"The tradition says that the divine presence dwells among the sick because God shares in their suffering. To be at the bedside of an ill person brings comfort and, on a mystical level, is a healing act in itself. It is sometimes called the ministry of presence. You don't even have to say anything; the important thing is being there. We bring the sick a connection to the outside world, a sign that they are not forgotten, and, most important, hope.
"In some ways, visiting the sick is seen as an act of curing, not just kindness. The Talmud (Bava Mezia 30b) says that one who ignores a sick person hastens his death, while one who visits takes away one-sixtieth of the illness. Because the sick need visitors so badly, there are Orthodox rabbinic opinions that permit travel on the Sabbath so that the sick person will not be alone. For example, it is widely accepted in Orthodox circles that a man can accompany his pregnant wife in labor to the hospital in car on the Sabbath. The distress that a woman might feel by being alone could result in harm to her or the fetus. The only others for whom these travel restrictions are relaxed are the doctor treating the sick; the visitor too has medicinal powers."