The Difference Between Curing and Healing: A Lesson from a Rabbi and a Healer
Many years ago, I heard a story that left an indelible mark on my heart—a story that, to this day, reminds me of the power we all possess, not through science or skill, but through presence and compassion.
A Conversation Between Faith and Grief
The story takes place in a green room—the kind of holding space where people wait before stepping into the bright lights of a TV studio. That morning’s segment was on religion and dying. In the room were two very different men.
One was a Rabbi. He was in the midst of unimaginable sorrow, having recently lost his young son to a rare genetic disorder. Once unwavering in his faith, he now stood on uncertain ground, questioning everything he believed.
Beside him sat an Evangelical Healer—renowned for filling stadiums with his sermons, known for gently touching people’s foreheads and declaring, “Your faith has healed you.”
To the grieving Rabbi, those words didn’t just ring hollow—they felt like a slap in the face. He had prayed. He had pleaded. He had done everything he could to save his child. And still, his son died.
Unable to remain silent, the Rabbi finally turned to the Healer and asked, with raw honesty, “Do you truly believe you can heal someone just by touching their forehead?”
Healing Is Not What You Think
The Healer, without a trace of arrogance or defensiveness, quietly responded:
“Yes, I do believe in healing through touch. But I’ve never claimed to cure anyone.
Curing means eliminating disease from the body.
Healing is something different. Healing happens when God sends people—nurses, friends, neighbors—to sit with the suffering, to bring comfort.
God doesn’t always cure, but He always sends someone to heal.”
The Rabbi had prepared for a theological debate. What he received instead was a revelation. In that moment, he realized: healing had surrounded him all along. It was in the nurses who sat at his son’s bedside. The neighbors who brought meals. The clergy who simply sat with him in silence. They couldn’t take away his pain—but they walked through it with him.
Healing Through Presence
This story came rushing back to me recently while watching the aftermath of the flash floods in Texas. As tragic as the disaster was, what stood out were the stories of healing—not just the dramatic rescues, but the quiet moments of humanity.
The nurse who sat with a mother until her missing child was found.
The doctor who held a trembling hand long after his shift ended.
The neighbor who opened their door and said, “Come stay with us.”
These weren’t acts of curing. These were acts of healing.
Why This Matters in Medicine
As physicians, we are trained—sometimes conditioned—to focus on curing. We chase diagnoses, refine our skills, and stay current on treatments. And yes, curing disease is one of the noblest pursuits in medicine.
But the truth is, we won’t always be able to cure.
What we can always do, though, is heal.
We can sit beside someone in their grief.
We can hold their hand through uncertainty.
We can offer our full, compassionate presence—no agenda, no fixing, just being.
And that presence may be the most powerful medicine of all.
A Call to Compassion
So the next time someone you know is suffering—whether it’s a patient, a friend, or even a stranger—don’t underestimate the power of simply being there.
Sit in silence.
Hold their hand.
Be the one who shows up.
At The Orsini Way, we believe that healing through human connection is not just an art—it is the heart of medicine. We train physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals to communicate with compassion, presence, and purpose—because these are the moments patients remember most.
👉 Want to learn how to bring healing presence into your practice?
Join one of our workshops or bring The Orsini Way training to your hospital.
Let’s make healing—not just curing—our daily mission.
