Take the 2-minute tour ×

The Gemara in Baba Basra, Tes Zayin Amud Beis says Reb Shimon says that Avraham had a stone that he wore around his neck that healed the sick. If so why did he need a angel to come down to heal him (Rashi Bereshit 18:2)?

share|improve this question
if i remember correctly, the gamoroh says that when Avrohom Ovinu passed away, HaShem took the stone and placed it to hang under the sun. i dont know which famous star is located under the sun but maybe it refers to that, and people in that community in which the tanna/amora lived in believed that star had healing powers. also the gamoroh says that its a famous saying, as the day goes by the sickness becomes weakened. now regarding the angel, RaMbaM holds that those angels were not angels but prophets. I am not sure that he says one prophet came to heal Avrohom Ovinu. the kashya is on Rashi. –  MoriDoweedhYaa3qob Apr 18 '13 at 2:49

2 Answers 2

The Gemara there is discussing verse 24:1:

א. וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַי־הֹוָ־ה בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל:


The different Rabbis are giving different interpretations how Avraham was blessed.

This didn't happen until after Sarah passed away, which was 37-38 years after Avraham's circumcision.

So a simple answer would be that Avraham didn't use the stone to heal himself after his circumcision because he did not possess it yet.

share|improve this answer
The Apirion from the Baal Kitzur Shulchan Aruch gives this as one of his answers I just saw it as you gave it –  simchastorah Nov 10 '11 at 5:33
thanks for the edits by the way –  simchastorah Nov 10 '11 at 5:33
link to the Apirion: hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=39731&pgnum=18 - He also mentions that the Maharsha gives another reason, but I haven't looked it up. –  Menachem Nov 10 '11 at 14:38

Rav Moshe Feinstein explains in the Darash Moshe that Avraham could have just prayed to be healed. The reason why he did not is because he loved the pain of the mitzvah. (Whatever that means.)

share|improve this answer

Your Answer


