(Mishnah): If Reuven was Mudar Hana'ah from Shimon, if he visits him when he is sick, he must stand; he may not sit. He may heal him, but he may not heal his property.

(Gemara) Question: Who may visit whom?

If Shimon visits Reuven, he should be allowed even to sit (since Shimon does a Mitzvah, this is not considered giving benefit)!

If Reuven visits Shimon, he should be forbidden even to stand! (Reuven benefits from being allowed to walk in the house!)

Answer #1A (Shmuel): Shimon visits Reuven. The Mishnah discusses a place where people receive wages for visiting the sick when sitting, but not for standing.

Question: Why would the Tana discuss such a case without specifying?

Answer: He teaches that even where people take money for visiting the sick, they may take only for sitting, not for standing.

Answer #1B: (Shimon visits Reuven.) Chachamim decree that he may not sit, lest he come to stay too long. (One may take money for staying extra long. Doing so for free is considered giving benefit.)

R. Shimon ben Elyakim (42b) made a similar decree, lest one stand too long.

Answer #2 (Ula): Really, Reuven visits Shimon. The vow did not forbid Reuven from providing Shimon with life essentials.

Question: If so, he should be allowed even to sit!

Answer: It is possible to stand (it is not essential that Reuven sit).

Question (Beraisa): If he fell sick, he may visit him. If his son fell sick, he may inquire about his welfare.

We understand according to Ula. The vow did not forbid Reuven (the visitor) from providing Shimon's life essentials (but it does not allow what is essential for Shimon's son).

But according to Shmuel, the visitor (Shimon) may not give benefit. It makes no difference whether the Choleh is Reuven or Reuven's son!

Answer: Shmuel agrees that in the Beraisa, the Choleh may not give benefit. He said that in the Mishnah, the visitor may not give benefit.

Question: Why does Shmuel say that the Mishnah and Beraisa discuss different cases?

Answer (Rava): (The Beraisa can be explained only when the Choleh may not give benefit.) A difficulty forced Shmuel to explain the Mishnah differently.

Question: Why do we allow standing and forbid sitting?

Answer: We must say that the visitor may not benefit the Choleh. (Shmuel did not accept Ula's answer (g).)

(Reish Lakish): "If they will die as normal people, and the visitation of normal people..." alludes to the Mitzvah of visiting the sick.

Question: How does it allude to this?

Answer (Rava): "If they will die as normal people", i.e. sick and bedridden, and people visit them, (this will prove that) "Hash-m did not send me."

(Rava): "If Hash-m will create a creation" - if Gehinom was already created, fine. If not, Hash-m should create it now.

Objection (Beraisa): Seven things were created before the world: Torah, repentance, Gan Eden, Gehinom, the Kisei ha'Kavod (Hash-m's throne), the Beis ha'Mikdash, and the name of Mashi'ach.

Torah - "Hash-m acquired me, the beginning of His way."

Teshuvah - "Before the mountains were born... You return man until he is crushed (and say 'return, men')."

Gan Eden - "Hash-m planted a garden in Eden, from before."

Gehinom - "For arranged from before is Tafteh (the place for one who is Mispateh (seduced) by his Yetzer ha'Ra)."

The Kisei ha'Kavod - "Secure is Your throne, from then."

The Beis ha'Mikdash - "The throne of glory, elevated from the first (the place of our Mikdash)."

The name of Mashi'ach - "His name will be forever (before the sun, Yinon is his name)."

Correction: Rather, Moshe said 'If the mouth (of Gehinom) was already created, fine. If not, Hash-m should create it now.'

Objection: "There is nothing new under the sun"!

Correction: Rather, if the mouth is not near here, may Hash-m bring it close.

Question (Rava): What is the meaning of "The sun, the moon stood in Zvul (one of the seven levels of Heaven)"? The sun and moon are in Raki'a (a lower level of Heaven)!

Answer (Rava): They ascended to Zvul to petition Hash-m: If you will stand up for Moshe, we will illuminate. If not, we will not.

Hash-m shot arrows at the sun and moon. 'Every day, people bow to you, and you did not protest for My honor, but you protest for the honor of flesh and blood!'

From then on, every day Hash-m shoots arrows and spears at them and they illuminate - "They go by the light of Your arrows."

(Beraisa): There is no measure to Bikur Cholim (investigating the needs of the sick).

Question: In what sense is it unlimited?

Answer #1 (Rav Yosef): There is no limit to its reward.

Objection (Abaye): This implies that the reward of other Mitzvos is limited!

(Mishnah): Be as careful about a light Mitzvah as about a severe one, for you do not know the reward of Mitzvos!

Answer #2 (Abaye): Even a great person should visit a lower person.

Answer #3 (Rava): One should visit a sick person even 100 times in a day.

(R. Acha bar Chanina): One who visits a sick person alleviates a 60th of his pain (some texts - sickness).

Question (Abaye): If so, 60 people should visit a sick person, and this will cure him!

Answer (Rava): The sixtieth is like Rebbi's law of a 10th (brought below. Here, each visitor removes a 60th of the remaining sickness);

Also, only a person of the same Mazal removes a 60th of the sickness.

(Beraisa - Rebbi): A daughter who is fed by her brothers (after their father died) receives a 10th of the estate when she gets married.

Question: If so, if a man left 10 daughters and a son, the son will not receive anything!

Answer (Rebbi): The first daughter to get married receives a 10th of the estate. Each subsequent daughter receives a 10th of what remains.

[If they come to get married simultaneously, we calculate how much they would collectively receive if they came in succession - Ran] (i.e. about 63%), and they split this equally.