When calling up the Chatan Torah to receive the final aliyah of the Torah, the gabbai reads an introduction which praises the Torah in various ways. Here is some of that introduction:

“Who has given us life to… rejoice in the rejoicing of the Torah which gladdens the heart, brightens the eyes, grants us life and wealth, honor and beauty… that lengthens the days and adds strength to those who love it, guard it… toil in it and preserve it with love and fear.”

Apropos to the fact that the Torah gives strength and long life, this article will focus on the healing powers of the Torah.

The Talmud (Eiruvin 54a) says, “Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says… One who feels pain in his head should engage in Torah study, as it says (Proverbs 1:9), ‘For they shall be a graceful wreath for your head.’ One who feels pain in his throat should engage in Torah study, as it says (ibid), ‘And a necklace about your neck.’ One who feels pain in his stomach should engage in Torah study, as it is says, ‘It shall be health to your navel (Proverbs 3:8).’ One who feels pain in his bones should engage in Torah study, as it says, ‘And marrow to your bones (ibid).’ One who feels pain in his entire body should engage in Torah study, as it says, “And health to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:22).’”

The Maharsha explains that, in fact, the Torah heals all illnesses. The Talmud chooses these as examples because one who has these ailments does not usually accept visitors, as the Talmud says (Nedarim 41a), one should not visit a person with intestinal pain (as it can embarrass the sick person) or a person with a headache (as it is difficult for them to converse). Therefore, those who suffer from these ailments are deprived of the healing benefits of such visits. (See Bava Metziah 30b that visiting the sick can somewhat lessen their illness.) However, Torah study can help cure these ailments.

The commentaries offer various explanations as to how Torah study heals illnesses:

The Pri Megadim (Eishel Avraham O.C. 239:7) explains that the Torah does not heal directly. Rather, it causes a person to cleave to Hashem since G-d’s presence is most acutely felt within the confines (four cubits) of Halacha (see Brachot 8a). When a person is connected to G-d, he is automatically more protected from suffering.

Rabbi Shlomo Kluger explains (Responsa Ha’ElefLecha Shlomo O.C. 358) that suffering is often visited upon a person to atone for his sins. The Talmud (Menachot 110a) says that Torah study also atones for sins. As such, by studying Torah one can achieve the same atonement that is accomplished through suffering, and thus one no longer needs to suffer.

 According to our sages each positive mitzvah corresponds to a different limb of one’s body, and each negative command corresponds to a different blood vessel. As such, when one has an illness, one simply needs to study the aspect of the Torah that discusses the mitzvah which corresponds to the affected limb and begin to observe that mitzvah in a more exemplary manner, and he will be healed (Iyun Ya’akov). (See also Nefesh Hachayim 4:29)

The Ben Ish Chai interprets this Talmudic teaching (in the Ben Yehoyada) as referring to spiritual maladies. Specifically,

“One who has a headache” refers to one who is arrogant (and “holds his head high”). Torah study will assist him in achieving humility, as we learn in Pirkei Avot (6:1) “And it cloaks him with humility and fear of Heaven.”

“One who has pain in his throat” alludes to one who engages in slanderous talk (lashonhara) which begins in the throat. He should heal this by studying Torah which will teach him to mend his treacherous speech, as it says (Proverbs 15:4) “The Tree of Life (Torah) is a healing for the tongue.”

One who sinned and consumed forbidden foods (this is referred to as “one who has an ache in his stomach”) should repent and heal this blemish by studying Torah. The Torah is compared to various foods, as it says (Proverbs 9:5), “Come, partake of My bread and drink of the wine I have mingled.” As such, it can heal the blemishes caused by consuming forbidden foods.

One who sinned in matters of improper relationships (or mingling) of men and women should atone for this by increasing in Torah study. The Talmud alludes to this sin when it says “one who has an ache in his bones.” A “bone” refers to one’s wife as the verse (Gen. 2:23) says that Adam (the first man) referred to Chava (his wife) and said, “This time, it is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Studying Torah can repair such sins since the Torah is compared to a wife (of the Jewish people) and enables one to spiritually procreate.

“One who has an ache in his entire body” refers to one who has not repaired his soul properly. The soul is referred to as a “body” since the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 5a) says that our souls are stored in the Heavenly treasury called “guf” – body. One can go about repairing one’s soul by studying Torah which has the power to repair all spiritual deficiencies.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichov explains (Kedushat Levi, Likutim, 141) that there are certain sections of the Torah that are a segulah (spiritually propitious) to heal headaches, other sections to heal throat aches, and the same is true for all the limbs of one’s body. (See above that each mitzvah corresponds to a certain limb.) There is also a section of the Torah that has the power to heal any and all of the maladies that one may have. Most people do not know which section is appropriate to study for their particular illness. This is why one should go to a tzadik (a righteous sage) who can instruct one as to what he should study.

The commentaries question the above teaching in light of the fact that elsewhere in the Talmud Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says (Shavu’ot 15b) that one may not utilize the Torah for healing purposes.

Here are several of the answers offered by the commentaries:

Sometimes a person has an illness in his head, but it manifests itself as a pain in his foot. A competent doctor will recognize this and will treat the source of the illness in the head which will cause the pain in the foot to disappear whereas less competent doctors might waste time and energy treating the symptom instead of the root cause.

Spiritually too, a person may have a weakness in a certain mitzvah which can affect him in various ways. For example, one may be deficient in Torah study which is considered a headache. This may cause him to lose some of his parnassah (income) which is referred to as a “foot ache” as a person’s livelihood enables him to “stand up” in this world. Instead of focusing on his business affairs and trying to fix them, the person should fix the source of the problem by rededicating himself to Torah study. Once this problem is corrected, his parnassah will automatically be blessed (Likutei Divrei Yisrael, Pinchas, quoted in Kaftor VaFerach in the Metivta Shas on Eiruvin, ibid).