6574 —קיום הוראות הרופא כחובה בתורה ומקור לברכה

B"H, 29 Marcheshvan, 5719. Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to receive your letter from the 24th of Cheshvan, in which you quote the doctor's words regarding your improving health. May it be G‑d's will that your health continues to improve, as our Rebbeim say: from good to even better.

It is clear that I am not pleased with what you wrote—that you follow the doctor's instructions but not exactly. The Torah has given permission to the doctor to heal, and with this permission it becomes a mitzvah for the doctor (see Taz Yoreh Deah at the beginning of Siman 337), and an even greater mitzvah for the patient—the matter of "u'shmartem me'od l'nafshoseichem" (you shall greatly guard your souls), and having a healthy and whole body is one of the ways of Hashem. As the Maggid warned his son the Malach: "A small hole in the body—a big hole in the soul," and so on. There is no need to elaborate on such an obvious matter.

My strong hope is that immediately upon receiving this letter, you will notify me of good news—that at least from now on you will not deviate from the doctor's instructions but will fulfill them properly. Especially since we see tangibly that even if Torah study is interrupted for a time—even if this is called an interruption—it brings much greater reward later on, since through this your health improves until complete recovery, and any loss is made up many times over; whereas by being lax in this matter, it is not so—and this should suffice.

May it be G‑d's will that as we enter the month of Kislev—the month of miracles and redemption, and light, which increases—there should be increased blessings from Hashem in all the above matters and in all other matters you wrote about in your letter and regarding the institutions... above all else.

Blessings for proper health and for good news in all mentioned matters soon.

M. Schneersohn

P.S. Surely Reb Holander—vavac"h iy"a nu"n rab pe'alim ba'al meretz etc.—the Rav Holander—has conveyed regards from here following a farbrengen and inspiration for all matters of Anash in your country. He deserves thanks and encouragement for his activities in Judaism generally and especially regarding their matters in your country.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that following medical advice precisely is both a mitzvah and essential for spiritual well-being. Prioritizing health—even at the expense of temporary interruption to Torah study—brings greater long-term blessing and enables fuller service of Hashem.