Bikur Cholim (2)

/ Not all patients are in a position to receive visitors. Under such circumstances one should inquire of the relatives if it is O.K. to visit and even then one should try to keep the visit short. One needs to also have a sixth sense and realize when he is overstaying. In a situation where a patient is not ready for visitors, one can still visit by staying in the foyer or hallway and helping out family members or say Tehillim on behalf of the person.

If for example there are two sick patients, one who has many visitors and the second a few or none, even though the former may be wealthy and a talmid chochom and the latter is a poor man one should preferably visit the person who has a few or no visitors.

If a wealthy Talmid Chochom and a poor person are both on an equal status as per visitors, [and he can only visit one of them] then preference is given to the Talmid chochom. However if the wealthy "Talmid chochom" does not have Yiras Shomayim and the poor man is ignorant but has Yiras Shomayim, then he should be the one who is visited.

Opinions vary whether one should visit a person whom he hates. According to some, he should avoid visiting since it may appear as if he is rejoicing over the other's illness. The best thing is to inform the sick person through a third party that he would like to visit him. If it is acceptable to the patient, he may visit him, for this may be the beginning of a peace process.
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