Can one fulfill the obligation of visiting the sick through a phone call (txt or email)?

Question: Can one fulfill the obligation of visiting the sick through a phone call (txt or email), or must it be done in person?

It goes without saying that any act of reaching out to someone who is sick is an act of chesed, but the issue here is the technical fulfillment of the mitzvah of bikur cholim. Does that have to be done in person?

Answer: The pasuk in Shemot (18:20) says,

וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֣ לָהֶ֗ם אֶת־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ יֵ֣לְכוּ בָ֔הּ וְאֶת־הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲשֽׂוּן׃ - “and make known to them the way they are to go and the practices they are to follow.” The Talmud in Bava Metzia (30b) explains that “the way they are to go and practices to follow” refers to visiting the sick, bikur cholim. Furthermore, the pasuk in Devarim (13:5) says, אַחֲרֵ֨י ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם תֵּלֵ֖כוּ and the Talmud in Sotah (14b) says that clearly this pasuk does not mean we can literally walk in the path of the shechinah, but rather, it means that we should follow the midot of Hashem. The Talmud gives examples of this: just as Hashem gives clothing to those who don’t have, so too, we should do the same. Just as Hashem visits the sick, so to, we should. Just as Hashem consoles the mourners, so to, we should. When making this point about bikur cholim, the Talmud quotes the pasuk from Parashat Veyeira, וירא אליו ה׳ באלוני ממרא, when Hashem visits Avraham after he had a brit mila.

Rav Ovadia says that when mentioning bikur cholim, the Torah uses the language of וירא אליו, that Hashem came to Avraham and we can add that one of the angels who came to visit him also came in person. Presumably the idea of visiting the sick is to come physically close to the person, to make sure he has everything he needs, medicine, food, drink, etc. Rav Ovadia says that this mitzvah applies even if a person is in the hospital and has doctors, nurses and family members attending to him, it is still a mitzvah for you to come visit him and give him chizuk.

The Rambam writes that everyone is obligated in this mitzvah of bikur cholim. Even an older person should go to visit a child, even many times in one day and the more the better, up to a certain point where it will be too much of a burden. And visiting the sick removes “a piece” of the illness and makes it a little bit easier on the sick person. Finally, someone who does not visit the sick is compared to one who is שופך דמים, commits murder.

Rav Ovadia adds that another element to visiting the sick in person that allows you to see the predicament the sick person is in and the severity of the illness and this will motivate the visitor to pray with even more intensity for the healing of this individual. This is based on the Talmud  in Nedarim (40a) says that “whoever visits the sick will pray and ask Hashem for mercy that he should live. Conversely, whomever does not visit the sick will not pray for their recovery. The Talmud in Shabbat (12b) also says that Hashem’s shechinah rests above the head of a sick person. Presumably this is an opportune time to pray and it seems clear that seeing the sick person will arouse more of a desire to pray than if you just heard about his illness. In fact, the Ramban says that if you visit the sick and don’t pray for him, you have not fulfilled the mitzvah of bikur cholim.

So can you fulfill the mitzvah with a phone call, txt or email?

Based on the above analysis, Rav Ovadia says if you are able to go in person, you must do so and if you do not, you have not fulfilled the mitzvah of bikur cholim. Although it is true that you can pray for the sick from any location, praying in the presence of the sick person is much more preferable. In fact, when praying in the presence of the sick, you need not and according to some poskim, should not mention his or her name. Leaving out the name is viewed as more preferable. Clearly, accomplishing this in the most preferred way is not possible by phone, txt or email. However, if you are not able to travel to visit the person, calling him to give chizuk is still a great act of chesed. Although Rav Ovadia did not discuss txting or emailing, I assume those would be less desirable to calling as hearing one’s voice is more personal.