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Why does Moshe's test for Korach mention visiting the sick, seemingly irrelevant to their dispute? The shiur identifies two types of bikur cholim: practical help and empathetic connection that literally removes one-sixtieth of suffering. Empathy serves as the litmus test for community membership - true revolutionaries cut themselves off entirely, while those who can still feel others' pain remain within legitimate disagreement rather than destructive rebellion.
This shiur analyzes a puzzling detail in Parshas Korach where Moshe, establishing a test to determine divine authority, mentions that if Korach's followers die naturally and people visit them when sick, it would prove Moshe is not God's messenger. Rabbi Zweig questions why visiting the sick appears in this context, seemingly irrelevant to the core dispute. The Talmud (תלמוד) derives the mitzvah (מצוה) of visiting the sick from this verse, but other sources already establish this obligation, making this derivation seemingly redundant. Rabbi Zweig identifies two distinct aspects of visiting the sick. The first, derived from other sources, involves practical assistance - praying for the sick person, helping with their needs, and providing physical support. The timing matters: one shouldn't visit too early when they appear healthy, nor too late when they seem beyond help. The second dimension, derived from our verse, focuses on empathy - taking on part of the sick person's suffering.
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Parshas Korach
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