248. "He found him in a desert land, and in the waste" (Devarim 32:10): Surely he afterwards caused all these Klipot IN THE WILDERNESS AND IN THE DESERT to be all enslaved TO YISRAEL. THE VERSES heretofore were written in the book of a physician called Kartana. He used to write under this verse all the care a wise physician needs to take of the sick in their bed. THAT IS, IT IS THE CUSTOM OF THE PHYSICIAN TO FIRST WRITE DOWN BEFORE HIM THE STATE HE FOUND THE PATIENT IN, AND THEN TO PRESCRIBE MEDICINE. IN THIS ORDER THESE VERSES WERE ARRANGED HERE IN THAT BOOK. AT FIRST THE BOOK MENTIONED THE VERSES, "HE FOUND HIM IN A DESERT LAND...," NAMELY THE STATE IN WHICH HE FOUND THE PATIENT. THEN HE USED TO WRITE THE NEXT VERSE, IN WHICH IS WRITTEN ALL THE CARE A WISE PHYSICIAN HAS TO TAKE OF A SICK MAN LYING IN BED, in the prison of the prisoners of the King, THAT IS, THEY ARE ILL IN THE SENSE THAT they CANNOT worship the Master of the Universe.

253. A wise physician is therefore needed to make efforts for him. If he can administer bodily medicine, it is well. Otherwise, he should give him healing for his soul, and strive for healing for the soul. The Holy One, blessed be He, will strive TO BLESS such a physician in this world and in the World to Come. (THE TEXT UP TO HERE WAS FROM THE BOOK OF THE PHYSICIAN KARTANA).

254. Rabbi Elazar said, I have never heard until now of this doctor KARTANA, and of this book, except once when a merchant told me he heard from his father that there used to be a doctor in his time, who, when he would look at a person in his bed, he would pronounce, this one shall live, that one shall die. They say about him that he was a truly righteous who feared sin. Whatever the patient had to get but could not afford, he used to buy and give of his own. They say there was none as wise in the world as he. He used to do more in his prayer than what he would do with his hands. It seems to us it is the same doctor KARTANA.