Bikkur Cholim — Visiting the Sick

The mitzvah of visiting the sick is on my mind this week as we revive our Chesed Committee, which will reach out to congregants who are hospitalized, in rehabilitation, or homebound. 

This renewal is especially fitting: our Torah portion this week, Vayera, models bikkur cholim for us. The Torah rarely issues this mitzvah as an explicit command like, “thou shalt visit the sick. “It does not appear in those words, but the Torah gives us a vivid example. At the end of Lech Lecha, God establishes the brit with Abraham and commands circumcision. The closing verses describe Abraham, age 99, performing the circumcision on himself. In the opening verses of Vayera, we find Abraham sitting outside his tent under the terebinth trees, recovering. God sends three messengers to visit and comfort him. The rabbis teach that God’s sending them is an intentional model: visiting the sick is so essential that God demonstrates it personally. 

Illness that leads to hospitalization, rehab, or confinement at home can be isolating and painful. A phone call, a short visit, or a note from a fellow congregant lifts spirits, strengthens hope, and can even aid recovery. Bikkur Cholim, visiting the sick, is not merely a kindness; it is a sacred responsibility and a concrete way we care for one another as a community. 

If you would like to join the Chesed Committee or help with calls and visits, please reach out to me or the synagogue office. Together we can bring comfort, presence, and healing to our members in need. 

Shabbat Shalom 

Rabbi Bradley Tecktiel