Q:
Is a person considered blameworthy if he catches a cold even if he took normal precautions and followed hygienic procedures?
A:
If somebody did everything that was necessary, he’s not blameworthy. That’s all.
The question however is, why did the cold come? So we have to utilize that procedure that the Gemara (Berachos 5a) says: אם רואה אדם שיסורין באין עליו – If a person sees that troubles are coming upon him, יפשפש במעשיו – He should look into his deeds.
Now in most cases, there is a physical reason for which the person is to blame. Sometimes it’s because of lack of sleep. When the resistance is low, it’s easier for somebody to contract some sickness. When people are unnecessarily tired from overexertion, many times from over-excitement, even emotional excitement, it lowers his resistance. And so to some extent it’s still possible despite his precautions that there’s a physical cause for which he is to blame.
But even if no cause could be attributed to him, there still is the necessity of recognizing the Hand of Hashem and saying that Hakodosh Boruch Hu wants him to take notice that he’s being told of something.
Now, one important point in all these matters is as follows: Even if somebody is not to blame at all—he has no sins at all—sometimes illness comes upon him in order to remind him how fortunate he was before he was ill. Because when a person is well, he’s expected to appreciate it; and he has to express his thanks constantly to Hashem.
But if a man is giving you gifts all the time and you don’t respond to the gifts, so how can he make you feel that the gifts are worth thanking for? He stops giving the gifts. He stops giving the gifts. As soon as he stops giving the gifts, then you’re aware that you were receiving gifts until now.
And therefore, that’s one important reason. And if you study that, we’ll come to the conclusion, in order to maintain what we have, it’s important to learn to appreciate it.
And so, if you’re able to walk without crutches, you’re expected to be happy with that gift. And when people are walking on crutches and they’re looking forward to the day when they’ll be able to throw away the crutches, now we understand it was given to them among other reasons in order to look back and understand how lucky they were before this happened to them.
(July 1985)
