Question:
- “Rav Yehoshua Ben Levi said various pessukim before going to sleep.” On that, the Gemorah ) Shevuos 15b) asks why this is not a violation of being misrappeh from Divrey Torah. Why would saying Pessukim and davening to Hashem ever be questionable? Surely this cannot be a problem of Nichush?
- Secondly, according to the Gemorah`s answer, why is there a difference between lehagen and healing proper. If its nichush, either way it should be forbidden. Thank you in clarifying this Gem (which is quoted in Rambam and in Shulchon Aruch).
Answer:
Thank you for your question.
- The problem is with healing oneself thru using pesukim is not because it is nichush, rather because we don’t use the torah for personal gain. Also see Maharsha (Sanhedrin 101a D”H V’halochesh) that using the torah to heal oneself is in a way underselling the torah. The explains that torah is not meant to be a medicine to heal those who are already sick, rather the torah provides a protection to the person that he shouldn’t get sick in the first place.
- Correct both are not because of nichush. The difference between protection and healing is that protection is not considered using the torah, because nothing is changing because of it. In contrast to healing w here the person is using the torah to receive something that he didn’t have until now.
Best wishes
