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Ramban on Leviticus 26:11/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ו:י״א

אוְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם זֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ. וְלֹא תִגְעַל נַפְשִׁי אֶתְכֶם אֵין רוּחִי קָצָה בָכֶם. כָּל גְּעִילָה לְשׁוֹן פְּלִיטַת דָּבָר הַבָּלוּעַ בְּדָבָר, כְּגוֹן "כִּי שָׁם נִגְעַל מָגֵן גִּבּוֹרִים" (שמואל ב א כא), לֹא קִבֵּל הַמְּשִׁיחָה שֶׁמּוֹשְׁחִין מָגֵן שֶׁל עוֹר מְבֻשָּׁל כְּדֵי לְהַחְלִיק מֵעָלָיו מַכּוֹת חֵץ אוֹ חֲנִית שֶׁלֹּא יִקֹּב הָעוֹר, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"ו:י"א). וְלֹא יָדַעְתִּי מָה הַטַּעַם בָּזֶה שֶׁיֹּאמַר הקב"ה כִּי בְּשָׁמְרֵנוּ כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת וַעֲשׂוֹתֵנוּ רְצוֹנוֹ לֹא יִמְאַס אוֹתָנוּ בְּגֹעַל נַפְשׁוֹ, וְכֵן בְּעָבְרֵנוּ עַל בְּרִיתוֹ וַעֲשׂוֹתֵנוּ נֶאָצוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת אָמַר "לֹא מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא גְעַלְתִּים" (ויקרא כ"ו:מ"ד), וְאָמַר הַנָּבִיא בִּשְׁעַת הַקְּלָלָה "הֲמָאֹס מָאַסְתָּ אֶת יְהוּדָה אִם בְּצִיּוֹן גָּעֲלָה נַפְשֶׁךָ" (ירמיהו יד יט). אֲבָל הָעִנְיָן סוֹד מִסִּתְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה, אָמַר שֶׁיִּתֵּן מִשְׁכָּנוֹ בְּתוֹכֵנוּ, וְהַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר מִמֶּנָּה יָבֹא הַמִּשְׁכָּן לֹא תִּגְעַל אוֹתָנוּ, כִּכְלִי שֶׁמַּגְעִילִין אוֹתוֹ בְּרוֹתְחִין, אֲבָל בְּכָל עֵת יִהְיוּ בְּגָדֵינוּ לְבָנִים וַחֲדָשִׁים, כִּי הַגְּעִילָה - פְּלִיטָה, כְּדִבְרֵי רַשִׁ"י, מִלְּשׁוֹן "שׁוֹרוֹ עִבַּר וְלֹא יַגְעִל תְּפַלֵּט פָּרָתוֹ וְלֹא תְשַׁכֵּל" (איוב כא י). וְאָמַר "נַפְשִׁי" כְּדֶרֶךְ "נִשְׁבַּע ה' אֱלֹהִים בְּנַפְשׁוֹ" (עמוס ו ח), וְהַנָּבִיא אָמַר בִּתְמִיָּה, אִם בְּצִיּוֹן עַצְמָהּ גָּעֲלָה נַפְשֶׁךָ, שֶׁהִיא עִיר וָאֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהִשְׁלַכְתָּ אוֹתָהּ מִלְּפָנֶיךָ לִהְיוֹת כָּל בָּנֶיהָ לְבוּשִׁים בְּגָדִים צוֹאִים נִגְאָלִים. וְהִנֵּה הַבְּרָכוֹת הָאֵלֶּה כְּפִי פְּשׁוּטָן עִם הֱיוֹתָן רַבּוֹת כְּלָלִיּוֹת בְּעִנְיַן הַמָּטָר הַשָּׂבָע וְהַשָּׁלוֹם וּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה, אֵינָן כְּמוֹ הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁבֵּרַךְ כְּבָר בִּקְצָרָה "וּבֵרַךְ אֶת לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּךָ" (שמות כג כה), כִּי שָׁם יַבְטִיחַ בְּמַאֲכָל וּבְמִשְׁתֶּה וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִבְרָכָה, עַד שֶׁלֹּא יֶאֱרַע שׁוּם חֳלִי בְּגוּפֵינוּ וְעַל כֵּן יִהְיוּ כְּלֵי הַזֶּרַע שְׁלֵמִים וּבְרִיאִים, וְנוֹלִיד כַּהֹגֶן וְנִחְיֶה יָמִים מְלֵאִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "לֹא תִהְיֶה מְשַׁכֵּלָה וַעֲקָרָה בְּאַרְצֶךָ אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא" (שם פסוק כו), וְכֵן אָמַר תְּחִלָּה "כִּי אֲנִי ה' רֹפְאֶךָ" (שם טו כו). וְהַטַּעַם בָּזֶה כִּי הַבְּרָכוֹת הָהֵם אע"פ שֶׁהֵם נִסִּים הֵם מִן הַנִּסִּים הַנִּסְתָּרִים שֶׁכָּל הַתּוֹרָה מְלֵאָה מֵהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (בראשית יז א), וְהֵם אֲפִלּוּ לְיָחִיד הָעוֹבֵד, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה הָאִישׁ הֶחָסִיד שׁוֹמֵר כָּל מִצְוֹת ה' אֱלֹהָיו, יִשְׁמְרֵהוּ הָאֵל מִן הַחֹלִי וְהָעֲקָרוּת וְהַשְּׁכוֹל וִימַלֵּא יָמָיו בְּטוֹבָה. אֲבָל אֵלּוּ הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁבַּפָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת הֵן כְּלָלִיּוֹת בָּעָם, וְהֵן בִּהְיוֹת כָּל עַמֵּנוּ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים. וּלְכָךְ יַזְכִּיר תָּמִיד בְּכָאן "הָאָרֶץ", "וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ פִּרְיָהּ" "וִישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח בְּאַרְצְכֶם" "וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ" "מִן הָאָרֶץ" "וְחֶרֶב לֹא תַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצְכֶם". וּכְבָר בֵּאַרְנוּ כִּי כָּל אֵלֶּה הַבְּרָכוֹת כֻּלָּם נִסִּים, אֵין בַּטֶּבַע שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ הַגְּשָׁמִים וְיִהְיֶה הַשָּׁלוֹם לָנוּ מִן הָאוֹיְבִים וְיָבֹא מֹרֶךְ בְּלִבָּם לָנוּס מֵאָה מִפְּנֵי חֲמִשָּׁה בַּעֲשׂוֹתֵנוּ הַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּצְוֹת, וְלֹא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַכֹּל הֵפֶךְ מִפְּנֵי זָרְעֵנוּ הַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם נִסִּים נִסְתָּרִים שֶׁעוֹלָם כְּמִנְהָגוֹ נוֹהֵג עִמָּהֶם, אֲבָל הֵם מִתְפַּרְסְמִים מִצַּד הֱיוֹתָם תָּמִיד לְעוֹלָם בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ, כִּי אִם הַצַּדִּיק הָאֶחָד יִחְיֶה וְיָסִיר ה' מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבּוֹ וִימַלֵּא יָמָיו, יִקְרֶה גַּם זֶה בִּקְצָת רְשָׁעִים, אֲבָל שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אֶרֶץ אַחַת כֻּלָּהּ וְעַם אֶחָד תָּמִיד בְּרֶדֶת הַגֶּשֶׁם בְּעִתּוֹ וְשָׂבָע וְשַׁלְוָה וְשָׁלוֹם וּבְרִיאוּת וּגְבוּרָה וְשִׁבְרוֹן הָאוֹיְבִים, בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאֵין כָּמוֹהוּ בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם, יִוָּדַע לַכֹּל כִּי מֵאֵת ה' הָיְתָה זֹּאת. וְעַל כֵּן אָמַר "וְרָאוּ כָּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ כִּי שֵׁם ה' נִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ וְיָרְאוּ מִמֶּךָּ" (דברים כח י). וְהֵפֶךְ זֶה יִהְיֶה בַּקְּלָלוֹת בְּעָנְשֵׁי הָאָרֶץ, שֶׁאָמַר "וְנָתַתִּי אֶת שְׁמֵיכֶם כַּבַּרְזֶל" (ויקרא כ"ו:י"ט), וְעָנְשֵׁי הַחֹלִי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "וָחֳלָאִים רָעִים וְנֶאֱמָנִים" (דברים כח נט), שֶׁיְּקַלֵּל הַמַּאֲכָל וְיַחֲלִיא, וְיִתְפַּרְסֵם הַנֵּס בִּהְיוֹתוֹ תָּמִיד קַיָּם בְּכֻלָּם, עַל כֵּן כָּתוּב "וְאָמַר הַדּוֹר הָאַחֲרוֹן בְּנֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר יָקוּמוּ מֵאַחֲרֵיכֶם וְהַנָּכְרִי אֲשֶׁר יָבֹא מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה וְרָאוּ אֶת מַכּוֹת הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא וְאֶת תַּחֲלֻאֶיהָ" (שם כט כא), שֶׁלֹּא יִתְמְהוּ בָּאִישׁ הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר רָבְצָה בּוֹ כָּל הָאָלָה (שם פסוק יט), כִּי כֵן יִהְיֶה פְּעָמִים רַבִּים כְּמִנְהָגוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בְּכָל הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁיָּבֹאוּ מִקְרִים רָעִים בְּאִישׁ אֶחָד, רַק בָּאָרֶץ הַהִיא יִתְמְהוּ וְיִשְׁאֲלוּ כָּל הַגּוֹיִם "עַל מֶה עָשָׂה ה' כָּכָה לָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת" (שם פסוק כג), כִּי כֻּלָּם יִרְאוּ וְיֵדְעוּ כִּי יַד ה' עָשְׂתָה זֹּאת, וְיֹאמְרוּ "עַל אֲשֶׁר עָזְבוּ אֶת בְּרִית ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָם" (שם פסוק כד). וְהַכְּלָל כִּי בִּהְיוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלֵמִים וְהֵם רַבִּים לֹא יִתְנַהֵג עִנְיָנָם בְּטֶבַע כְּלָל, לֹא בְּגוּפָם וְלֹא בְּאַרְצָם, לֹא בִּכְלָלָם וְלֹא בְּיָחִיד מֵהֶם, כִּי יְבָרֵךְ הַשֵּׁם לַחְמָם וּמֵימָם וְיָסִיר מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבָּם עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִצְטָרְכוּ לְרוֹפֵא וּלְהִשְׁתַּמֵּר בְּדֶרֶךְ מִדַּרְכֵי הָרְפוּאוֹת כְּלָל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "כִּי אֲנִי ה' רֹפְאֶךָ" (שמות טו כו). וְכֵן הָיוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים עוֹשִׂים בִּזְמַן הַנְּבוּאָה, גַּם כִּי יִקְרֵם עָוֹן שֶׁיֶּחֱלוּ לֹא יִדְרְשׁוּ בָּרֹפְאִים רַק בַּנְּבִיאִים, כְּעִנְיַן חִזְקִיָּהוּ בַּחֲלוֹתוֹ (מ"ב כ ב ג). וְאָמַר הַכָּתוּב "גַּם בְּחָלְיוֹ לֹא דָרַשׁ אֶת ה' כִּי בָּרֹפְאִים" (דהי"ב טז יב), וְאִלּוּ הָיָה דְּבַר הָרוֹפְאִים נָהוּג בָּהֶם מָה טַעַם שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר הָרוֹפְאִים, אֵין הָאָשָׁם רַק בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁלֹּא דָּרַשׁ הַשֵּׁם, אֲבָל הוּא כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר אָדָם לֹא אָכַל פְּלוֹנִי מַצָּה בְּחַג הַמַּצּוֹת כִּי אִם חָמֵץ. אֲבָל הַדּוֹרֵשׁ הַשֵּׁם בַּנָּבִיא לֹא יִדְרֹשׁ בָּרֹפְאִים, וּמַה חֵלֶק לָרוֹפְאִים בְּבֵית עוֹשֵׂי רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם אַחַר שֶׁהִבְטִיחַ "וּבֵרַךְ אֶת לַחְמְךָ וְאֶת מֵימֶיךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִי מַחֲלָה מִקִּרְבֶּךָ" (שמות כג כה), וְהָרוֹפְאִים אֵין מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם רַק עַל הַמַּאֲכָל וְהַמַּשְׁקֶה, לְהַזְהִיר מִמֶּנּוּ וּלְצַוּוֹת עָלָיו, וְכָךְ אָמְרוּ (ברכות סד), כָּל עֶשְׂרִין וְתַרְתֵּין שְׁנִין דִּמְלַךְ רַבָּה, רַב יוֹסֵף אֲפִלּוּ אֻמָּנָא לְבֵיתֵהּ לָא קְרָא. וְהַמָּשָׁל לָהֶם (במדב"ר ט יג), תַּרְעָא דְּלָא פְּתִיחַ לְמִצְוָתָא פְּתִיחַ לְאַסְיָא. וְהוּא מַאֲמָרָם (ברכות ס), שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּם שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם בָּרְפוּאוֹת אֶלָּא שֶׁנָּהֲגוּ; שֶׁאִלּוּ לֹא הָיָה דַּרְכָּם בִּרְפוּאוֹת, יֶחֱלֶה הָאָדָם כְּפִי אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה עָלָיו עֹנֶשׁ חֶטְאוֹ וְיִתְרַפֵּא בִּרְצוֹן ה', אֲבָל הֵם נָהֲגוּ בָּרְפוּאוֹת וְהַשֵּׁם הִנִּיחָם לְמִקְרֵי הַטְּבָעִים. וְזוֹ הִיא כַּוָּנָתָם בְּאָמְרָם (שם), "וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא", מִכָּאן שֶׁנִּתְּנָה רְשׁוּת לָרוֹפֵא לְרַפּאוֹת; לֹא אָמְרוּ שֶׁנִּתְּנָה רְשׁוּת לַחוֹלֶה לְהִתְרַפְּאוֹת אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁחָלָה הַחוֹלֶה וּבָא לְהִתְרַפְּאוֹת, כִּי נָהַג בָּרְפוּאוֹת וְהוּא לֹא הָיָה מֵעֲדַת הַשֵּׁם שֶׁחֶלְקָם בַּחַיִּים, אֵין לָרוֹפֵא לֶאֱסֹר עַצְמוֹ מֵרְפוּאָתוֹ, לֹא מִפְּנֵי חֲשָׁשׁ שֶׁמָּא יָמוּת בְּיָדוֹ אַחֲרֵי שֶׁהוּא בָּקִי בַּמְּלָאכָה הַהִיא, וְלֹא בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיֹּאמַר כִּי הַשֵּׁם לְבַדּוֹ הוּא רוֹפֵא כָל בָּשָׂר, שֶׁכְּבָר נָהֲגוּ. וְעַל כֵּן הָאֲנָשִׁים הַנִּצִּים שֶׁהִכּוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה בְּאֶבֶן אוֹ בְּאֶגְרוֹף (שמות כא יח), יֵשׁ עַל הַמַּכֶּה תַּשְׁלוּמֵי הָרְפוּאָה, כִּי הַתּוֹרָה לֹא תִּסְמֹךְ בְּדִינֶיהָ עַל הַנִּסִּים, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמְרָה "כִּי לֹא יֶחְדַּל אֶבְיוֹן מִקֶּרֶב הָאָרֶץ" (דברים טו יא), מִדַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁכֵּן יִהְיֶה. אֲבָל בִּרְצוֹת הַשֵּׁם דַּרְכֵי אִישׁ אֵין לוֹ עֵסֶק בָּרֹפְאִים:

1AND I WILL SET MY TABERNACLE AMONG YOU. “This means the Sanctuary [at Jerusalem].” AND MY SOUL SHALL NOT ‘THIG’AL’ (ABHOR) YOU. “This means that My spirit shall not reject you. Every [form of the term] ge’ilah is an expression of spewing out something that has been absorbed in another substance, such as: for there ‘nig’al’ the shield of the mighty,²⁷ meaning that the shield was not receptive to the oil with which it was anointed; for they used to anoint a leather shield with boiled [fat], in order to make the blows of arrows or spears glance off it, so that it should not pierce the leather.” This is Rashi’s language.But I do not know what would be the meaning of this, that the Holy One, blessed be He, should say that if we keep all the commandments and do His will, He will not reject us and His soul will not abhor us! Similarly when [speaking of] our transgressing His covenant [with us], and committing great provocations,²⁸ He said, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them!²⁹ And the prophet [Jeremiah] said at the time of cursing [i.e., the prediction of the destruction of the First Sanctuary], Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? Hast Thy soul loathed Zion?³⁰ But this subject is one of the secrets of the mysteries of the Torah.³¹ Scripture is thus stating that He will set His Tabernacle among us, and that “the soul”³² from which the Tabernacle³³ comes, will not spew us forth as a pot which we scour in hot water [in order to cleanse it of substances it has absorbed], but instead our garments will always be white³⁴ and new. For the term ge’ilah denotes, as Rashi said, “casting out,” related to the expression, his bull gendereth and doth not ‘yag’il’ (allow the cow to reject as loathsome), his cow calveth, and casteth not her calf.³⁵ He states here My soul [and ‘My soul’ shall not abhor you] similar to the expression, the Eternal G-d hath sworn by His soul.³⁶ And the prophet [Jeremiah] thus is saying by way of amazement: “Hast Thou loathed Zion, itself³⁰ which is a city and a mother in Israel,³⁷ and hast Thou cast her from before thee, so that all her sons are clothed with filthy garments,³⁸ polluted [with sin]?”Now according to their simple sense, these blessings, which are many and [stated in] general terms [affecting the people as a whole], — such as rain, plenitude, peace and the fruitfulness of people — are unlike the blessings with which He has already blessed [the people] in brief, saying, And He will bless thy bread, and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.³⁹ For there He assured them that their food and drink would be [a source of] blessing, so that no sickness will occur to our bodies, and therefore the organs of procreation will be complete and healthy and we will give birth properly, and live full lives, as He said, None shall miscarry, nor be barren in thy Land, the number of thy days will I fulfill,⁴⁰, Verse 26. and similarly He said at the beginning, for I am the Eternal that healeth thee.⁴¹, 15:26. The reason for this [division of the blessings into two sections] is that [all] the blessings [mentioned in the Torah], although they are miraculous, are hidden miracles of which the whole Torah is full, as I have explained.⁴² in the Book of Exodus (Vol. II, pp. 174-175). They apply even to an individual who serves [Him], for when there is a pious man who keeps all the commandments of his G-d, the Eternal G-d will guard him from sickness, barrenness and bereavement, and he will live out his days in goodness. But these blessings which are stated in this section are general ones applying to the people [as a whole], and they [take effect] when the whole of our people shall all be righteous.⁴³ Therefore He mentions here always the Land: and the Land shall yield;⁴⁴ in your Land safely;⁴⁵ peace in the Land;⁴⁶ out of the Land;⁴⁶ it shall not go through your Land.⁴⁶Now we have already explained⁴² in the Book of Exodus (Vol. II, pp. 174-175). that all these blessings are miracles, for it is not natural that the rains should come [in their due season], and that we should have peace from our enemies, and that they should have faintness of heart so that a hundred of them flee before five, as a result of us observing the statutes and commandments of G-d, nor that everything should be the opposite [i.e., that none of these things should happen] because of us planting in the Seventh year [which we are forbidden to do]. But although they are hidden miracles, for they are [brought about] by means of the natural events of the world occurring according to their habit, yet [the Torah mentions them separately because] they come to be known [as miracles] because of their constant and continuous occurrence in the whole Land. For if one righteous man lives and G-d takes away sickness from him, and he lives out his days, this also happens to some wicked people [and is thus not acknowledged as miraculous]. But when an entire land and a whole people always have rains coming in their season, and plenitude, security, peace, health, strength and defeat of their enemies, in a manner unparalleled in the whole world, it becomes known to all that this is the Eternal’s doing.⁴⁷ Therefore He said [in connection with these blessings], And all the peoples shall see that the Name of the Eternal is called upon thee, and they shall be afraid of thee.⁴⁸ And the opposite of this will occur because of the curses, when punishments will come upon the [whole] Land, just as He said, and I will make your heaven as iron,⁴⁹ and punishments of sickness, as He said, and sore sickness, and of long continuance,⁵⁰ meaning that the food will be spoiled and bring about sickness, and thus the miracle will be made known to all because of its continued existence amongst the whole people. Therefore it is written, And the generation to come, your children that shall rise up after you, and the foreigner that shall come from a far land, shall say when they see the plagues of that Land, and its sicknesses.⁵¹, 29:21. For they will not wonder at that [single] man upon whom all the curse that is written in this book shall lie⁵², Verse 19. for it happens many times in the natural order of the world, among all nations, that bad happenings come upon a certain individual. It is only with reference to that Land⁵¹, 29:21. that they will wonder, and that all the nations will ask, Wherefore hath the Eternal done thus unto this Land?,⁵³, Verse 23. for all will see and understand that the hand of the Eternal hath done this.⁵⁴ And [by way of reply] they will say, Because they forsook the covenant of the Eternal, the G-d of their fathers.⁵⁵In general then, when Israel is in perfect [accord with G-d], constituting a large number, their affairs are not conducted at all by the natural order of things, neither in connection with themselves, nor with reference to their Land, neither collectively nor individually, for G-d blesses their bread and their water, and removes sickness from their midst, so that they do not need a physician and do not have to observe any of the rules of medicine, just as He said, for I am the Eternal that healeth thee.⁵⁶ And so did the righteous ones act at the time when prophecy [existed], so that even if a mishap of iniquity overtook them, causing them sickness, they did not turn to the physicians, but only to the prophets, as was the case with Hezekiah when he was sick.⁵⁷ And Scripture states [of Asa, king of Judah, by way of rebuke], Yet in his disease he sought not to the Eternal, but to the physicians.⁵⁸ Now had the practice of [consulting] physicians been customary among them, why should the verse mention [as a sinful act Asa’s consulting] the physicians, since his guilt was only because he did not [also] seek G-d? But the verse can be compared to someone saying: “That person did not eat unleavened bread on the Festival of Passover, but instead [ate] leavened bread.”⁵⁹ during Passover, which is forbidden by a negative commandment (ibid., Vol. II, pp. 194-195). In the same way Scripture states that Asa committed two sins: he failed to seek G-d, and he consulted the physicians. This shows that consulting the physicians was not customary. For he who seeks the Eternal through a prophet, will not consult the physicians. And what part do the physicians have in the house of those who do the will of G-d, after He has assured us, and He will bless thy bread, and thy water, and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee,³⁹ whereas the physicians are concerned [mostly] with food and drink, warning [the patient] against [eating] certain foods and commanding him [to eat] others.⁶⁰ 4:15). Thus also the Rabbis said:⁶¹ “During all the twenty-two years that Rabbah reigned [as head of the Academy at Pumbeditha], Rav Yoseph did not call even a blood letter to his house” [as he, being a righteous person, was protected directly by G-d and needed no physicians], and they also say by way of proverb:⁶² “A gate which is not open for the commandments [i.e., a house wherein the commandments are not observed] is open for the physician.” This is also the meaning of their saying:⁶³ “People should not have to take medicaments, but they have become accustomed to do so.” [That is to say]: had they not accustomed themselves to [taking] medicines, people would become sick according to the degree of punishment corresponding to their sin, and would be healed by the will of G-d, but since they accustomed themselves to medicaments, G-d has left them to natural happenings. This is also the intent of the Rabbis’ interpretation:⁶⁴ “And he shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.⁶⁵ From here [you deduce the principle] that permission has been given to the physician to heal.” They did not say that “permission was given to the sick to be healed” [by the physician], but instead they stated [by implication] that since the person who became sick comes [to the physician] to be healed, because he has accustomed himself to seeking medical help and he was not of the congregation of the Eternal whose portion is in this life,⁶⁶ the physician should not refrain from healing him; whether because of fear that he might die under his hand, since he is qualified in this profession, or because he says that it is G-d alone Who is the Healer of all flesh, since [after all] people have already accustomed themselves [to seeking such help]. Therefore when men contend and one smites the other with a stone or his fist⁶⁷ the one who smote must pay for the healing,⁶⁵ for the Torah does not base its laws upon miracles, just as it said, for the poor shall never cease out of the Land,⁶⁸ knowing [beforehand] that such will be the case. But when a man’s ways please the Eternal,⁶⁹ he need have no concern with physicians.