6574 —קיום הוראות הרופא בדיוק כמצוה, ושההפסקה בלימוד לשם הבריאות מביאה שכר מרובה

B"H, 29 Marcheshvan, 5719

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to receive your letter of the 24th of Cheshvan, in which you copy the doctor's words about the improvement in your health. May it be G‑d's will that the state of your health keep improving, and as the saying of our Rebbeim, our Nesi'im, goes: פון גוט צו נאך בעסער "from good to even better."

It is understood that I am not happy with what you write, that you follow the doctor's instructions, but not exactly. For the Torah gave the doctor permission to heal (Bava Kamma 85a), and with the granting of this permission it becomes a mitzvah on the part of the doctor (see Turei Zahav, Yoreh De'ah, beginning of section 237), and a great and abundant mitzvah on the part of the one being healed: the matter of ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם "you shall greatly guard your souls" (Devarim 4:15; Berachos 32b), and היות הגוף בריא ושלם מדרכי השם הוא "keeping the body healthy and whole is among the ways of G‑d" (Rambam, Hilchos De'os 4:1); and the warning of the Maggid to his son, the Malach: א קליינע לעכעלע אין גוף - א גרויסע לעכעל אין נשמה "a small hole in the body is a big hole in the soul"; and much more. There is no need to elaborate on something so simple.

I strongly hope that immediately upon receiving this letter of mine you will give me the good news that, at least from now on, you will not interfere with the doctor's instructions but will carry them out properly. Especially since one sees tangibly that interrupting a matter of Torah for a period of time, even if this is called an interruption (cf. Menachos 99a-b, "sometimes the interruption of Torah is its foundation"), brings much reward afterwards, since through it the improvement of health advances to a complete recovery, and the loss is made up many times over — which is not so through laxity in this; and this is easy to understand.

And may it be G‑d's will that, since we are entering the month of Kislev, the month of miracles and redemption, and of light in an ever-increasing manner (Shabbos 21b), the blessings of G‑d, blessed be He, be increased in the above, and in the other matters about which you write in your letter, and in the institutions... first and foremost.

With blessing for proper health and for good news in all the above, soon,

M. Schneerson

P.S.

Surely the veteran Chassid, the G‑d-fearing man, honored and distinguished, of great accomplishments and energy, etc., Rabbi Hollander, may he live, conveyed greetings from here, out of a farbrengen and an arousal concerning all the affairs of our fellow Chassidim in your country. He deserves thanks and encouragement for his activities on behalf of Yiddishkeit and its concerns in general, and with regard to your affairs in your country in particular.

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 16, p. 586.

Summary

This letter insists that a doctor's orders be followed exactly, since healing is a mitzvah for the doctor and guarding one's health an even greater one for the patient. A pause in learning for the sake of recovery is repaid many times over, whereas laxity is not, and the month of Kislev should bring ever-increasing blessing.