Taboo Torah: Doing Drugs

The Light and Fire of the Baal Shem Tov

After teaching for a short while, the Baal Shem Tov lit his pipe and smoked meditatively to prepare for prayers. Every action and movement of the holy Baal Shem Tov was intentional and for the service of God, blessed be He. Even his pipe-smoking was accompanied by kabbalistic meditations, and the smoke that rose from his pipe was like the smoke of the incense that was burned on the altar in the Temple. Indeed, throughout the day, whenever he wanted to ascent to the higher words, he smoked his pipe; and each time he puffed, he went from one world to another. After the prayers that morning, Rabbi Gershon of Kitov said to a fellow disciple, “I wish I would have the paradise that our master acquires from smoking one pipe of tobacco!”

Maimonides' legal code is called Yad ha-lfazakah (the Strong Hand). In the section dealing with "Murder and the Guarding of Life" he writes:

It is a positive commandment to remove any stumbling block which constitutes a danger and to be on guard against it. The sages have prohibited many things because they endanger one's life. If one disregards any of them and says "I am only endangering myself, what business do others have with me; or I don't care [if they are dangerous] I use them (that is, harmful things)," he can be subjected to disciplinary flogging.

In the 16th century, Rabbi ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra (known as the Radbaz), chief rabbi of Cairo, was firmly pro-weed when he proclaimed that, “Leaves of cannabis make one happy.”

In more recent times, the State of Israel has been at the forefront of cannabis research, with a cannabis industry worth billions of dollars. Notes Rabbi HaLevi: “Israel in general is more entrepreneurial and innovative by culture and design, and it’s no wonder that they have been engaged in medical cannabis R&D for half a century. It began with an entrepreneurial doctor, Raphael Mechoulam, and has been gaining unparalleled steam ever since.” Professor Mechoulam, a scientist at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, was the first to isolate, synthesize and analyzeTetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) in cannabis, now used as treatments for serious health issues like Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy in both adults and children.

“We have a moral duty to explore, perfect and provide any plant and every plant if it has medicinal benefits,” says Rabbi HaLevi. “It’s a mitzvah to alleviate suffering, heal and save lives. This is why it’s sanctioned even in the most halachically observant circles, as it is medicine. . .

Rabbi Dr. Glassman agrees that with the notable exception of Purim shenanigans, “Judaism never endorses ‘recreational intoxication’ since it detracts from the essence of Jewish practice, which is the action of doing a mitzvah. Anything that could cause one to sleep late, forget to say the Shema prayer or read the Torah on Shabbat would surely be vigorously avoided. That said, Jews do drink wine in the context of kiddush, and that wine, in most cases, purposely contains an intoxicant, so there is a basis for a mild intoxication in the setting of ritual—but excess is always discouraged.”

https://www.jewishboston.com/am-yisrael-high-cannabis-in-jewish-tradition/

By the Grace of G‑d,
20th of Marcheshvan, 5725
[Oct. 26, 1964]
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessings:

I am in receipt of your letter of October 18th, which you write in the name of your friends and in your own behalf, and ask my opinion regarding the new drug called L.S.D., which is said to have the property of mental stimulation, etc.

Biochemistry is not my field, and I cannot express an opinion on the drug you mention, especially as it is still new. However what I can say is that the claim that the said drug can stimulate mystical insight, etc., is not the proper way to attain mystical inspiration, even if it had such a property. The Jewish way is to go from strength to strength, not by means of drugs and other artificial stimulants, which have a place only if they are necessary for the physical health, in accordance with the Mitzva to take care of one’s health. I hope that everyone will agree that before any drugs are taken one should first utilize all one’s natural capacities, and when this is done truly and fully, I do not think there will be a need to look for artificial stimulants.

I trust that you and your group, in view of your Yeshiva background, have regular appointed times for the study of Torah, and the inner aspects of the Torah, namely the teachings of Chassidus, and that such study is in accordance with the principle of our Sages, namely “The essential thing is the deed,” i.e., the actual conduct of the daily life in accordance with the Torah and Mitzvoth, prayer, Teflllin, Kashruth, etc., etc. This is only a matter of will and determination, for nothing stands in the way of the will. I trust that you are also using your good influence throughout your environment.

With blessing,

Did Aaron the High Priest Smoke?

The Biblical Roots of Jews and Marijuana

Doctor, mohel, and former IDF lieutenant Yosef Glassman finds surprising links between controversial plant and ancient Judaism.

“Also, one will beautify [Shabbat candle lighting] when the wick is made from cotton, flax or cannabis…”

That’s right, cannabis.

This dictate, found in the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), piqued the curiosity of Boston geriatrician Yosef Glassman when he was reading about Sabbath rituals on a religious quest nearly two decades ago.

The future doctor decided to embark on a project to learn whether cannabis was also used for medicinal purposes in ancient Jewish times. At first, he proceeded hesitantly — the federal ban on marijuana stigmatizes even library research on the drug, he said.

But in recent years, with medical marijuana’s legalization in several states, Glassman felt more comfortable delving in. What he found was a wealth of references in the Bible and beyond. Marijuana usage, he contends, is an aspect of Jewish law and tradition that had long been buried, and one that deserves “resurfacing and exploration.”

“There is no question that the plant has a holy source, God himself, and is thus mentioned for several ritualistic purposes,” said Glassman, who is also a mohel and a former Israel Defense Force lieutenant. He lives in Newton, Mass. with his family.

Glassman also found many references to non-medicinal uses of marijuana. “It is clear that using cannabis for clothing and accessories was very common, according to the Talmud,” he said. It was used for making tallitot and tzitzit, as well as “schach” (Sukkot roof coverings).

Glassman also found that cannabis fit into the category of kitnyos on Passover, meaning that Ashkenazi Jews were prohibited from using it on the holiday. “One thus might assume that it was also consumed, perhaps as food, during the remainder of the year,” he said, noting that hemp seeds are a non-intoxicating form of protein.

Glassman first presented his findings in late October during grand rounds — a medical teaching session — at the New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, Mass., where he is a physician. He has since gone on to give the same lecture to lay and medical professional audiences. “The goal is to educate practitioners on the rich cultural history behind the use of cannabis as a medicine, explain its mechanism of action, and dispel myths about its safety profile,” he said at one such presentation open to the public in Brookline, Mass. in November.

He explained that he had received no commercial support for his research, that no exhibitors were present, and sorry, but there were no free samples. “Not even in those brownies in the back?” joked one audience member.

In the talk, Glassman described finding several biblical references to the herb that include Book of Numbers 17:12-13, where Aaron the High Priest, “no pun intended,” probably burned marijuana as an incense offering “during a time of turmoil.” Other passages include God’s instructions to Moses to “take for yourself herbs b’samim” — herbs of medicinal quality — and instructions in Exodus to “take spices of the finest sort, pure myrrh, five hundred shekels, fragrant cinnamon, and ‘keneh bosem,’” which literally means “sweet cane,” but possibly refers to cannabis, said Glassman. “Keneh bosem” is also mentioned in the Song of Songs 4:14, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20 and Ezekiel 27:19. Another pronunciation is the Aramaic “kene busma,” which, perhaps unsurprisingly, is also the name of a modern reggae musician.

Glassman’s research revealed that cannabis may have been used as an anesthetic during childbirth in ancient Israel; he described an archaeological discovery of hashish in the stomach of the 1,623-year-old remains of a 14-year-old girl in Beit Shemesh. Maimonides was also an advocate of using cannabis oil for ailments such as colds and ear problems. “There are complex laws of plant mixing and hybridizing from the Talmud, which Maimonides comments on,” said Glassman. “Cannabis specifically was taken especially seriously in terms of mixing … and could, in fact, incur the death penalty. This shows me that apparently, cannabis was treated quite seriously.”

Ancient Jews weren’t the only people to use cannabis medicinally, of course. In his lecture, Glassman noted that cannabis has been used in Chinese medicine, as one of the 50 fundamental herbs, for 4,700 years; ancient Egyptians used it in suppositories and for eye pain; and Greeks made wine steeped with cannabis and used it for inflammation and ear problems.

Today, public support for medical marijuana has increased. Twenty-one U.S. states plus the District of Columbia have legalized the herb in some form, and recreational use of marijuana is legal in Colorado and Washington. Medical conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease and HIV are commonly treated with medicinal marijuana, yet Glassman said that physicians are still reluctant to recommend it, because federally it is still illegal.

International cannabis research today is largely based on the 1960s research of Jerusalem-based professors Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni, who isolated the active ingredient of hashish and its psychoactive component, tetrahydrocannabinol, as well as the natural human analog to THC, anandamide, which the body produces. In the past decade, Israeli scientists developed a strain of marijuana without THC. According to Glassman, the Israeli government funds the research on medical marijuana, which today benefits some 12,000 Israeli patients and is grown on eight farms for a state-run medical cannabis distribution center.

Glassman’s presentation includes a November 8, 2012 CNN video entitled “Medical Marijuana without the High,” which features 80-year-old Israeli Holocaust survivor, author and painter Moshe Roth smoking medical marijuana. “My hands are now steady. I can hold things like tea,” says a discernibly buzzed Roth. “We can’t be … narrow minded,” says Israeli Minister of Communications Moshe Kahlon in the video. “We have to think about people suffering and how to help them without, God forbid, allowing more use of drugs….”

Glassman agrees: “I think that cannabis is a wonderful solution for someone to control pain without the addictive nature of painkillers, and with a much better safety profile.”

“Science aside, the greatest of medications allow the Infinite to penetrate the inner workings of the body and soul,” he explained. “This is likely the overriding benefit that cannabis provides, and probably why it has so many different healing properties.”

Boston-area poet, author and freelance journalist Susie Davidson writes regularly for The Jewish Advocate and other media and has contributed to the Boston Sunday Globe and the Boston Herald.

Because of marijuana’s clear medical benefits, the Orthodox Union, which has rejected kosher certification requests from cigarette and e-cigarette manufacturers on health grounds, “would not have a problem certifying” medical marijuana, Elefant said.

Marijuana is a plant and therefore kosher certification is not necessary for the cannabis itself. But in New York State, where companies are vying for up to five licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana, patients will not be allowed to smoke pot, so they will have to ingest it in other ways — such as capsules, food or drinks, which will require kosher certification for Orthodox patients. http://forward.com/news/215113/medical-marijuana-may-soon-get-kosher-stamp-of-app/#ixzz3dlQC4vbe

“Rabbi Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye said before his departure that he asked God to credit him for all the Torah and mitzvot of his entire life, with the same value he gave to the great Baal Shem Tov's heavenly thoughts (yichudim) when he smoked his pipe.”

- Ibn Mardachya,

Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Marijuana & Judaism

Still, Judaism allows Jews to ingest many things that are not intrinsically holy as part of the effort to fulfill the responsibility to maintain a healthy body, mind and soul, and furthermore, as part of enjoying God's bounty, even when not directly related to matters of health...Whether using marijuana recreationally fits into that Jewish description of the nature and purpose of life depends on what its effects turn out to be. If it decreases pain in dying patients, then one not only may, but must, work to make it legally available to them. Thus, in sum, marijuana in and of itself is not inherently bad or good; it must be judged in terms of its effects in creating a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Commentary Magazine

God too is playing a game of hide-and-seek with himself and me. The psychedelic experience can be not only a challenge, but also a support of my faith. After seeing what really happens at the point where all is one and where God-immanent surprises God-transcendent and they merge in cosmic laughter, I can also see Judaism in a new and amazing light....The psychedelic experience can be not only a challenge, but also a support of my faith.