Tehillim 7 - How to Raise a Sick Person from Bed

Tehillim 7 - How to Raise a Sick Person from Bed

Tehillim 7 חָסִיתִי הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי מִכָּל-רֹדְפַי, וְהַצִּילֵנִי -  “Becha chasiti, hoshieni mikol rodefai vehatzileni” - (I place my trust in You; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me). This pasuk contains a double encoding of the second of the 72 Sacred Names of Hashem - ילי . This Name of Hashem helps one overcome enemies. The special quality of this Name is that it performs “birur nitzotzot” — it gathers and elevates the Sparks. Through the power of this Name, Moshe raised Yosef’s coffin from the Nile. The Ari taught that this Name possesses the power of Refuah Shlemah, enabling one to raise a sick person from bed. He reveals the power of this Name to raise the sick through the Talmud. Talmud, Berakhot (folio 5) Rabbi Chiya ben Abba was ill. When Rabbi Yochanan came to visit him, he asked: — Do you welcome your suffering? — I would prefer neither this suffering nor its reward. “Then give me your hand!” said Rabbi Yochanan. Rabbi Chiya ben Abba extended his hand to him, and Rabbi Yochanan healed him. Rabbi Yochanan was ill. When Rabbi Chanina came to visit him, he asked: — Do you welcome your suffering? — I would prefer neither this suffering nor its reward. — Then give me your hand! said Rabbi Chanina. Rabbi Yochanan extended his hand to him, and Rabbi Chanina healed him. Why did Rabbi Yochanan not heal himself? The Sages say: “ein chavush matir atzmo mi-beit ha-issurim” — (a prisoner cannot free himself from prison); someone else must extend a hand and pull him out. Rabbi Elazar was ill. When Rabbi Yochanan came to visit him, he saw that Rabbi Elazar was lying in darkness. He uncovered his forearm, and the room became bright [so beautiful was Rabbi Yochanan]. Rabbi Yochanan noticed that Rabbi Elazar was crying and asked him: — Why are you crying? If it is over Torah study, because you did not increase it, it is known that whether one accomplishes much or little, the main thing is to direct one’s heart toward Heaven. If it is over sustenance, not everyone can eat from two tables [and be both wealthy and learned]. If it is over children, look here — this is the bone of my tenth son. — I am crying over this beauty, which will turn to dust, Rabbi Elazar answered him. — This is certainly something worth crying over, said Rabbi Yochanan. They wept together. Rabbi Yochanan asked Rabbi Elazar: - Do you welcome your suffering? — I would prefer neither this suffering nor its reward. — Then give me your hand! said Rabbi Yochanan. Rabbi Elazar extended his hand to him, and Rabbi Yochanan healed him. In Aramaic, “give me your hand” is “hav li yada”; its rashei tevot (initial letters) הלי form a Sacred healing Name of Hashem. “Yehav li yada” — (and give me your hand, as an ongoing process) — forms the second healing Name, ילי. Ben Ish Chai teaches that with kavanah directed toward these two Names, one can raise a sick person. The Ari HaKadosh (zechuto yagen aleinu) teaches that the gematria of the word for sick person, “choleh”, is 49. From the counting of the Omer, we know of the 49 levels of impurity, corresponding to the 50th level of holiness. The Ari HaKadosh explains that when a person is ill, he lacks the Spark (Sha'ar HaNun) from the Gate of the 50th level. The gematria of the Name ילי  is 50, and it provides the energy of the 50th Level of Holiness, which raises the sick person and heals him. Parashat Noach This Sacred Name appears once more in the Torah, in Parashat Noach (9:29). The Midrash relates that while in the Ark, Noach once failed to feed the lion on time, and it bit his leg. The Almighty healed Noach when he emerged from the Ark through the power of this Name: ויהי כל ימי נח - “Vayehi kol yemei Noach” - (and these were all the days of Noach); the final letters form the Name ילי.  Tehillim 23 This Name also appears in Tehillim 23:6: יה לארך ימים “Ad-nai leorech yamim” - (in the house of the L-rd for length of days); the initial letters form the Name ילי, through which healing comes, granting long years of life.   (Based on a lesson by Rabbi Yisrael Yakovov, “The Secret of Tehillim 7”)