In this week’s parshah, it states “Yisrael bowed towards the head of the bed.” (B’reishis 47:31). Did Yaakov Avinu bow to his son [Joseph]? Rashi explains: Yaakov Avinu turned himself toward the head of the bed. Based on this, our Sages taught (Shabbos 12b): ‘The Sh’chinah resides above the head of an ill person.’”
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov explains that just being sick, in itself, doesn’t bring the Sh’chinah, but rather that G-d is felt to be present when a human being is asking hard questions about life, looking deeply into his or her own soul, and struggling to do the right thing. It’s the wrestling with conscience that opens up this level of spirituality, not the illness, which just gives us a chance to do the thinking. Even a very evil person has thoughts of t’shuvah in this time [i.e., upon a sickbed]. (Source: Iturei Torah)
The Midrash states: “From the day that heaven and earth were created, people did not become sick. A person might have been walking in the market, he would sneeze, and his soul would leave his body through his nostrils. Jacob requested mercy: ‘Master of the Universe, do not take my soul until I have instructed my children and the members of my house.’ G-d acceded to the request. That is why one wishes a person ‘life’ when he sneezes.” (Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 52)
The Midrash further explains that, from the beginning of B’reishis until the time of Yaakov Avinu, people did not become ill before they died. The word choleh/sick was not mentioned. There was no alarm set to remind a person of his transient status on this earth. It was Yaakov Avinu who asked Hashem to bring illness to the world instead of someone just dying. Yaakov had to ask Hashem as a show of mercy to bring illness so that a person could put his affairs in order and as an impetus for self-introspection and evaluation. Hashem agreed to Yaakov’s suggestion and declared He would start with Yaakov. Yaakov was, therefore, the first one to become sick.
List of People Who Need a R’fuah Sh’leimah
(a complete recovery)
Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.
Yeshayahu Yosef ben Zari
Rachamim ben Sa’eda Mazal
Alter Shmuel ben Chavah Leah
Meir Yaakov ben Esther
Yehudah ben Dinah
Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel
Yosef ben Basya
Yehudah Yudel ben Miriam Gittel
Shraga Feivel ben Chayah Daba
Yisachar Dov ben Chayah Brachah
Refael Aharon ben Devorah
Meshulam David ben Alta Hendel
Moshe ben Chasiya
Rafael Avraham ben Ivonne
Tinok ben Tzivia
Gideon ben Ludmilla
Yishai ben Moriasha Tovah
Yosef ben Miriam
Rafael Moshe Yehudah ben Feiga Necha
Yerachmiel Daniel ben Tovah Basha
Chaim Meir Binyamin ben Chanah Sarah
Pinchas ben Feiga Dinah
Yitzchak Mordechai ben Rose Nizha
Rivkah Fruma bas Leah Baila
Irina Ester Chayah bas Yafah
Yafah bas Basanda
Chayah Sheva bas Sheina Reizel
Hadassah bas Hennah Rivkah
Ruchamah Perel Malkah Leah bas Chanah Serel
Hinda Zalma bas Sarah
Esther Hadasah bas Devorah
Sarah bas Ilanah
Rechamah bas Feiga Rivkah
Tinokes bas Efrat Tehilah
Efrat Tehila bas Nina
Chayah Esther Yirat bas Feiga Dina
Tziporah Yeta bas Yehudis
Rachel bas Hinda Reizel
To add names of individuals who need a r’fuah sh’leimah
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