Midrasch zu Tehillim 41:4

Our Rabbis taught: "He who comes to visit a sick man on the Sabbath shall say: 'It is Sabbath and we are not allowed to cry but relief will soon come'; R. Meier said, he should say: 'The Sabbath [if respected] may bring mercy.' (Fol. 12b) R. Juda said [one should say]: 'May the Omnipotent have mercy on thee and on the sick of Israel'; R. Jose said [one should say]: 'May the Omnipotent have mercy on thee amongst the sick of Israel.' " Shebnah, of Jerusalem, upon entering said: Shalom, and upo leaving he would say: "It is Sabbath and we are not allowed to cry, but relief will soon come, for His mercies are great, rest [meantime] in peace." In accordance with whom did R. Chanina say that he who has a sick person in his house should include him [while praying for his health] amongst the sick of Israel? It is in accordance with R. Jose. Further said R. Chanina: "It is with reluctance that they (the sages) allowed the visit of condolence to mourners and the visit to the sick on the Sabbath [because it disturbs the Sabbath joy]." Rabba b. b. Chana said: "When I accompanied R. Eliezer while visiting the sick, I sometimes heard him say [in Hebrew]. Hamakom Yiph-Kedach Leshalom. and sometimes he said [in Aramaic] Rachmanah Yedachrinach Lishlam." How could he do this? Did not R. Juda say: "Never should a man ask [of God] for his necessities in the Aramaic language," and R. Jochanan said: "He who asks for his necessities in the Aramaic tongue will not be attended to by the ministering angels because the ministering angels do not understand Aramaic." The case of a sick person is different because the Shechina is with him; for R. Anan said in the name of Rab: "Whence do we learn that the Shechina strengthens the sick? It is said (Ps. 41, 4.) The Lord will sustain him upon the bed of painful disease." We have also a Baraitha to the same effect: "He who visits the sick shall sit neither on the bed [of the sick] nor on a chair, but he shall wrap himself and sit in front of the sick because the Divine Presence rests above the head-side of the sick; as it is said (Ib.) The Lord will sustain him upon the bed of painful disease."

R. Shesheth the son of R. Idi said: "A man should not visit a sick person during the first three hours of the day, nor during the last three hours of the day, so that he may not stop praying for his mercy; for during the first three hours a sick person improves [the visitor may then think that he is already well, and during the last three hours he always feels worse [and the visitor might become discouraged from offering any prayer."] R. Abin said in the name of Rab: "Whence do we infer that the Holy One, praised be He! nourishes the sick? It is said (Ps. 41, 4) The Lord will preserve him." R. Abin said further in the name of Rab: "Whence do we know that the Shechina rests above the bed of a sick person? It is said. The Lord will preserve him upon the bed of his illness." We are also taught so in a Baraitha: He who visits the sick should not sit upon the bed, nor even upon a bench, but he should wrap his mantle round him and sit upon the ground, because of the Shechina which rests above the bed of the sick person, as it is said The Lord will preserve him upon the bed of his illness.

R. Alexandria said in the name of R. Chiya b. Abba: "A sick person does not recover from his sickness until all his sins are forgiven, as it is said (Ps. 103, 3) Who forgiveth all thy iniquities should heal all thy diseases." R. Hamnuna said: "Such a person regains his youthful days, as it is said (Job 33, 25) His flesh becometh full again as in youth; he returneth to the days of his boyhood." (Ps. 41, 4) Mayest Thou turn all his lying down in his sickness. R. Joseph said: "This means that he forgets his learning."