Heavenly advocates

I want to share with you a beautiful story I learned today from the Talmud, quoted in the Kitzur Shulchon Oruch. Let it be an inspiration and encouragement when illness strikes and a guide what to do.   

It's about a person suffering from illness, what he should do and what can help him. This is how the story goes:

"Rabbi Yitzhak the son of Rabbi Yehuda declared: A person should always request Divine mercy that he not fall ill. For if he falls ill he is told: Bring forth your merit and you will be released.

Since he has fallen ill he must find in himself and his deeds a reason why he should be judged meritoriously. The Talmud continues:

When a person has a headache, he should consider himself as if he was arrested. If he is forced to lie in bed, he should consider himself as one who was taken to a courtroom. 

Whenever a person is taken to a courtroom, if he has powerful advocates, he will be saved. If not he will not be saved. These are the advocates that a person has: repentance and good deeds. Even when there are nine hundred and ninety nine prosecutors that try to prosecute him and only one that defends him, he will be saved. As it's said in Job 33:23 If there be for a man even one angel out of a thousand who intercedes on his behalf, to speak of his uprightness, then He will be gracious to him and say: Redeem him from going to the grave."

 

May the God of Israel bless you and may you have advocates defending you constantly in the heavenly court. 

PS. Chodesh Tov, Nissan starts tonight

Love from Jerusalem