Additionally, we can enhance this understanding with the advice offered by the professor before leaving the wealthy household. To maintain the son‘s health and prevent the recurrence of his severe illness, he advised that from now on, whenever the son felt even a slight weakness, he should not dismiss it as insignificant. Instead, he should take proper care to strengthen his body and regain vitality. Although he had, baruch Hashem, recovered from his dangerous illness, he remained more vulnerable than others to a relapse.
Thus, at the first signs of fatigue, the son should rest, consume warm, nourishing foods and drinks, take beneficial vitamins, and perform similar measures. The reasoning is clear: if the patient disregards these early warning signs that the body sends and continues to push beyond his physical limits, these minor symptoms could gradually escalate. Before long, he may find himself once again facing the severe illness from which he was barely saved.
The young son did not understand and asked innocently: “Why must I take every feeling of weakness so seriously? After all, it soon passes. Isn‘t it better to simply move on, ignoring such minor weaknesses?”
“Good question!” replied the senior doctor. “Indeed, one must strengthen oneself. Not every cough or minor weakness should stop a person from his tasks and responsibilities. However, ignoring it completely is also incorrect, especially in your delicate state. You must be attentive and monitor those ’symptoms‘ that start minor, gradually weakening your immune system, until the body collapses.
“When the Creator fashioned mankind, He wondrously designed within the human body a robust immune system capable of fighting off any virus or bacteria that may invade it. On its own, the body can combat most routine ailments, preventing them from causing harm— similar to how a wound heals itself. As soon as an illness takes hold, the body fights back until it subsides and disappears before developing into something serious.
“This is true for a healthy body. The situation is different, however, when the body is weakened. When the immune system is compromised, it no longer has the strength to fight off even minor bacteria, leaving the body vulnerable to harm. This is why the elderly, frail, and young require extra care, as their immune systems are inherently weaker,” concluded the professor.
The body serves as a “parable” for the soul. The ailments of the body mirror those of the spirit. Just as the body‘s 248 organs and 365 sinews correspond to the 248 positive commandments and 365 prohibitions, so does every bodily illness originate from weaknesses or flaws in the spiritual organs corresponding to specific mitzvos.
In maintaining spiritual health, we must safeguard the soul‘ s “immune system,” especially after it has already experienced damage or sin.
Sometimes, the soul suffers from a “weakness” that may not yet qualify as a clear transgression but shows preliminary symptoms of spiritual decline. If a person does not promptly address this spiritual decline, it may rapidly escalate into a more significant downfall, chas veshalom.
This principle is explicitly taught in the Gemara (Shabbos 105b): “Such is the way of the evil inclination: today it says to a person, Do this, (a seemingly minor infraction), and tomorrow it says, ‘Do that,’ until eventually, it tells him to commit idolatry, and he goes and does it.” For this reason, Rabbi Shimon Ben Elazar ruled in the name of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Nuri, saying, “One who tears their garments in anger or breaks their vessels in anger should be regarded as one who serves idolatry!” Because if a person does not immediately regard these actions as preliminaries to idolatry, they may eventually push him to full-blown idolatry, chas veshalom.
Therefore, as soon as a person senses a weakness in his Torah study, prayer, or avodas Hashem, he must quickly strengthen himself to keep his soul resilient. Otherwise, the evil inclination will find an open door to infiltrate, introducing severe “illnesses” in the form of destructive temptations and deceptions that lie in wait for every Jew in our times, Heaven help us.
