דְּאָגָ֣ה בְלֶב־אִ֣ישׁ יַשְׁחֶ֑נָּה וְדָבָ֖ר ט֣וֹב יְשַׂמְּחֶֽנָּה׃
If there is anxiety in a man’s mind let him quash it,
And turn it into joy with a good word.
And turn it into joy with a good word.
״דְּאָגָה בְלֶב אִישׁ יַשְׁחֶנָּה״, רַבִּי אַמֵּי וְרַבִּי אַסִּי, חַד אָמַר: יַשִּׂחֶנָּה מִדַּעְתּוֹ, וְחַד אָמַר: יְשִׂיחֶנָּה לַאֲחֵרִים.
§ The Gemara explains another verse in Proverbs: “If there is care in a man’s heart, let him quash it [yashḥena]” (Proverbs 12:25). Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi dispute the verse’s meaning. One said: He should forcefully push it [yasḥena] out of his mind. One who worries should banish his concerns from his thoughts. And one said: It means he should tell [yesiḥena] others his concerns, which will lower his anxiety.
חוֹלֶה אוֹמֵר. יָכוֹל אָנִי. וְרוֹפֶה אוֹמֵר. אינוֹ יָכוֹל. שׁוֹמְעִין לָרוֹפֶה. רוֹפֶה אוֹמֵר. יָכוֹל הוּא. וְחוֹלֶה אוֹמֵר. אינוֹ יָכוֹל. שׁוֹמְעִין לַחוֹלֶה. לָא צוֹרְכָא (דְלָא) [אֶלָּא] . חוֹלֶה אוֹמֵר. יָכוֹל אָנִי. וְרוֹפֶה אוֹמֵר. אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ. רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. נַעֲשֶׂה כִּסְפֵק נְפָשׁוֹת. וְכָל־סְפֵק נְפָשׁוֹת דּוֹלֶמ אֶת הַשַׁבָּת.
The sick person says, I can, but the physician says, he cannot; one listens to the physician. The physician says, he can, but the sick person says, he cannot; one listens to the sick person. The only question is if the sick person says, I can, and the physician says, I do not know. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: It is treated as an uncertainty of a danger to life, and any uncertainty of a danger to life pushes the Sabbath aside.
לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי ללמדך שכל המאבד נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם מלא וכל המקיים נפש אחת מישראל מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא
The court tells the witnesses: Therefore, Adam the first man was created alone, to teach you that with regard to anyone who destroys one soul from the Jewish people, i.e., kills one Jew, the verse ascribes him blame as if he destroyed an entire world, as Adam was one person, from whom the population of an entire world came forth. And conversely, anyone who sustains one soul from the Jewish people, the verse ascribes him credit as if he sustained an entire world.
אָמַר רָבִינָא: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ: הַאי מַאן דְּמִיבְּעִית, אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ לָא חָזֵי, מַזָּלֵיהּ חָזֵי. מַאי תַּקַּנְתֵּיהּ? לִיקְרֵי קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע. וְאִי קָאֵים בִּמְקוֹם הַטִּנּוֹפֶת — לִינְשׁוֹף מִדּוּכְתֵּיהּ אַרְבַּע גַּרְמִידֵי. וְאִי לָא — לֵימָא הָכִי: ״עִיזָּא דְּבֵי טַבָּחֵי שַׁמִּינָא מִינַּאי״.
Ravina said: Learn from this incident that with regard to one who is frightened for no apparent reason, although he does not see anything menacing, his guardian angel sees it, and therefore he should take steps in order to escape the danger. The Gemara asks: What is his remedy? He should recite Shema, which will afford him protection. And if he is standing in a place of filth, where it is prohibited to recite verses from the Torah, he should distance himself four cubits from his current location in order to escape the danger. And if he is not able to do so, let him say the following incantation: The goat of the slaughterhouse is fatter than I am, and if a calamity must fall upon something, it should fall upon it.