Rabbi Akiba said, "When one visits a sick person one performs a good deed, as if he had saved a life in Israel."

Once a pupil of Akiba fell ill and nobody visited him. Then R. Akiba came to see him, because he had been his pupil.

When he came in, the pupil said: "Dear master, you have prolonged my life by coming to see me; so great has been to me the benefit of your visit."

Soon afterwards R. Akiba preached a sermon and said: "If a man fails to pay a visit to the sick, he is considered as one who has killed a person in Israel."

On the contrary, however, through the visit of R. Akiba this pupil of his was restored to health. Therefore, dear friends, it is indeed a great and pious deed to visit the sick.