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SUMMARY
Rebbi Akiva says that if a person fails to visit the ill it is as if he spilled blood.
A person who visits the ill Davens for him that he shall live and a person who fails to visit the ill does not Daven for him that he will live or that he will die.
On the first day that Rava was sick he did not publicize it but after the first day he publicized it so that people would Daven for him. (1)
Anyone who visits the ill is saved from the Din of Gehinom.
Anyone who visits the ill is protected from the evil inclination and will be honored by everyone.
If youths advise you to build and elders advise you to destroy the advice of the elders shall be heeded because the destruction of the elders is constructive.
An ill person should not be visited during the first and last three hours of the day. (2)
The Shechinah resides over the bed of a Choleh.
Someone who visits a Choleh should sit on the ground, not a bed or a stool. (3)
Rav says that if the river Pras in Bavel is flowing mightily that is an indication of heavy rainfall in Eretz Yisrael. (4)
Shmuel says that a river produces water from its source and no matter how much it rains the rainwater will remain a minimum. (5)
The statement of Shmuel that an immersion in the river Pras is only effective in the month of Tishrei contradicts his previous statement. (6)
The father of Shmuel made Mikva'os for his daughters during the month of Nisan and set up mats for them in Tishrei. (7)
A BIT MORE
1. If his enemies gloat over the news the Heavenly Din will be turned onto his enemies.
2. During the first three hours the sickness lightens and the visitor will not bother to Daven for him and during the last three hours he will seem so sick that the visitor will lose hope and will not Daven.
3. Because the Shechinah resides above the bed of a Choleh.
4. Pras flows from Eretz Yisrael to Bavel and when it rains in Eretz Yisrael the river has stronger currents. A ritual immersion in a river is only effective if the rainwater in the river is a minimum. Once the rainwater is a majority the river is no longer valid for immersion because rainwater only purifies when it stands in one place, not when it is flowing.
5. Shmuel holds that a river is always a valid place for immersion; the rainwater is always a minimum because for every drop of rainwater that falls into the river 2 drops of water are produced from its source.
6. According to this statement of Shmuel rainwater invalidates a river for ritual immersion and the only time we can be assured that the rainwater in the river is a minimum is in the month of Tishrei because Tishrei is not the rain season and there is no longer any melting snow flowing into the river. However, during all other months Pras is not Kosher for immersion because of the concern that the rainwater or melting snow will be the majority in the river and invalidate it for immersion.
7. The father of Shmuel holds that rainwater does invalidate a river for immersion and therefore during Nisan he did not allow his daughters to immerse in the river and made Mikva'os for them instead. During the month of Tishrei he allowed them to immerse in the river and set up mats for them so that the mud would not get into their feet and create a Chatzitzah.
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BRIEF INSIGHT
A HEARTFELT PRAYER
A person who visits the ill Davens for him that he shall live and a person who fails to visit the ill does not Daven for him that he will live or that he will die. The Ran explains that when a person Davens for a Choleh at the time that he is Mevaker Cholim it is a more effective Tefilah and has an increased chance of being answered. The Chasam Sofer explains that our sages teach us that when a person is Davening for the ill in the presence of the Choleh he does not have to mention the name of the Choleh in his Tefilos. The Mekubalim teach us that when the name of the ill is mentioned in the Tefilah it instigates a slight persecution of the Choleh in heaven. However the To'eles of the Tefilah outweighs any persecution that is caused by mentioning his name. However on occasion the Tefilah causes some damage to the Choleh. If the Tefilah is in the presence of the Choleh and the name does not have to be mentioned at all it is a more effective Tefilah. If a person is not in the presence of the Choleh, at times the Tefilah serves the opposite purpose that is intended.
QUICK HALACHAH
VISITING THE ILL
One should not visit the ill during the first three hours of the day because the illness tends to be less severe at that time and the visitor will not bother to Daven. One should also not visit the ill the last three hours of the day because the illness is graver at that time and the visitor will lose hope and will not bother to Daven. If someone visits the ill but does not Daven for him he has not fulfilled the Mitzvah. When one Davens for the ill in his presence he may Daven in any language but if the ill person is not present he may only Daven in Lashon ha'Kodesh. (Shulchan Aruch YD 335:4,5)
When one Davens in the presence of the Choleh the Shechinah is present and therefore the Tefilah may be said in any language. (Shach)
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