By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.
EL CAJON, California — In the Torah portion Beshalach which we read this week, a profound verse highlights the relationship between divine guidance and personal well-being. The text presents two nuanced interpretations of Hashem’s role as a healer. It contains the following verse: “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy G-d, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes… I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26).
Rashi’s commentary suggests a different translation. This is what Rashi says: “Simply put, I am the Lord your physician, who teaches you Torah and mitzvot so that you will be spared illness, much as a physician would instruct his patient not to eat certain things because they may lead to his getting sick…” Rashi tells us that a more accurate translation of “I am the Lord that healeth thee…,” is “I am the Lord thy physician.”
The traditional translation suggests that by listening to Hashem and following divine guidance, people can avoid the diseases that afflicted the Egyptians. However, Rashi offers a more proactive interpretation: Hashem is not just a healer, but a preventative physician.
Rashi’s interpretation is transformative. Instead of viewing Hashem as someone who simply cures ailments after they occur, he portrays Hashem as a guide who provides instructions (through Torah and mitzvot) to prevent illness altogether. It’s like a doctor who gives dietary and lifestyle advice to maintain health, rather than just treating symptoms.
This perspective reframes the divine-human relationship. The Torah is not merely a spiritual text, but a comprehensive life manual that offers wisdom for maintaining both physical and spiritual wellness. By following these guidelines, one can potentially avoid suffering before it begins.
The key distinction is between reactive healing and proactive prevention. Rashi suggests that divine wisdom is fundamentally about empowerment—providing humans with the knowledge to live healthily and harmoniously, addressing potential challenges before they arise.
Does your physician heal you from illness or prevent you from becoming ill in the first place? Maimonides informs us: “The greatest of all physicians is the Lord, of Whom it is said ‘I am the Lord thy physician.’ As proof of this, it is written ‘I will not place upon you the illnesses which I have placed upon ancient Egypt.’ Who is truly the good doctor? Not the person who heals the sick from their diseases, but rather the one who helps the person from becoming sick and sees to it that he maintains his health.” Further, the Malbim tells us “A physician, like a master, ‘demands obedience,’ but only for the purpose of securing the patient’s welfare.”
Hashem, we see in Beshalach, prescribes for us a lifestyle of Torah and mitzvot to help guard us from “illness,” including spiritual and physical suffering. The Ibn Ezra sees Hashem’s transformation of the bitter waters in the parsha, as an example of His healing powers and of the healing that comes to those who are in a covenantal relationship with Him.
In the Mi Shebeirach prayer we say for those who are ill or recovering from an illness or accident when the Torah is read, we ask Hashem for blessing, compassion, restoration, and strength. We say, “HaKadosh Baruch Hu will send him/her, speedily, a complete healing —healing of the soul and healing of the body —along with all the ill, among the people of Israel and all humankind, soon, speedily, without delay, and let us say Amen.” When we ask, “May the Source of Strength who blessed the ones before us, help us to find the courage to make our lives a blessing,” we are drawn into a covenantal, spiritual, observant relationship with Hashem.
It’s mighty difficult to sing while confined within onerous circumstances, particularly health challenges. As we read in this week’s parsha, only after we were freed, we were able to recognize Hashem as the G-d of creation at the Red Sea. Welcome to “Shabbos Shirah — the “Sabbath of Song.” A time to become infused with greater emunah.
Beshalach tells us: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to G-d … I shall sing to G-d for G-d is exalted.” The Az Yashir Moshe is our song for our healthy future, our expression of rejoicing from the innermost parts of our soul.
It seems through song that we may best recognize and celebrate Hashem as the ultimate creator of the world. When we sense the presence of Hashem in the world, when we sense His presence in our lives, and when we sense His presence in sacred deeds, according to Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, when we pray, learn, and perform mitzvot, we bring our Healer closer to us.
We, the Children of Israel, crossed the Sea of Reeds and felt a) yir’ah, awe, b) emunah and bitachon, faith/trust, and c) broke out in a song, shirah. These words are in our hearts daily, words that offer us the opportunity to re-experience freedom, and to strengthen our sense of awe and trust,
“Who is like You, God — majestic in holiness, awesome in splendor, Worker of Wonders?” While we were confined, we had physical and spiritual constriction, which the Torah refers to as kotzer ruach. It is only when we are filled with full spirit that we can freely sing.
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Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly D’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family are members. They are also active members of Congregation Adat Yeshurun.