"A healthy outside starts from the inside" ~Robert Urich
"Health is a state of mind, wellness is a state of being" ~J. Stanford
"Health is not valued until sickness comes in and the doctor leaves." ~Savio Fonseca
(כג) מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תּוֹצְא֥וֹת חַיִּֽים׃
(23) More than all that you guard, guard your mind, For it is the source of life.
Your heart is an important part of your body because it is responsible for your life as it pumps blood throughout the body. Your heart is a place for your thoughts and feelings, which can cause the release of certain hormones. If you're feeling sad, this can cause high blood pressure, while feeling happy can enhance your health
(כד) הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת שְׂ֝פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
(24) Put crooked speech away from you; Keep devious talk far from you.
We use our mouths to eat and speak. It is up to us to make good choices. Are you feeding or fighting disease with your mouth?
(כה) עֵ֭ינֶיךָ לְנֹ֣כַח יַבִּ֑יטוּ וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃
We use our eyes when it comes to making choices. You can see a choice as harmful or helping your well-being. Eye hope you know that they play a role in your health!
(כו) פַּ֭לֵּס מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃ (כז) אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃
(26) Survey the course you take, And all your ways will prosper. (27) Do not swerve to the right or the left; Keep your feet from evil.
We use our legs to steer ourselves in a certain direction. You can use them to exercise and stay in shape or run away from things are not beneficial for you!
(ה) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה'׃ (ס)
(5) You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live: I am the LORD.
(יט) הַעִידֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֮ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ֒ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃
(19) I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life—if you and your offspring would live
(א) ובחרת בחיים בחיי עד:
(יט) אִם־יָק֞וּם וְהִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ בַּח֛וּץ עַל־מִשְׁעַנְתּ֖וֹ וְנִקָּ֣ה הַמַּכֶּ֑ה רַ֥ק שִׁבְתּ֛וֹ יִתֵּ֖ן וְרַפֹּ֥א יְרַפֵּֽא׃ (ס)
- "מצות לא תעשה שלא למנע מלהציל חברו מסכנה"
If your friend is in danger, you can not sit by without doing anything to help them.
- "מצות לא תעשה שלא להכות שום אדם בישראל"
You are not allowed to hit another Jew unless it is for חינוך purposes because you are causing the person to be in danger.
- "מצות לא תעשה שלא למשכן כלים שעושים בהם אכל נפש"
You are not allowed to take dishes or vessels used to make food as a collateral (security) for a loan
- אוכל נפש
- שמחת יום טוב
On יום טוב, one is allowed to prepare food on the חג that they will be enjoying for an upcoming meal. There's also an idea that wine and meat add to a person's happiness on שבת ויום טוב. Through our special preparations we are able to serve Hashem בקדושה and be happy at the same time!
- ביקור חולים
When we visit the sick, we help them feel better according to many studies. Some people have the custom to say the following משנה in Shacharit, which reminds us of what's important to do in this world.
Written by Dror Okbi, nutritionist and healthy living lecturer, based on
רמ''בם משנה תורה ספר מדע הלכות דעות פרק ד`
- It is personal for an individual based on his or her temperament, age, occupation and health status. For example, if you sit in an office all day long your recommendations would be different from a job that involves a lot more moving around such as a mailman.
- The רמ''בם's suggestions are similar to what Chinese Medicine recommends; "A healthy mind in a healthy body" is conducive for a long life.
- According to the רמ''בם, food is medicine as it can prevent diseases from happening or getting worse G-d forbid. It's important to remember that what's good for you may not necessarily be good for me and vise versa. He also mentions that certain foods can be drugs for our body because they are so harmful.
- old and salty fish-the larger the fish the more toxins and mercury it contains
- Salty and old cheese-contains bacteria
- salty and old meat
- foods with a bad smell
- mushrooms
- cheese and milk more than a day after milking
- fruits that are not ripe
- wet dates (dry dates-good, fresh dates-excellent)
- garlic and onion-garlic is considered healthy but its dangerous for a "hot'' tempered person
- waterbirds and little pigeons-עוף המים, ובני יונה הקטנים
- toasted bread in oil or bread rinsed with oil
- whole wheat bread
- olive oil (not on a hot day)
- All fruits (Best:almonds, nuts & grapes, except fruits with a lot of phlegm)
- eggs
- fish, especially small fish high in omega-3
- chicken meat, especially chicken soup
- cow and goat's milk (nowadays goat's milk is preferred)
- Beef and lamb (only for אדם רזה וחלש)
"הדבש והיין רע לקטנים ויפה לזקנים" (הלכות דעות, פרק ד')
"Honey and wine are bad for little ones and good for elders."
- You are not allowed to eat unless you're hungry or drink unless you're thirsty
- You are not allowed to fill your stomach all the way, you have to leave room
- You are not allowed to drink water during a meal, instead you should drink water mixed with wine before eating
- During the course of the meal, it is better to eat "lighter" foods like chicken or eggs, before "heavier" foods like meat or beef.
- A person's diet should be based on the seasons and a person's location-meaning in the winter you should eat hot food, some with "hot" spices, while a summer diet should include colder foods (without spices or vinegar) to cool your body down. Additionally, the amount of food you consume in the summer should be 2/3 less than what you would eat in the winter.
- You should eat sitting, not standing. Additionally, one should not walk away during the meal or immediately after it's finished. Doing so can interfere with your digestive system and endanger your health.
- You can only eat after you have emptied your bowels/bladder and washed up!
The fact that the Rambam puts these guidelines in his Halachic work show that he finds a connection between health and being a spiritual person-Keeping Halacha.
- Do you agree or disagree with any of the Rambam's Guidelines? Are any of them seemingly outdated?
- How can you create a healthy environment in your community?
- Tehilim Chats: is it a good thing to include lots of people who don't know the person? Do they really have "power?"
- How do we have the strength to continue praying for people when others in the past did not (fully) recover?
- What is the connection between emotional and physical well-being?
- Can Torah heal a person who is really sick?