Get Sick over Someone’s Problem

Yesterday we mentioned the importance of praying for people in need during Aseret Yeme Teshuva. Someone told me a beautiful thought: On fast days, we read Vayechal Moshe et Pene Hashem, Moshe prayed to Hashem (after the sin of the golden calf). The Rishonim discuss the exact etymology of “ Vayechal .” Normally, the word “ Vayitpalel” is used to indicate prayer. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot 32A explains that the root of the word Vayechal is chol/sickness, and that Moshe Rabbenu prayed until he felt sick over them. What kind of sickness? The Gemara says it was a fever of sorts, that makes the bones feel warm or hot. The Meshech Chochma says the term bones is used because the bones are the person's actual self. This means that Moshe Rabbenu felt their pain to the point that it was his own pain. Vayechal Moshe/ And Moshe prayed a prayer to the point that he felt sick. This is the high level of Moshe Rabbenu when he prayed for the Jewish people at large. The Gemara in Berachot 12B says that David Hamelech prayed for Talmedei Hachamim / Torah scholars that were sick. The term used is that he became sick over the Talmidei Hachamim that were sick. The Gemara explains that If someone is able to pray for his friend and doesn't, he's called a sinner. Rava adds that if the man is a Talmid Hacham, he has to get sick over him. This means he has to pray to the point that it bothers him so much that he literally feels the person's pain, to the point that it’s like he's sick. Moshe Rabbenu prayed like that when he prayed for the Jewish people at large. So when we pray for the sibbur , which definitely has the power of a Talmid Chacham, we have to pray to that level. Rav Yehezkiel Levenstein brings down, regarding this perasha of Vayechal, that the reason that we read this on a Taanit/fast is because we want show that the salvation of Jewish people depends on having someone that feels their pain. That's the fundamental. Moshe Rabbenu was the ultimate Noseh B’Ol. He's the one who leaves the palace to see the Jewish people in their suffering… and throughout his life, the theme is always Noseh B’Ol/ carrying the yoke. Rav Levenstein says that this is to show the future generations, “ One individual, it’s in his power to save, if he truly feels the pain of a fellow person, he can save them and that can tear up the decree.” And to this day, we're living off of that. Moshe Rabbenu went even further. He said, “ Erase my name.” That's how partnered up he was with their pain. And that's why we read this on a fast day, when we're fasting and feeling the pain. When you're fasting, you feel sick. That's what it means to to feel sick. To fast means to really feel the pain. We’re going into Yom Kippur- a fast day, a day that we're supposed to feel the pain of the Jewish people at large. That's a tremendous Ahavat Yisrael takeaway. Our job is to reach the level Moshe Rabbenu. He was the one that undid the sin of the golden calf. How did he do it? Vayechal , by feeling sick over someone else's problem. Have a wonderful day.