וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לְגֵיחֲזִ֜י חֲגֹ֣ר מָתְנֶ֗יךָ וְקַ֨ח מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֣י בְיָדְךָ֮ וָלֵךְ֒ כִּֽי־תִמְצָ֥א אִישׁ֙ לֹ֣א תְבָרְכֶ֔נּוּ וְכִֽי־יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א תַעֲנֶנּ֑וּ וְשַׂמְתָּ֥ מִשְׁעַנְתִּ֖י עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַנָּֽעַר׃
At sinabi niya kay Gehazi: “Bigkisan mo ang iyong baywang, at dalhin mo ang aking tungkod sa iyong kamay, at humayo ka. Kung may makasalubong kang sinuman, huwag mo siyang batiin; at kung may bumati sa iyo, huwag mo siyang sagutin. At ilagay mo ang aking tungkod sa mukha ng bata.”
Derashot HaRan
Similarly, the remediation of any creation requires an effluence reaching it and effecting such remediation through agents of which we have no knowledge. But when this remediation comes through a supplicant, it would seem that this supplicant himself is a mediating agent through which the effluence comes to rest upon the object of his supplications. For this reason, when Eliyahu brought back to life the son of the widow of Zarefat (I Kings 17:21), he stretched himself out upon him three times, the boy's substance thereby being readapted for the reception of life. And Elisha, too, when he brought back to life the son of the Shunamite woman (II Kings 4:34), lay down upon him and placed his mouth to his mouth, instructing first (Ibid 29): "and lay my staff upon the face of the child." And Jacob, likewise, said (Genesis 48:9): "Take them to me and I will bless them," and he placed his hands upon them. All of this demonstrates that the effluence is conditioned for the object of the blessing through the agency of him who pronounces the blessing or the prayer, for which reason it is desirable that the first be in close proximity to the second or even in contact with him if possible.