ח"ב ג

For Halacha Study · For Thanksgiving · For the Sick · Supporting Torah Scholars · Childbirth It is good to give thanks to Hashem — and to sing praises to Your Name, Most High [Psalms 92:2].

I shall bless Hashem at all times — always His praise in my mouth [Psalms 34:2].

Healer of the sick of Your people Israel — true Healer; faithful and merciful Healer: have mercy upon us and upon all of Your people the House of Israel; and guard us from doctors and physicians [rofe'im v'daktarim]. And through Your abundant mercies — always bring the remedy before the affliction [hakdim refuah la'makkah]; and guard us and save us that we not come to any illness or pain or ache at all. And even at the time when You send upon us, G‑d forbid, some illness or ailment according to the decree of Your holy and true judgments — please, merciful One, through Your abundant mercies: guard us and save us that we not err, G‑d forbid, to surrender ourselves, G‑d forbid, into the hands of the doctors and physicians; for they are all doctors of vanity [rofei elil] — they are of nothingness altogether [Job 13:4]. For You know the truth: that there is no doctor who knows how to cure the illness and the ailment as is truly fitting in truth — not even the most expert and knowledgeable doctors who are exceedingly advanced in their wisdom. For there is no expert and wise doctor who can know and determine the specific remedy for that sick person — according to the decree of Your judgment that You decreed: that this sick person shall be healed only through such and such a person and such and such a medicine on such and such a day. And therefore it is in no way possible that the sick person be healed except through exactly those causes that were decreed for his healing. And who is the wise one who knows all this? — all the more so since most of the doctors and physicians are ignorant of the wisdom of the healing arts; and they are not truly well-versed in the wisdom of medicine — for it is a deep wisdom containing divisions and distinctions without measure or end; such that most of the time it is impossible to determine the truth to its very truth. And with a slight movement they cause great harm and loss and ruin — more than they repair at times. And they kill and murder souls with their own hands; and how many and many souls have sunk through them — for many who died through the doctors and physicians exceeded those who died of their own illness; as is revealed before You — Master of all; and as the true doctors themselves acknowledge: that it is impossible to fully know this wisdom as it truly is. And they acknowledged and were not ashamed: that it is better to withhold medicines [tov yoter limno' merefuos]. Master of the Universe — full of mercy; Creator of healings [borei refuos]; Master of wonders: You know that the world has already sunk greatly into this error of engaging with medicines — for many days and years; until it is difficult to take them out of this confusion. And especially because of the immensity of the pain and suffering of all those who bear illnesses — G‑d have mercy — they surrender themselves into the hands of doctors to seek a cure and remedy for their afflictions. But most of them all — their hope is disappointed [Jeremiah 14:19]; and the doctor heals nothing of theirs. Rather it is through Your mercies and Your immense lovingkindnesses — when Your mercies overpower them — that their wound is healed and their illness is bound up [Isaiah 30:26]. Master of the Universe — Giver of the Torah; full of mercy and lovingkindness: have mercy upon us and help and save us and strengthen us in Your great Name; that we merit to engage in Your holy Torah always for its own sake [lishmah] — in truth; with great diligence; day and night; and not interrupt it; and not let pass any day and any night of all the days of our lives without engaging in Your holy Torah very much. For You know our poverty and the weakness of our minds; and You know the multitude and variety of the obstacles and the delays from the Torah study that befall us at every time from everywhere; and from ourselves as well. And how the evil inclination overpowers us and confuses us at every time. Therefore we have come before You — Master of the Torah; Master of mercy: that You have mercy upon us and help us and strengthen us at every time to engage in Your holy Torah very much without interruption at all. And may You grant us merit at every time to find good novellae [chiddushim] in Your holy Torah; and to bring them out into the world — that all the Torah students and those who engage in Your Torah shall hear them and benefit from them and be attracted through them close to You and to Your Torah and to Your service in truth. And may the three lines of truth illuminate always in the speech of the Torah — and in prayer; and in proper matchmaking [shidduchim hagunim]; and in charity [tzedakah]. And may we merit always to true and complete speech in holiness; until the truth prevails and overcomes all the falsehood and all the impurity in the world.