When a משולח came to a wealthy man, he didn’t ask for צדקה. Rather, he inquired about his health. When the עשיר said he was fine, the משולח said that he came to visit because שלמה המלך told him that the עשיר was very sick. “What’s my sickness?” he asked. “It’s מחלת העושר,” the משולח responded. “As קוהלת ה, יב says: יש רעה חולה – עושר שמור לבעליו לרעתו.” Smiling, the wealthy man said that he didn’t realize that he was so sick but thanked him for being מקיים the מצוה ofביקור חולים. “Actually, I haven’t completed my חיוב,” the משולח said. “רבי אחא בר חנינא saidכל המבקר חולה נוטל אחד מששים מחליו and I haven’t yet taken any of your sickness.” Laughing, the עשיר gave him a נדבה.
06/10/2021