I don’t know what it means by ‘natural methods of healing’. If a person is using preventative methods, certainly. Prevention is always the best thing; to live normally beforehand as much as possible. But when a man sees chalilah something is wrong then there’s no other method except going to professionals. And Hakadosh Baruch Hu puts His stamp of approval on that: [doctors should have the ability to heal] (Bava Kama 85a).
Now, the language of reshus is a queer thing. Permission. You need permission to go to a doctor. Because how can a doctor have the boldness to tamper with a human body? The human body is so wonderful. What does the doctor know? He doesn’t know anything. And even today the doctors don’t know much about the body.
But Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, “Go anyhow. I’m going to help that they should not be too harmful for you.” Many doctors of course help people go quickly to the grave. Many doctors have facilitated people’s passage into the grave. But Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, “I’ll help out. You do your duty and I’ll help out.”
We look back today to the medicines of a hundred years ago and we’re horrified at the things they used to prescribe for patients. And still those who went in those days did a mitzvah of healing, you shall heal. So don’t rely on yourself but it’s a chiyuv of the Torah to heal yourself by those who are supposed to be capable of healing.
Reprinted from a recent email of Torah Avigdor based on a lecture delivered by Rav Miller on November 1988.
