Rabbi Yochanan and other Sages of the Talmud teach us lessons in suffering and sensitivity. Suffering is by no means something that any person in the world wants. In fact, it is not only that suffering is of little interest to us, but we can assume that even if afflictions of any kind bring with them some kind of reward, we want neither the suffering, nor the reward!
When visiting someone who is ill, we learn that our duty is to take care of them, to heal them in whatever way we can, to pay attention to their needs. We also learn about the amazing powers of the Tzaddik, who can heal with a mere touch! But maybe – then again – it is specifically *because *of his sensitivity that he is able to heal as he does…
Strangely enough, Rabbi Yochanan himself becomes ill, yet he is unable to heal himself. The Talmud teaches us an amazing lesson in the concept of healing others and healing ourselves. Isn’t it strange how sometimes it is that we have all the right things to tell others, and to help them – yet we ourselves suffer from those same difficulties?!
Why can we not heal ourselves if we can help so many others?! To help others means so often that we need to identify with their pain. If we cannot, it will be a hard task to assist them. Those who lack the basics of sensitivity should well listen to the discussions of the Sages on our page today. We are not hear to reprimand each other constantly.
We are here to understand the other’s pain. We are here to heal. We are hear to wish the other the best in everything. If we are not healthy, we will be unable to achieve anything in the world. Why then would we not want the best for the other – so that they too be able to achieve their best?!
