The Mishnah taught: If one of the brothers was sick, he pays the medical fees from his own property.

Beraisa (Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel): Any illness that has a fixed medical fee, her kesuvah must be used to pay for its treatment; if it does not have a fixed fee, her treatment is paid for from the estate.

It is like the case of the relative of R. Shimon bar Vava, who had pain in her eye.

She came to R. Yochanan, who asked her, "Does the doctor take a fixed fee for his healing? If he does, you must pay it from your kesuvah money. If not (and he charges per visit), your husband must pay it.''

Question: Doesn't the Mishnah (in Pirkei Avos 1:8) teach, "(When serving as a judge) do not act as a lawyer'' (by giving the litigants advice to their advantage)?! In addition, R. Chagai quoted from R. Yehoshua ben Levi that one may not reveal the Beis Din's ruling without the other litigant present?!

Answer: R. Yochanan knew that this woman was a fine person who would follow her husband's wishes. He therefore reasoned that he could tell her - if her husband would want to go and get a fixed price from the doctor, it would cause her to have to pay from her kesubah; and if she would want to go to a doctor that charges per visit, her husband would have to pay. In such a case, who will we listen to? To the husband.

It is prohibited for a judge to advise only if he is unsure whether this litigant has a valid claim, but if he is sure that this litigant is correct (according to the claim that he is making), he may advise him. (Note: According to the text of the Shaarei Toras Eretz Yisrael, the Gemara is teaching that one may not advise unless both litigants are present.)