INTERNAL MEDICINE

      In this week's parsha, the Torah declares: "You shall serve G-D your G-d, and He will bless your bread and water, and I will remove illness from your midst."

      The question has been asked, why does the Torah use the phrase "from your midst" when it could have stated simply "from you," or, just simply, "I will heal you."

      Ohev Yisrael, a Chassidic commentary, explains that the word "mikerbecha" that we translated "from your midst" can also be translated "from within you." This, he writes, is a reference to G-d removing internal illness. Physicians are best equipped to deal with external injuries and illnesses. But when it comes to internal ones the physicians grope in the dark and frequently cannot identify, let alone, treat the illness. And here the Torah promises us that if we will serve G-d, He will remove even those illnesses that are "within" and otherwise beyond the reach of the physicians.

      This interpretation is based on a commentary by the medieval Biblical commentator, Ibn Ezra, who qualifies the Torah's license for the physician to heal:

      In this week's parsha, the Torah discusses the payments a person must make upon injuring his fellow. In addition to compensation, payments for pain, embarrassment and loss of income, the Torah requires payment of his medical bills: This is the way the Torah presents this payment:  "And heal he shall heal." From this verse the Talmud derives that "permission was granted to a physician to heal." Ibn Ezra, however, explains that the right to heal was limited to the treatment of external injuries. However, internal medical problems are beyond the scope of medicine. One must depend solely on G-d's protection to heal from internal illnesses. 

      To be sure, medical science has come a long way in treating internal illnesses since Biblical times as well since the time in which Ibn Ezra lived. That is due to the fact that we now have ways to see the insides of the body through x-rays, ultrasound, CT scans and MRIs. What was once concealed and internal is today external and revealed, though even today there are illnesses that are still elusive, and physicians today admit that G-d alone can heal them.

      What is true in regard to physical ailments is also true about spiritual sickness. There are two forms of spiritual deficiencies: The first is when a person behaves in an illegal or unethical manner. These symptoms of a spiritual malady are quite obvious and they can therefore be treated with conventional Torah wisdom. All one has to do is study the works on Jewish law and ethics and make a sincere effort to follow their directives.

      By contrast, there are spiritual ailments that lie beneath the surface. Conditions such as an inflated ego, envy, anger etc. are much more difficult to locate and therefore almost impossible to treat effectively. In order to deal with these "internal" issues one must rely on G-d's infinite mercy. And the way to elicit Divine mercy is through prayer.

      This might explain why the Torah states, "You shall serve G-D your G-d," rather than "You shall follow His commandments."  Here we are discussing serving G-d in the broader sense of praying to G-d and accessing His Divine power. Prayer helps us to introspect and discover who we are and what "makes us tick." Prayer is the instrument that helps us probe into the dark areas of our soul and discover those internal traits that are harming us.

      Prayer begins with self-examination and self-judgment consistent with the root meaning of the Hebrew world for prayer "Tefilah/palel," which means judgment.

      But prayer then assumes a second function. It enables us to beseech and reach out to G-d and ultimately connect to Him. This too is consistent with another translation of the word Tefilah/Tofel, which is to attach. Through Tefilah we become attached to G-d and that in turn gives us the ability to remove even those internal flaws that we identified in the process of prayer.

      Everything that happens in the physical world parallels processes that occur in the spiritual realm.

      The fact that physicians today have a much greater ability to se inside of us and treat even the hidden ailments is a reflection and a derivative of the pre-Messianic phenomenon of being able to access the hidden dimensions of Torah, through the teachings of Jewish mysticism, particularly Chassidic thought. As a preparation for the Messianic Age when all the secrets of Torah will be revealed, we are already seeing some of the most profound esoteric teachings of Torah being revealed to all.

      By having access to the inner dimension of Torah in these final days of exile, especially with its focus on Tefilah, it enables us to have a view of the inner dimension of our personalities as well as a glimpse into the inner workings of G-d! Hence we are equipped to deal with any spiritual malady.