SAN DIEGO — According to the Torah, physical and emotional healing are ultimately in the hands of God: “If you heed the Lord your God diligently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I the Lord am your healer.” (Ex. 15:26)
However, Judaism not only gives permission for human beings to heal, Jews consider it a mitzvah, a divine commandment. Our sages derive this from the verse found in parashat Mishpatim: “When men quarrel and one strikes the other with stone or fist, and he does not die but has to take to his bed-if he then gets up and walks outdoors upon his staff, the assailant shall go unpunished, except that he must pay for his idleness and his cure.” (Ex. 21:18-19) The last words, “must pay…for his cure,” indicate that human intervention in healing is permissible.
Judaism considers physicians to be God’s partner in healing. Our Etz Hayim Torah commentary quotes Maimonides, a physician as well as an expert in Jewish law and philosophy, “If a person eats to cure his hunger, do we say that he has abandoned his trust in God? Just as I say thank God for providing me with food to sustain life, I thank God for providing me with that which heals my sickness.” (Etz Hayim, p. 461)
Interestingly, I was prepared to contrast Judaism’s approach to medical science with that of other religious traditions, specifically Christian Science. I had thought that Christian Science was fundamentally opposed to medical intervention, believing prayer alone is sufficient to heal. I was wrong!
Here is what I found on the official Christian Science website: “It’s up to each person who practices Christian Science to choose the form of health care he or she wants. Many Christian Scientists decide to pray first about every challenge-including health issues-and find it effective. Many health care professionals today are recognizing options outside of conventional medicine. Christian Scientists recognize and respect the interests of medical professionals and don’t oppose them. We all care about the preventive and curative aspects of health care.”
This week I not only have the pleasure of teaching Torah, but of correcting one of my misconceptions, as well! Most religious traditions believe that God helps those who help themselves.
Moses Maimonides wrote a Physician’s Prayer. I have included it below. (Note: many question whether it was truly written by Maimonides or by someone else.)
The Physician’s Daily Prayer
(attributed to Maimonides)
Almighty God –
You have created the human body with infinite wisdom.
In Your eternal providence,
You have chosen me
to watch over the life and health of Your creatures.
I am now about to apply myself to the duties of my profession.
Support me in these great labors that they may benefit humankind.
For without Your help, not even the least thing will succeed.
Inspire me with love for my art and for Your creatures.
Do not allow thirst for profit, ambition for renown and admiration
to interfere with my profession.
For these are the enemies of truth and can lead me astray
in the great task of attending to the welfare of Your creatures.
Preserve the strength of my body and soul
that they may ever be ready to help
rich and poor, good and bad, enemy as well as friend.
In the sufferer let me see only the human being.
Enlighten my mind that it may recognize what presents itself
and that it may comprehend what is absent or hidden.
Let it not fail to see what is visible
but do not permit it to arrogate to itself
the power to see what cannot be seen
for delicate and indefinite are the bounds
of the great art of caring for the lives and health of Your creatures.
May no strange thoughts divert my attention at the bedside of the sick
or disturb my mind in its silent labors.
Grant that my patients may have confidence in me and in my art
and follow my directions and my counsel.
When those who are wiser than I wish to instruct me
let my soul gratefully follow their guidance
for vast is the extent of our art.
Imbue my soul with gentleness and calmness.
Let me be contented in everything
except the great science of my profession.
Never allow the thought to arise in me
that I have attained sufficient knowledge
but vouchsafe to give me the strength and the ambition
