"I believe in a God who heals as part of a divine expression of love," writes Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, author of many books on Jewish spirituality. Healing is both a journey and a destination for those in the grip of illness. Although our society is still obsessed with cures, this book is about the changes that can take place within a person once he or she realizes that disease can be a spiritual teacher.
Rabbi Olitzky admits that those who suffer always ask the same question. He responds: "The unrelenting, multilayered question of 'Why?' rages a fierce battle deep in the recesses of the soul, so it has to be addressed. . . . But we may mistakenly think that if we find a satisfying answer to this query, it will provide some measure of comfort and relief." A better approach is to surrender all to God.
Better yet, check out the following prayer by the eighteenth century Hassidic Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev: "Eternal presence of the universe, I am not asking You to show me the secret of Your ways, for it would be too much for me. But I am asking You to show me one thing: What is the meaning of the suffering that I presently endure? What does it require of me? What are You trying to tell me through it? I do not mind that I suffer, let me only know that it is for Your sake."
Rabbi Olitzky presents four avenues of spiritual healing: study of the Torah, prayer, drawing closer to God through ritual, and experiencing the presence of God through community. There is a chapter on using the Psalms as a resource for wholeness and sections on healing prayers and healing services.