“Rabbi Akiva taught: Those who do not visit a sick person may just as well spill his blood.” –Talmud, Nedarim 40a
This is a powerful quote; Rabbi Akiva is taking a very harsh stance on Bikkur Holim--visiting the sick. Why do you think he takes this dramatic position? Consider how one feels when sick, and how a visit, a card, or balloon makes the ill feel.
In addition to your opinion, for full marks, find an example of bikkur holim in the Tanakh. We have studied at least one example. Please e-mail your findings to justin.sakofs@adelsoncampus.org. Your responses will be collected and posted by yours truly, and will form the basis for the second post this week.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
8 comments:
if someone is ill, they would probably like for someone to make them feel better. and if u do not visit that makes it seems like u dont care about the ill while u r fine living a healthy life.
If one is ill then anything can make them feel better. Especially chicken soup. But when someone is ill ad you go to see them that might make them feel a whole lot better.
I think if someone is ill, it is honorable to go and see the person.
This raises the mental state of the sickee and it shows the sickee that someone cares about him/her even when they are not at their best.
I love it more than anything when my friends call me filling me in when I'm out, sick from school. That's why I do it for them. Anyone can feel better by taking medicine and getting rest and stuff, but a visit from your loved ones makes you more optimistic and somewhat helps you get better sooner. Well it does in my case :D
Have any of you ever heard of the "Placebo Effect"? It has to do with chemicals in your brain being produced which in part may heal your sickness. If you are visited by a loved one (or likewise), then you begin to feel like you will be over your sickness and due to the effect, your sickness may be healed. This is why being visited by loved ones is important.
If someone is ill, they like to think that someone cares about them. This is why we visit, write a card, or a balloon. If we visit them they may sometimes gain confidence in themselves knowing that someone cares about them.
People don't live forever. If someone is ill, we must visit them well we can and make them feel better.
In the tanach, both isaac and ishmael come together to bury their father together and put aside there differences. it is assumed that they were with abraham when he was dying becuase in judaism you only have one day to bury.
I feel that it is ones obligation to visit the sick. Although, there are two types of "sicknesses" the less severe being colds, flus, ect. while the more severe being cancer, AIDS, ect. I think that if a classmate is out of school sick, you should call them to ask them how they feel but it is not entirely necessary to go out of your way to visit them. If someone is suffering from cancer and is confined to a hospital bed you ARE pretty much obligated to visit them to show them your respect.
Post a Comment