חלק ב — תורה 8

6. This also corresponds to healing, because all the aforementioned concepts relate to healing. Glory’s revelation corresponds to the shining of the sun, as in “and the glory of God has shone upon you!” (Isaiah 60:1). And the sun’s rays bring healing, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: When the sun is lifted, sickness is lifted (Bava Batra 16b), as it is written, “And for you who fear My Name, a benevolent sun with healing will shine upon you” (Malachi 3:20).

This is because the spirit of prophecy that spreads via the revelation of the glory corresponds to the healing produced by the shining of the sun, as in “Man’s spirit sustains him in his illness” (Proverbs 18:14). And the glory is revealed mainly through prayer, which causes the clouds—which are the Other Side and the forces of evil—to dissipate. When this happens, people convert and the glory of God is revealed, as mentioned above.

And this corresponds to the forgiving of sin, which comes when, on account of the increase of the prayers, the sun shines and brings healing. For sin is analogous to a cloud that darkens the light of the sun, because darkness is inherent in sin, as it is written, “whose deeds are done in darkness” (Isaiah 29:15). This is also the concept of sickness, which stems primarily from sin, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: There is no suffering without sin, as is stated (Psalms 89:33), “I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their sin with plagues” (Shabbat 55a). For sins are analogous to clouds that darken the light of the sun through which there is healing.

But through prayer, sins are atoned. This is because prayer is in place of sacrifice, and so it atones, as it is written, “I will bring them to My sacred mountain and make them joyful in the house of My prayer; their burnt-offerings and feast-offerings.”

And when sin is atoned, the clouds dissipate, as in “I have wiped away your transgressions like a thick mist and your sins like a cloud” (Isaiah 44:22). Then, the sunshine engenders healing—because the essence of sickness is sin, i.e., a cloud and darkness, which darkens the light of the sun/healing. But when sins are forgiven, the clouds disperse, the sun shines and healing comes. All this is accomplished through prayer, which atones for sin, as mentioned above.

And the main prayer through which sin is forgiven and one is saved from sickness is produced when a neighbor is added from the Jewish people. With each neighbor that is added from the Jewish people, the prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded. This is the concept of a gathering of Jews. The more the number of Jewish souls that gather together increases, the more the House of Prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded. This is because three stones build six houses; four stones build twenty-four houses; five, one hundred twenty houses, and so on, until the mouth cannot speak nor the heart fathom, as is brought in Sefer Yetzirah. It follows, that with each additional stone the houses increase and grow factorially.

The souls are the concept of stones, as in “the hallowed stones have been poured out” (Lamentations 4:1), and the houses are the concept of “for My House will be a house of prayer.” It follows, that with each soul that is added and increases the gathering of Jews, the House of Prayer is greatly multiplied and expanded. This is because when one more soul is now added to the gathering, very many other, new permutations are made, increasing their number factorially. Therefore, when a neighbor is added from the Jewish people—for example, when yet another neighbor is added to an existing Jewish community—the prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded as a result of this one soul that is added to the gathering. And via the increase of prayer, sin is forgiven—this being the concept of healing, as mentioned above.

{“No neighbor will say, ‘ I am sick’; the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne” (Isaiah 33:24) .} This is also the concept of “No neighbor will say, ‘I am sick.’” The addition of a neighbor saves people from sickness, for “the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne.” As a result of the neighbor, prayer is multiplied and there is then forgiveness for sin. This, in turn, brings healing, and sickness is eliminated. {And know! there are times when sin is borne because of the gathering, but other times when, God forbid, there is the concept of “Surely it was our sickness that he bore” (Isaiah 53:4). For when the members of the gathering are not worthy, they do not merit having their sins forgiven. The tzaddik is then compelled to accept suffering upon himself for the sake of the Jewish people. Everyone else is saved from sickness, but not the tzaddik, God forbid, because he accepts suffering for the Jews, the concept of “Surely it was our sickness….” But when they are worthy and their prayer is proper, it is the concept of “the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne,” and then the tzaddik, too, is saved from sickness, as in “No neighbor will say, ‘I am sick’; the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne.”}