A Sound Body

After a short musical introduction Psalm 6 beseeches the Creator not to be rebuked in anger nor be chastened in fury (ה' אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ תוֹכִיחֵנִי וְאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ תְיַסְּרֵנִי). The penitent then states that he is absolutely terrified and in a miserable state. As an act of grace and kindness he asks to be cured of his ailments. Specifically his eyes have become dim due to  anger and aged due to torment. No mention of a particular transgression is made. In requesting that God's return and rescue some sort of repentance is implied, namely that religion is lacking in his life and he needs God's protection.

Psalm 38 has a similar theme and makes use of almost identical language, "In your provocation do not rebuke me and in your fury do not chasten me (ה' אַל־בְּקֶצְפְּךָ תוֹכִיחֵנִי וּבַחֲמָתְךָ תְיַסְּרֵנִי). Sin is explicitly acknowledged and reckoned as the source of ill health as well as emotional turbulence and bad human relationships. The speaker laments that there is no unmarred spot (מְתֹם) on his body, the light in his eyes has gone, and he is prone to limp. This is first viewed as a direct retribution from an offended God and later on as a natural result of folly.

The term מְתֹם (unmarred) as it relates to the body is only used a third time in the Tanakh. "From head to foot no spot is sound (מְתֹם): All bruises, and welts, And festering sores— Not squeezed out, not bound up, Not softened with oil", (Isaiah 1:6). The context here is a harangue by the prophet. It includes a situation in which the land of Israel has become a wasteland. All of this is because of the sins of the nation and subsequent punishments. The people are reprimanded for abandonment of belief in a living God and general scorn of religion. It would seem that part of the punishment is an inability to take the ordinary steps to cure the wounds. Isaiah then discourages showy displays of hollow piety. Instead they should have a heart and a mind that pursues good and concern themselves with a proper system of justice, specifically one that aids people who have been wronged, especially the weak.

The basic idea is that improper conduct does bad things to a person and society. As a result if a person becomes sick, strange, or hated; they should consider if they have done something bad in action or even attitude. It could be that a change in approach will remedy that which is harming them. Sometimes guidance is to be found in the sacred texts as is brought in Ethics of our Fathers 6:7, "Great is Torah for it gives life to those that practice it, in this world, and in the world to come. As it is said: “For it is life for those that find it, and cure for all their flesh” (Proverbs 4:22), And it says: “It will be health for your body and strength for your bones” (ibid. 3:8), And it says: “She is a tree of life to those that grasp her, and happy are those that support her" (ibid. 3:18),

 "נ  האמא מלכה בת חיים ז"ל נלב"ע טז ניסן תשנ"ח

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