- Wearing tefillin outside erev Shabbos before nightfall
A Baraisa in the academy of R’ Yishmael taught the following: A person is permitted to go outside wearing tefillin erev Shabbos just before nightfall.
Rabbah bar Rav Huna explains that there is no concern that he might wear the tefillin outside after Shabbos begins. Since a person is obligated to touch his tefillin at all times he is always aware of their presence.
He brings a kal vachomer from the tzitz:
The tzitz (the head plate of the Kohen Gadol) has only one mention of Hashem’s name on it, yet the Torah says, והיה על מצחו תמיד – And it shall be on his [the Kohen Gadol’s] forehead constantly, which teaches he should not divert his attention from it. How much more so should a person not divert his attention from tefillin which has many more mentions of Hashem’s name in them.
It was taught in a Baraisa that one who visits a sick person on Shabbos should say: שבת היא מלזעוק ורפואה קרובה לבא – “It is Shabbos now, therefore we are prevented from crying out for your recovery, but the healing will come soon.”
- What to say to a sick person on Shabbos
The sick person might think that since tefillah is prohibited on Shabbos (because it might arouse weeping), Shabbos is preventing his recovery. Therefore we reassure him that his recovery is as likely to come on Shabbos without tefillah as it would come during the week with tefillah. (Maharsha)
- Visiting a sick person
It was taught in a Baraisa: One who visits a sick person should not sit on a bed or a chair. Rather he should wrap himself and sit on the ground or a low chair because the Shechinah is above the head of the sick person. This is learned from the passuk, ה' יסעדנו על ערש דוי – “Hashem will support him on the sickbed”.
This restriction applies only where the sick person is lying on the ground or on a low bed, since the visitor sitting in the chair would then be “higher” than the Shechinah, which is at the patient’s head. (Tosafos)
