A. Our sages explain that G-d's presence (shechinah) rests at the head of the bed of a sick person. By bowing to the head of his bed, Yaakov expressed his thanks to G-d for all the blessings he had during his 17 wonderful years in Egypt together with his son, Joseph. 

According to Halacha (Jewish law), when visiting a sick person one should not sit at the head of the patients bed, out of respect for G-d's presence which rests at the head of the sick person’s bed.

One who is sick must not feel that G-d has forsaken them. Rather, the person who is ill should be encouraged, because G-d is with them at all times and will hopefully send them His healing.

HAVE A GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL & WONDERFUL DAY