English: It was taught: Until Yaakov there was no illness. Yaakov came and prayed for mercy, and illness came into the world, as it is said: “Behold, thy father is sick.”
On the daf / in context: The beraisa teaches that before Yaakov people simply died suddenly without prior sickness. Yaakov requested that illness precede death so that a person would have time to arrange his affairs and repent. The verse is the first explicit mention of illness in the Torah.
Type of Learning
Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya / beraisa) — the first occurrence of the word “sick” is read as the introduction of illness into the human condition at Yaakov’s request.
What Is Learned
Illness was introduced into the world through Yaakov’s prayer so that a person would not die suddenly, but would have warning and opportunity to prepare spiritually and practically.