USCJ: November 2007

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Shiurim >> Archive >> November 2007

Shiurim

Shiurim Archive

USCJ EC Staff Meeting Shiur - November 2007

Thus Abraham and his son Ishmael were circumcised on that very day, and all his household; his homeborn slaves and those that had been bought from outsiders, were circumcised with him. The Lord appeared to him by the terebinths [small Mediterranean trees] of Mamre; he [Abraham] was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.

- Genesis 17:26-18:1

Questions for Discussion:

It is said that the third day after circumcision is the most painful. The rabbis say that God visited Abraham on this day, and that God is establishing the model for bikur cholim (bee-kore ho-leem), the mitzvah of visiting the sick (Sotah 14a). What might you imagine God said or did with Abraham on this visit? With cold and flu season upon us, what are some things you can imagine saying or doing when you visit someone who is sick?
Have you ever been sick or injured, and had people visit, call or email you? Have people sent cards? How did it feel to receive these visits and messages? What does it feel like when you are the healthy person making the visit?
In the Talmud, we learn, “One who visits removes one sixtieth of the patient’s illness.” (Nedarim 39b) This attributes great power to the mitzvah of bikur cholim. How could this be true? Do you believe that receiving a visit actually can make someone who is sick or injured better?
Young children are very capable of doing the mitzvah of bikur cholim. The Talmud is clear on this point: “Bikur cholim has no boundaries or limits, i.e., youth may visit the elderly and the elderly may visit the youth” (Nedarim 39a). There are many ways to involve children. The class can call an absent child on the phone, or make and send cards in the mail. If the class has jobs, one job can be Bikur Cholim Helper. This child is responsible for noticing if all the children are present, and to point out if someone is missing. If a child is missing because s/he is sick, the Bikur Cholim Helper can call the child on the phone. How will bikur cholim become a regular practice in your classroom?

More information and resources about bikur cholim can be found at www.bikurcholimcc.com.

Printable version

Maxine Segal Handelman
Consultant for Early Childhood Education,
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism