Julian Ungar-Sargon

  • Home
  • Theological Essays
  • Healing Essays
  • Podcast
  • Poetry
  • Daf Ditty
  • Deep Dive Ditty
  • Videos
  • Publications
  • Military Service
  • Dominican University
  • Home
  • Theological Essays
  • Healing Essays
  • Podcast
  • Poetry
  • Daf Ditty
  • Deep Dive Ditty
  • Videos
  • Publications
  • Military Service
  • Dominican University
Julian Ungar-Sargon copy 3.jpg

Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Bava Kamma 85: מִכָּאן שֶׁנִּיתַּן רְשׁוּת לָרוֹפֵא לְרַפּאוֹת

jyungar January 26, 2024

For the source text click/tap here: Bava Kamma 85

To download, click/tap here: PDF

The Gemara derives from the extra phrase of "Rapo Yerapei" (Shemos 21:19)

that a doctor is permitted to heal sick people.

Why would one have thought that a doctor is not permitted to heal a sick person, had the Torah not included the extra word "Yerapei"? The verse refers to a situation in which one person causes bodily damage to another, and the victim needs to pay a doctor to heal him. It is obvious from the verse, even without the extra word, that a person who is harmed does not have to passively accept the fate of being wounded by the other person, but that he may go to a doctor to be healed.

RASHI and TOSFOS seem to understand that the Gemara learns from the extra word that even when a person becomes sick or bruised without human intervention, but rather as a Divine decree, a doctor still is permitted to heal him. One might have thought that this is a matter of faith in Hash-m and that a person should trust that just as Hash-m brought the illness upon him, Hashem will take it away.

The verse teaches that it is not considered a lack of faith to turn to a doctor for healing.

We explore the notion of Medical Healing from traditional and modern perspectives.

Tags45th
  • Daf Ditty
  • Older
  • Newer

Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​