248. "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste" (Devarim 32:10): Surely he afterwards caused all these Klipot IN THE WILDERNESS AND IN THE DESERT to be all enslaved TO YISRAEL. THE VERSES heretofore were written in the book of a physician called Kartana. He used to write under this verse all the care a wise physician needs to take of the sick in their bed. THAT IS, IT IS THE CUSTOM OF THE PHYSICIAN TO FIRST WRITE DOWN BEFORE HIM THE STATE HE FOUND THE PATIENT IN, AND THEN TO PRESCRIBE MEDICINE. IN THIS ORDER THESE VERSES WERE ARRANGED HERE IN THAT BOOK. AT FIRST THE BOOK MENTIONED THE VERSES, "HE FOUND HIM IN A DESERT LAND...," NAMELY THE STATE IN WHICH HE FOUND THE PATIENT. THEN HE USED TO WRITE THE NEXT VERSE, IN WHICH IS WRITTEN ALL THE CARE A WISE PHYSICIAN HAS TO TAKE OF A SICK MAN LYING IN BED, in the prison of the prisoners of the King, THAT IS, THEY ARE ILL IN THE SENSE THAT they CANNOT worship the Master of the Universe.

249. THIS IS WHAT HE WROTE IN THAT BOOK: when a wise physician visited a sick man, "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness," that is, since illnesses rest on him, he is placed in the King's jail, IN A WASTE WILDERNESS. You may say that since the Holy One, blessed be He, ordered him to be detained in jail, one must not try for his sake TO CAUSE HIM TO REPENT. This is not so, as David said, "Blessed is he who considers the poor..." (Tehilim 41:2). That SICK MAN who lies on his bed is poor. If HIS NEIGHBOR is a wise physician, the Holy One, blessed be He, blessed whoever strives for his sake.

250. HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS, That physician "found him in a desert land," namely lying on his sickbed; "and in the waste howling wilderness," beset by illnesses. What should he do? "He led him about" (Devarim 32:10), to bring about reasons AND EXCUSES to withhold from him what is harmful to him, to let HIS BLOOD, and take out of him the evil blood; "he instructed him" - he should observe and understand the origin of the disease, and make sure the disease will not spread but diminish. Then, "he kept him as the apple of his eye" (Ibid.), so that he will be properly kept in regard to the drinks and the medicines he needs, and not get confused between them. For if he confuses even one thing AND DIES, the Holy One, blessed be He, considers that doctor as if he shed blood and killed him.

251. For the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes it that although that person is in the King's prison and is imprisoned there, UNABLE TO FREE HIMSELF, someone will make an effort for him and help him get out of jail. And he used to say: The Holy One, blessed be He above sentences the people in the world either to death, to be uprooted from the root BOTH ONE AND ONE'S CHILDREN, to be punished in property, or to be put in jail. Whoever is sentenced to a punishment regarding his property falls ill and is not healed until he pays whatever he was sentenced to. After being punished in his money and having given whatever he was sentenced to, he is healed and leaves prison. This is why one must persuade him to serve his penalty and leave prison.

252. Whoever is sentenced to uprooting, he is seized and put in prison until he is uprooted in every sense, THAT IS, UNTIL HE AND HIS CHILDREN DIE. Sometimes he is uprooted in limbs or in one of them. Whoever is sentenced to death, it so happens THAT HE DIES. And even if he gives as ransom all the money in the world, he cannot be saved.

253. A wise physician is therefore needed to make efforts for him. If he can administer bodily medicine, it is well. Otherwise, he should give him healing for his soul, and strive for healing for the soul. The Holy One, blessed be He, will strive TO BLESS such a physician in this world and in the World to Come. (THE TEXT UP TO HERE WAS FROM THE BOOK OF THE PHYSICIAN KARTANA).

254. Rabbi Elazar said, I have never heard until now of this doctor KARTANA, and of this book, except once when a merchant told me he heard from his father that there used to be a doctor in his time, who, when he would look at a person in his bed, he would pronounce, this one shall live, that one shall die. They say about him that he was a truly righteous who feared sin. Whatever the patient had to get but could not afford, he used to buy and give of his own. They say there was none as wise in the world as he. He used to do more in his prayer than what he would do with his hands. It seems to us it is the same doctor KARTANA.

255. That merchant said, Surely his book, OF THAT DOCTOR, is in my possession. I inherited it from my father's father. All the subjects of that book were based on secrets of the Torah. I have found in it hidden mysteries and many medical instructions, OF WHICH he said one may not use unless he is sin-fearing.

256. They, THE REMEDIES WRITTEN DOWN THERE, come from what Bilaam used to do. He used to whisper incantations over the disease and utter with his mouth, and he would be instantly healed. They are all explained in that book. He said that this one is forbidden for whoever fears sin TO USE and that one is permitted TO USE. For there are many diseases, he said, which medicine derives from whispering with the mouth. Some come from the aspect of enchantment and others from the aspect of divination. He stated THERE all those it is forbidden to utter and forbidden to act. I even found what should be said in cases of certain diseases to eradicate the diseases. This amazed us greatly.

257. Rabbi Elazar rejoiced and so did the friends. Rabbi Elazar said, If we have that book we will know what it says. And I shall deliver it, THAT IS, HE WILL GIVE A PROMISE to show it to the Holy Luminary, HIS FATHER RABBI SHIMON. We learned that Rabbi Elazar said, That book was in my possession twelve months, and I have found in it supernal precious mysteries. When I reached the secrets that came from Bilaam I was amazed.