בס"ד
"...כל המחלה אשר שמתי במצרים לא
אשים עליך כי אני ד' רפאך" [שמות טו:כו]
"Any ailment that I sent upon the Egyptians, I will not
inflict upon you for I am Hashem your healer" [Shemos 15:26]
Two incredible perspectives on this passuk are quoted in the מעינה של תורה.
Firstly is the idea, expressed by the Malbim, is that just like a healer
will sometimes have to perform a painful procedure – so too does Hashem
sometimes inflict discomfort upon us. But in sharp contrast to the punitive
judgment meted out upon the Egyptians, this discomfort is only part of the
healing process and is meant to be instructive, not punitive.
Secondly, the Chasam Sofer gives an analogy of a "house
physician" or a medical practitioner who is on retainer to treat anyone in
the household versus a doctor who has a private clinic and charges per
treatment. It is possible that both doctors are working equally hard to ensure
their patient's health. It is inescapable, however, that the physician who has
a private clinic may very well wish for some patients to relapse, since
treating them would be lucrative. The house physician, however, would only wish
health upon his patients since he has nothing to gain from their illness. In
this way, says the Chasam Sofer, we should view Hashem – as our personal healer
– who has no interest in "treating" us since He has nothing to gain
from administering such treatment.
These perspectives are a welcome addition to our own internal arsenal
for dealing with, and understanding, life's challenges. Sometimes we fall, and
sometimes it hurts. With this passuk, Hashem is reminding us that often our
pain is just a bruise left there by the hands of a caring healer. And when that
explanation doesn’t seem to suffice – we should always recall that Hashem IS
our personal caretaker – and since he doesn't gain from our pain – we can
certainly believe that it is not extraneous or meaningless – even when the
meaning eludes us.
Hatzlacha !!
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