By Rabbi Shloimie Lindenbaum
ורפא ירפא (פרק כא פסוק יט)
In listing off the laws of various liabilities the Torah tells us that if two people are fighting and one
damages the other in a way that puts him out of commission, the attacker must pay various payments to
the damaged party. The Torah ends off by saying that he should provide for the healing, i.e. pay for the
doctor, as well. The Gemara (בבא קמא פה.) learns from this פסוק that one is allowed to work as a doctor
and heal people. Rashi explains that one may have thought that because Hashem caused this person to
be sick, we must rely solely on Him to heal. In response to this, the פסוק tells us that one can use the
services of a doctor. The Chofetz Chaim points out that the story in this פסוק is when someone was
struck by their adversary. Clearly, even when one is injured or hurt by another human, it was all caused
by a decree from Heaven. That is why even in this case one may have thought that they cannot utilize a
doctor. Everything that happens to us, even when there is a seemingly obvious cause, is really from
Hashem and it is His decision that causes our experience. He adds that this can be a tremendous source
of comfort for us when we realize that all our pain and suffering is coming from a loving and merciful
Father in Heaven. Clearly, if He is inflicting us with difficulties then it is for our own good.
ובשר בשדה טרפה לא תאכלו לכלב תשלכון אתו (פרק כב פסוק ל)
The Torah tells us that we are forbidden to eat meat from an animal that was “torn in the field”, rather
we should give it to the dogs. The Daas Zekeinim says that the reason why the dog is picked as the lucky
recipient, is because they would often use dogs to guard their sheep. As appreciation for all the dog’s
hard work, when there is a טרפה- a torn animal, one should give it to the dog. That means, even if this
time the dog’s defenses were broken through, and an animal did get killed, one must still recognize all
the good that the dog does, all the sheep that it did protect, and all the other times that no animals
were killed. With this outlook, focusing on the positive and appreciation, even when something went
wrong, one can lead a much happier life.
