Reading Tehillim To Obtain Healing

Question:

לק"י

Peace to his honor the Rav,

The Rambam writes in Hilkhot Avodah Zarah, chapter 11, halakhah 12, that "the words of the Torah do not effect the healing of the body." The Rambam then adds, “...the healthy person who reads pasukim or a mizmor from Tehillim...behold, this is permitted.” The words of the Rambam seem to indicate that if it is forbidden for a person who is ill to read Tehillim in order to effect his healing, then all the more so is it forbidden for the healing of others.

Upon whose opinion do those who permit reading Tehillim to effect healing rely? Is there a heter to this effect in the Shulchan Arukh or the Rama?

With blessings.

Answer:

It is forbidden to whisper a pasuk from the Torah over a wound, because this is in the category of divination. Likewise, it is forbidden to try and heal with the words of the Torah or a Torah scroll, or attempt to protect the body through the Torah, for in doing so one  cheapens the Torah and makes it into an amulet, and this is kefirah.

It is permitted, however, for one to say mizmorim from Tehillim as words of prayer, so that in the merit of saying them he will merit to Divine Providence in his particular situation. Also in the Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah 179:8, it is forbidden to whisper over a wound, but both Maran and the Rama write there different ways of giving a heter to do so that perhaps the Rambam would not agree with. Look there in the Shulchan Arukh, seif 9, “We do not read a pasuk over an infant that is ill, and we do not set a Torah scroll on him,” and the Rambam also forbids doing this. And in seif 10 it is brought that it is permitted for one to read pasukim in order to protect from mazikin if his intention is that the merit of reading pasukim will protect him, and not the pasukim themselves. This is permitted, but to think that such reading is like a protective segulah is not.