203 - Who’s First?

We discussed the law which is stated in the shulchan aruch, Yoreh Deah section 335, where we learned that in order to fulfil the mitzvah of visiting a sick person - bikur cholim - according to halacha, one is required to visit the individual, help them out with whatever they need and also pray for their welfare. And the halacha taught us that if one neglects their obligation to pray on behalf of the sick individual, one forfeits the mitzvah of Bikur Cholim. We can learn many things from this law. One important point is to internalize that we are always to follow halacha exactly as Hashem dictates, regardless of our own understanding. Because although sometimes logic may dictate to us differently, nevertheless, we ought to humble ourselves that we cannot understand Hashem's calculations and therefore, the wisest thing to do would be just to follow exactly what He told us, whether we understand or we don't.

And another important point we learn from this law is the tremendous potency the Torah places on prayer. Although our logic would seem to dictate that fulfilling a mitzvah where you help another individual is of utmost importance, which again, according to the Torah, it is; however, our logic would also dictate that prayer is not as important because we don't see the immediate effect that prayer has. Whereas when you help another individual, such as you visit a sick person and you help them out, you do see the immediate effect. But again, the Torah sources, which is the only true real perspective that we have, teach us otherwise - that even when we don't experience what we think to be meaningful, we are called on to do exactly what Hashem tells us to do.

We've also mentioned previously the Gemara in Brachos 12b which states that if one knows of another individual who is experiencing some form of hardship or trouble and one does not daven for that individual, the Gemara says one is called a sinner. And Rav Moshe Feinstein explains further that even if an individual sees themselves as a not particularly righteous individual or perhaps even as a non-observant individual, we are obligated to pray on their behalf because one never knows the heavenly calculations of whose prayers will be accepted and therefore, even if one sees themselves as an unimportant individual, every single one of us is obligated to pray for one another. 

The Gemara in Bava Kamma 92a states that when we pray on behalf of another individual, and in actual fact we are also in need of the item we are requesting for the other individual, we will actually be answered first. Now, of course, when we pray for another individual, the right motivation should be to pray because we really care about them and as a fringe benefit, the Gemara tells us that we will be answered for what we need. However, it is motivating to know this fact, that ultimately when we care about others, in return, Hashem will care about us and give us what we need. 

"Thank You, Hashem, for giving us the tremendous opportunity to be able to speak to You, even though we might not have any background in Torah education, and even if we do have a tremendous background in Torah education, thank You for teaching me that this is one of the greatest mitzvos that can exist, and it's available to all of us in an easy form, where we can just open up our heart and talk to You. Hashem, thank You also for giving me the tremendous opportunity to pray on behalf of others, and teaching me the tremendous potency that my prayers can make, that I might just be the only person who can make a real difference in this situation. Sometimes it might be that I'm supposed to make the difference in a practical way, but much of the time, the main difference I will make is by praying to You. Thank You, Hashem, for the gift of tefillah."