Comforting Mourners or Visiting the Sick?

Question

What comes first: Nichum Aveilim or Bikkur Cholim

Answer

Shalom! 

Thank you for your question. 

We are told that we are to emulate Hashem in all His ways. One of the examples specifically cited in this regard is to visit the sick just as Hashem did. We are taught that when Avraham was recovering from his bris, it was none other than Hashem Himself who went to visit him.[1] It appears, therefore, that bikkur cholim takes priority. 

Nevertheless, Le'halcha, we say that visiting a shiva house and comforting mourners is a mitzva that benefits both the living and the dead at once, while visiting the sick benefits only the living. Based on this consideration, therefore we rule that nichum aveilim takes priority. 

There is also the view that in a situation where one is forced to choose between nichum aveilim over bikkur cholim, then indeed, nichum aveilim takes priority. However, in the event that one is able and intends to perform both mitzvot, then the mitzva of bikkur cholim should be performed first. 

 However, if one knows that there is virtually no one visiting a certain sick individual, or one knows that there will be great benefit to the sick person if you visit him, then visiting him would take priority. 

One should also take into consideration the effect that visiting a sick person may have, such as cheering him up, providing much-needed and otherwise unavailable assistance, or even somehow directly contributing to his recovery. 

It appears, therefore, that all things being equal, nichum aveilim is to take priority over bikkur cholim. However, as we have seen, there are a number of factors that can easily tip the scale from one mitzva in favor of the other.

Source

 Nedarim 40a; Sota 14a; Rambam, Hilchot Avel 14:7; YD 335:10; Bach, YD 335; Shach, YD 335:11. 

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