TERUMAH

A true healer, even if he knows that his cure will cause the patient intense suffering, such as amputating a limb, nevertheless, he will not desist because of the pain and suffering of the patient. And this cannot be considered cruelty on the part of the doctor. Just the opposite: it is the quality of mercy. Because he has mercy upon the sick person, he must try to cure him, although the doctor himself will suffer when he hears the screams and cries of the patient.

G-d, also, does not enjoy the sufferings of people, as Chazal said, "What does the Shechinah say...?" Nevertheless, because He knows that these sufferings will in the end cure the sick person, He heals in this way. This is the quality of a faithful healer who is full of mercy in the face of suffering.

However, there is also another aspect which differentiates between the mercy of G-d and the mercy of a human being. If a doctor knows that he must give the patient some terrible medicine, bitter as vinegar, then he cannot desist because he wants to have mercy on the sick person. On the other hand, G-d has the power to heal in any way that He wants. Even without the bitter medicine, He can send His word and heal. Therefore, He is called, "...a faithful healer and merciful." In His mercy He can cure a sick person without giving him terrible medicine, and nevertheless He will be a faithful healer.

THE STORIES OF OUR SAGES

It is written "from every man" and it intends to specifically exclude "women." The Meshech Chochmah explained this by refering to the statement of the sages in the Talmud (Baba Kama 119a) that it is prohibited for one who manages charity monies to collect large sums from a married woman. This is because it does not belong to her. It was the same with the offerings collected for the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle): "...from every man," and not from adult women who were married. However, an adult woman who was single was allowed to give an offering.

It happened that Rabbi Shlomoh Mimikalov, one of the first disciples of the Vilna Gaon, became ill towards the end of his life. He needed to make a long journey for the sake of obtaining a cure. He was accompanied by one of his students, who also collected charity along the way to pay their expenses. One night they slept in an inn. The owner of the inn had to travel suddenly, and in the morning he was not to be found in the inn.

In the morning, after Rabbi Shlomoh and his disciple had traveled some distance, the Rav asked, "What happened that we did not see the owner of the inn in the morning? Why did he not come to say hello to us?"

The student answered that the inn's owner had to make a sudden journey. The Rabbi then asked, "Perhaps you accepted from the man's wife a donation?"

When the student answered affirmatively, Rabbi Shlomoh was siezed with trembling. He immediately ordered the wagon driver to turn around and return to the inn in order that they could return the donation to the woman.

Rabbi Shlomoh said, "Chazal permit taking a small amount from a married woman, but not a large amount. Who knows if the amount of her donation is considered large or small by her husband?"

(Haradal, Aliyot Eliyahu)

(A letter of the Yismach Yisrael, printed in the back of the sefer)

Every parent must make sure that his children are not exposed to books containing heresy. They destroy everything, including body and soul.

(A letter of the Gerer Rebbe appearing in a collection of his letters)

In the days before the appearance of the messiah impudence increases. All kinds of fools are able to discharge themselves through essays and booklets which are full of vanity. The atmosphere is filled with their evil and impure spirit. Therefore, it is imperative that none of this literature be found in a Jewish home. Any father who permits his sons and daughters to investigate this literature is literally burning their souls. Their blood will be sought on their hands in this world and in the world to come.

If a person would find that someone had come to feed his children poison, then he would spare no effort to save them. He would not say, "I am too weak." Even more so, if it concerns their souls....

Also, if a person thinks at first that some particular book is proper and permitted, and then he realizes that it is contradicted by our holy Torah, then he should know that the author of that book is speaking foolishness, and remove it.

There are wicked people who write books specifically for the purpose of implanting heresy and lust. A person must be very careful to keep these books at a distance because anyone who reads them will lose his portion in the world to come, as Chazal said in Sanhedrin 90a. It is obvious that every father must be wary to keep his children away from these things just as he would be scrupulous about protecting them from poison. Once lust and heresy become implanted in the hearts of children it is impossible to rectify, as it is written, "All those that come unto her never return..." (Proverbs 2:19), and as it is explained by Chazal in Tractate Avodah Zarah 17a.

The necessity for parents to be cautious in these matters is strictly obligatory like any other prohibition whose transgression entails the death penalty or kritot (excision). In addition, a person will lose through it the world to come.

A person should not permit into his house any book that has even the slightest doubt (sefaik sefaika) that it is tainted with this poison. It is tantamount to a doubt in a matter of life and death. He should check the books in his house, and it is even fitting that when he checks the house for chometz on the eve of Passover he should also check the bookshelves for this type of material, and then burn them just like he burns chometz. The law pertaining to both of them is the same -- incineration.

(Kiyum Hatorah, 2:16)