(כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃
פרשת מסעי, In this portion the Torah discusses matters that help perfect one's body. The body viewed as the sheath of the soul, has also been created in the image of G'd (Genesis 1,27). This is why if someone kills another creature created in G'd's image he himself will be killed as an appropriate act of retribution. By his deed he has separated a soul from its body, (sheath), hence his own soul will be separated from its body
As far as the verse (Zecharayh 12,1) ויוצר רוח אדם בקרבו, “He fashioned man’s spirit inside of him,” is concerned, the prophet referred to an instrument used by the body, something like the heart of the brain. These organs are instruments supporting the power of the spirit. The reason why, at this point the Torah (Moses) did not mention the making of man’s body, is because it is mentioned in the paragraph beginning with the words אלה תולדות השמים והארץ. (Genesis 2,4) In that paragraph some other details are mentioned which have been omitted at this point in order to refer to them in that passage in chapter 2. The whole story mentioned there also belongs to the report of what had transpired during these 6 days of creation.
ויברא אלהים את האדם בצלמו. פירוש בצלמו הניכר באדם, והכונה שברא גולמו וגם צלמו ואחר כך אמר בצלם אלהים בזה הודיענו הצלם שבראו בו כי הוא צלם אלהים. עוד ירצה לומר כי ברא האדם בב' צלמים הראשון צלם הניכר בכל אדם ואפילו בבני אדם הרקים מהקדושה אשר לא מבני ישראל המה ועליהם אמר בצלמו פירוש של הנברא, והב' הם בחינת המאושרים עם ישראל נחלת שדי כנגד אלו אמר בצלם אלהים בראו הרי זה בא ללמדנו כי יש בנבראים ב' צלמים צלם הניכר וצלם אלהים רוחני נעלם והבן:
And God created man in His/his image: The explanation of "in his image" is that which is perceivable in man, and the intention is that He created his form and also his image, and afterwards, it states, "in the image of God;" by which it informs us that the image that He created him with is the image of God. It also wants to tell [us] that He created man with two images: the first is the image that is recognizable in all men, and even in men that are empty of holiness, 'that they are not from the Children of Israel' - about them it states, "in his image," the explanation [of which] is [the image] of the creature; and the second is the level of the happy ones, the people of Israel, the inheritance of My field - corresponding to those, it states, "in the image of God" He created him. Behold, it comes to teach us that there are two images among the creations; the image that is recognizable [that he is a man] and the image of God, [which is] spiritual and hidden; and understand [this].
שהאדם נברא בצלם אלהים זה הוא יסוד התורה. עיקר הצלם הוא החופש הגמור שאנו מוצאים באדם שעל כן הוא בעל בחירה. ולולא הבחירה לא היה מקום לתורה, כדברי הרמב״ם בה׳ תשובה. אם כן הבחירה היא יסוד התורה במעשה. והידיעה שהאדם הוא עשוי בצלם אלהים, אם כן הרי זה בא ללמד ששלימות החופש הגמור מוכרחה להמצא בעצם השלם האמיתי יתברך שמו, הוא היסוד העיוני של כל התורה כולה שכל המעשים נסמכים עליו.
,כָּ֥ל עַצְמוֹתַ֨י ׀ תֹּאמַרְנָה֮ יְהוָ֗ה מִ֥י כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ מַצִּ֣יל עָ֭נִי מֵחָזָ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃
(ג) ...אמר רבי לוי: ששה דברים משמשין את האדם, שלושה ברשותו ושלושה אינן ברשותו. העין והאוזן וחוטם, שלא ברשותו, חמי מה דלא בעי, שמע מה דלא בעי, מריח מה דלא בעי. הפה והיד והרגל ברשותו, אין בעי הוא לעי באורייתא, אין בעי לישנא בישא, אין בעי מחרף ומגדף היד, אין בעי הוא עביד מצוותא, אין בעי הוא גניב, ואי בעי הוא קטיל. הרגל, אי בעי הוא אזיל לבתי טרטסיאות ולבתי קרקסיאות, ואין בעי הוא אזיל לבתי כנסיות ובתי מדרשות....
(3) ...Rabbi Levi said: Six organs serve the human being: three are under his control and three are not. The latter are the eye, ear, and nose. He sees what he does not wish to see, hears what he does not wish to hear, and smells what he does not wish to smell. Under his control are the mouth, hand, and foot. If he so desires, he reads in the Torah, or uses bad language or blasphemes. As for the hand, if he so desires, it performs good deeds or steals or murders. As for the foot, if he so desires, it walks to theatres and circuses, or to places of worship and study....
הַנְשָמָה לָך וְהַגוף ּפְעֳלָך
חוסָה עַל עָמָלָך
The soul is Yours and the body is Your work
Have mercy on Your toil
(טו) וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם מְאֹ֖ד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֣י לֹ֤א רְאִיתֶם֙ כָּל־תְּמוּנָ֔ה בְּי֗וֹם דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם בְּחֹרֵ֖ב מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃
שמירה - כתיב (דברים ד טו) ונשמרתם מאד לנפשתיכם. וכתיב (שם) רק השמר לך ושמר נפשך מאד. הביטה וראה שבשום מצוה לא נאמר מאד כמו במצוה זו שחיב אדם לשמר נפשו מסכנה ומחשש סכנה. והטעם הוא, כי יפה שעה אחת של תורה ומעשים טובים בעולם הזה מכל חיי העולם הבא (אבות ד, יז). ואמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה (שבת לב א) לעולם אל יכנס אדם במקום סכנה שמא אין עושים לו נס, ואם עושים לו נס מנכין לו מזכיותיו.
וכן כל הכנה שאדם מכין לדבר מצוה היא גופה חשובה מצוה. הנה כי כן מי שכל מעשיו לשם שמים נמצא שכל ימיו עסוק במצוה. ומה טוב לבטא בשפתיו קדם כל מעשה שיאמר שהוא עושה הכנה למצוה, כגון קדם אכילה שיאמר, הריני בא לאכל ולשתות כדי שיהא גופי בריא וחזק לעבודת השם יתברך. וקדם השנה יאמר, הריני שוכב לישן כדי שתהא דעתי צלולה ומישבת עלי לעבודת השם יתברך. וקדם צאתו למשא ומתן יאמר, הריני הולך לשא ולתן ולהשתדל להרויח בסיעתא דשמיא כדי לפרנס את בני ביתי כמו שצוני בוראי, וכדי שאוכל לעשות צדקה וגמילות חסדים וכל המצוות כתקונן. וכן כשבונה בית או כשעושה מלבוש וכדומה, וכן על זה הדרך בכל המעשה אשר יעשה. ודבריו עושים פרות ששורה רוחניות וקדשה על הדברים הגופניים ולמצוה תחשב לו, ועוד שנוטל שכר גם על הדבורים האלה, ובלבד שיהיו מעשיו מסכימים עם דבריו, שלא יאכל וישתה יותר מדי לצבת בטן, אלא צדיק אוכל לשבע נפשו, ולא יישן יותר מדי ולא יהא להוט ויגע להעשיר יותר מדי כי אין מעצר לה' להושיע ולהעשיר בין רב למעט, וכיון שעושה הכל לצרך עבודת קונו לא יבטל עבודתו מחמת אכילתו ושנתו ומשאו ומתנו, כי אז אתי מעשה מפיק מידי דבור ויושב בשמים ישחק לו, וכן כיון שעושה הכל לשם מצוה צריך לזרז ביותר שלא תהא מצוה הבאה בעברה. ויזהר במאכלו ושתיתו ומשאו ומתנו שיהיה כדת וכהלכה ואז יחשב למצוה ה''ן מקד''ם ומאח''ר וקובעין לו שכר. כן יזהר במאכלו לילך אחר המועיל ולא אחר הערב לחכו ומזיק, כי מלבד כי לא לרצון יהיה ולא למצוה יחשב גם ענוש יענש על עברו על. מה שאמרה תורה (דברים ד טו) ונשמרתם מאד לנפ שותיכם:
ריקא והלא כתוב בתורתכם (דברים ד, ט) רק השמר לך ושמור נפשך וכתיב (דברים ד, טו) ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם כשנתתי לך שלום למה לא החזרת לי שלום
(א) הואיל והיות הגוף בריא ושלם מדרכי השם הוא שהרי אי אפשר שיבין או ידע דבר מידיעת הבורא והוא חולה לפיכך צריך להרחיק אדם עצמו מדברים המאבדין את הגוף ולהנהיג עצמו בדברים המברין והמחלימים ואלו הן:לעולם לא יאכל אדם אלא כשהוא רעב ולא ישתה אלא כשהוא צמא ואל ישהא נקביו אפילו רגע אחד...
(1) Since a healthy and whole body is necessary for the ways of G-D (for it is impossible to imply or know anything of Godly wisdom when one is sick), therefore one must distance himself from things that are damaging to the body and to accustom oneself to things that strengthen and make one healthy. They are as follows: a person should only eat when he is hungry, and drink when he is thirsty, and not delay his orifices even for one second...
He answered, ‘To perform a Mitzvah.’
‘What Mitzvah?’ They asked.
‘To bathe in the bathhouse.’ He replied.
‘But is this a Mitzvah??’ His students asked, confused.
‘It is indeed. Kings’ statues are scoured and washed down by the official specially appointed to look after them, who receives a salary for the work. More-he is esteemed as one of the notables of the empire. How much more and more am I required to scour and wash myself, who have been created in God’s image and likeness, as it is written, ‘In the image of God made He man’ (Genesis 9:6).” (Vayikrah Rabbah, 34:3)
כָּ֥ל עַצְמוֹתַ֨י ׀ תֹּאמַרְנָה֮ יְהוָ֗ה מִ֥י כָ֫מ֥וֹךָ מַצִּ֣יל עָ֭נִי מֵחָזָ֣ק מִמֶּ֑נּוּ וְעָנִ֥י וְ֝אֶבְי֗וֹן מִגֹּזְלֽוֹ׃
All my bones shall say: 'LORD, who is like unto Thee, Who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, Yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?'
(undefined) There are, of course, different levels of importance among the various parts of a regular body. The same is true when we describe the parts of the body which make up the Jewish nation. There is a head, a heart, an eye, a hand, etc. However, just as all the parts of the body combine to make a whole human being, so all the parts of the Jewish nation combine to make it one unit. The unit created by these many parts in turn combines to form the chariot, מרכבה, of the spiritual counterpart of terrestrial man in the Celestial Regions. This celestial אדם is perceived as sitting on the throne which is one of the 248 spiritual limbs that form the root of the 248 positive commandments, which, if performed by terrestrial man, are his true source of life (אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם Leviticus 18, 5).
Just as the Torah consists of "body and soul," or of visible and invisible aspects which nonetheless form a whole, so man is composed of 248 limbs and 365 sinews corresponding to the 613 commandments in the Torah. All these 613 parts of the human body can be viewed as holy, קודש, whereas there is also a קודש קדשים, an even holier part of man, i.e. the soul.
Soul and body aren´t the same but they work together. They aren´t separated at all. The parts of the soul are united with the physical parts to give LIFE and allow the operation. The spiritual connection is what helps the body to have VITALITY.
שש מאות ושלש עשרה מצות נאמרו לו למשה שלש מאות וששים וחמש לאוין כמנין ימות החמה ומאתים וארבעים ושמונה עשה כנגד איבריו של אדם
שס"ה [מצות] לא תעשה - שבכל יום מזהירים עליו שלא לעבור: מפי משה:
רמ"ח מצות עשה - דכל אבר ואבר אומר לו עשה מצוה:
The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of all our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sounds hazily, without concentration and with little appreciation. It is the same old story of not being grateful for what we have until we lose it, of not being conscious of health until we are ill.
I have often thought it would be a blessing if each human being were stricken blind and deaf for a few days at some time during his early adult life. Darkness would make him more appreciative of sight; silence would teach him the joys of sound
R' Chaim Vital, in Shaar HaKavanot (Shaar 1, Part 1) says that "Each of the 248 spiritual limbs gets its nourishment from a particular mitzvah that corresponds to that limb. When a person fails to perform that particular mitzvah, the corresponding limb will lack its proper nourishment..."
The soul can only enter the physical world in the garb of the physical body. The body is the soul's instrument to attain its purpose in this world. Only through the body can we carry out the practical mitzvos of the Torah, which relate to things of this world.
In order to survive in the physical world we are obliged to provide the body with what it needs, such as food and drink. Enjoyment of the material world has a legitimate place in our service of God when it assists us in linking the physical with the spiritual. But when satisfaction of our material inclinations goes beyond the proper bounds, this can cause damage to the soul and the body. The soul's mission is to take control of these inclinations, directing the body to its true purpose.
To ensure that the body will be a fitting instrument with which to perform the mitzvos, God has commanded us to protect and guard our bodies. : "Guard yourself and guard your soul very carefully" (Deuteronomy 4:9-10).
This commandment is so important that our rabbis taught that it is part of the commandment not to forget the Giving of the Torah: "Guard yourself and guard your soul very much lest you forget. the day when you stood before HaShem Your God at Horev" (Deuteronomy 4:9-10). The classic commentator Kli Yakar explains: "'Guard yourself' means taking care of the body."
Bodily health is the foundation for keeping all the commandments of the Torah since in most cases they are bound up with physical action of some kind. When the body is unfit and unhealthy, this detracts from proper fulfillment of the commandments.
In the words of Rambam (Maimonides): "Bodily health and wellbeing are part of the path to God, for it is impossible to understand or have any knowledge of the Creator when one is sick. Therefore one must avoid anything that may harm the body and one must cultivate healthful habits" (Hilchos De'os 4:1).
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Man's use of the world for his own needs should be circumscribed by the limits imposed by God's Will and should not include anything forbidden by God. It should be motivated by the need to best maintain his health and preserve his life, and not merely to satisfy his physical urges and superfluous desires. One's motivation in maintaining his body should furthermore be so that the soul should be able to use it to serve its Creator, without being hampered by the body's weakness and incapability. When man makes use of the world in this manner, this itself becomes an act of perfection, and through it one can attain the same virtue as in keeping the other commandments. Indeed, one of the commandments requires that we keep our bodies fit so that we can serve God, and that we derive our needs from the environment to achieve this goal. In this manner, we elevate ourselves even through such activities. The world itself is also elevated, since it is then also helping man to serve God. -- Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, Derech Hashem 1:4:7. |
"Everything is in the hands of heaven except chills and fevers (which sometimes come though negligence)". (Babylonian Talmud, Kesuvos30a and Rashi.)
The time, place and circumstances in which each soul is born into this world are decreed by God. Each person has his or her own unique body and constitution. Not everyone is born with the gift of a healthy body. When we are born with this precious gift, we must be grateful to God for His kindness and do everything in our power to cherish and protect it.
Our health and the length and quality of our lives are to a large extent in our own hands. The body grows older every day and must eventually die. Yet proper attention to its needs and avoidance of harmful habits can increase the length and quality of our lives, saving us from many illnesses, accidents and other troubles that can strike through neglect and abuse.
"The wise person has his eyes in his head" (Koheles 2:14) -- "He sees what is ahead" (Avot 2:9). Good health is a precious gift, and the wise person does everything necessary to protect it from possible hazards by taking proper care of the body.
On the other hand, "The fool looses everything he is given" (Chagiga 4a). Our sages teach us that when a doctor heals the sick, the doctor is performing the mitzva of returning lost property: "And you shall return it to him" (Deuteronomy 22:2) - "This refers to the loss of the person's body, i.e. his health" (Sanhedrin 73a; see Rambam's Commentary on Mishneh Nedarim 4:4).
It is better to guard your health than to have to try to get it back if God forbid you loose it.
How do we guard our health?
In much of the wider world, health is valued not only as a condition of productivity but also as one of the main keys to the enhancement and prolongation of life. Not only are enormous effort and resources poured into the promotion of health by governments, the public health and medical establishments, in education and the media. There is also a vast, lucrative health economy that spans everything from breakfast cereals and sports shoes to exotic herbal remedies and computerized fitness equipment. In practice, many people's pursuit of health goes no further than swallowing a few vitamins pills or being passive sports spectators.
The Jewish goal in the pursuit of health and our path towards it are qualitatively different. For the Jew, health is valued primarily as the essential condition for serving God through following the commandments.
Keeping the commandments is itself a guarantee against illness, as promised to the Jewish People directly after leaving Egypt and crossing the Red Sea. This was at Marah, their first camp in the wilderness, even before the Giving of the Torah at Sinai: "There He laid down for him a statute and a judgment. And He said, If you will surely listen to the voice of HaShem your God and do what is right in His eyes and attend to His commandments and guard all His statutes, all the diseases that I have put upon the Egyptians, I will not put upon you, for I HaShem am your Healer" (Exodus 15:26).
Serving God draws His blessing into our very food and drink, protecting our health: "And you shall serve Hashem your God, and He will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove illness from within you" (Exodus 23:25).
We keep the Torah not only because it is the means to protect our health but more essentially because this is what God has commanded us. Yet the true Torah life is the proven golden path to health of soul and body as God promises.
"Guard yourself and guard your soul very much" (Deuteronomy 4:9). "The repetition of the word 'guard' alludes to the positive and negative commandments, which protect the limbs and channels which make up the mortal house [the body]. For our rabbis stated (Zohar, Vayishlach 170b) that the 248 positive commandments correspond to the 248 limbs of the body, while the 365 prohibitions correspond to the connecting sinews, arteries and channels" (Kli Yakar on Deuteronomy 4:9).
Our part
Of all the 613 mitzvos that make up the pathway to a healthy life, the mitzvah of guarding bodily health has special importance since this is where we have to put in effort to properly maintain and protect the instrument with which we perform all the other mitzvos. The body is physical and functions according to the natural laws God has fixed. Our part is to provide the body with everything necessary for it to function at its best in accordance with its nature.
As stated by Rambam: "A person must avoid anything that may harm the body, and must cultivate healthy habits" (Hilchos Deos 4:1). In other words, the mitzvah of self-care has two sides: avoiding all risks to the body and acquiring good health habits.
In the words of the Shulchan Aruch, the binding Code of Jewish Law: "It is a positive duty to take all due precautions and avoid anything that may endanger life, as it is written: 'Take care of yourself, and guard your soul'. The sages prohibited many things that involve a risk to life. Anyone who violates such prohibitions, saying 'I'm only putting myself at risk - what business is that of anybody else?' or 'I'm not particular about such things' deserves a lashing, while those who are careful about such things will be blessed" (Choshen Mishpat 427, 8-10).
The details of healthy living and care of the body are not in most cases the subject of specific laws. Yet a wealth of wisdom and many different kinds of advice and guidance can be found scattered in passages throughout the Bible, Talmud, Midrash and other rabbinic literature. Outstanding Torah sages knew the importance of healthcare, and saw fit to provide practical guidance in their writings.
Rambam, a giant both in Torah and medicine, devoted an entire chapter at the beginning of the Mishneh Torah, his comprehensive compendium of Jewish law, to detailed guidance on proper diet, cleanliness, exercise, sleep and much more (Hilchos Deos Chapter 4). Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, the Concise Code of Jewish Law, also devotes a whole chapter to the subject (Chapter 32).
The enormous changes in the world in recent generations have caused drastic changes in our whole way of life and even our physical natures and powers of endurance. In contemporary life we cannot always directly apply advice from the classic sources without guidance from present-day experts. Torah law lays down that we must rely on the opinion of expert doctors such as when having to break Shabbos for a dangerously ill person or eating on Yom Kippur. So too we must turn to present-day experts for practical advice about how to maintain health that is faithful to the Torah and applicable in our lives today. In the words of Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (32:14): "Every person needs to learn from doctors what are the best foods according to his particular constitution, place and time".
Our Sages understood human nature, and they knew that people do tend to take daily occurrences for granted, no matter how wonderful they may be. For this reason the rabbis instituted that we should start our day by devoting some time to reflection upon G-d's kindnesses to us while reciting Modeh Ani followed by Asher Yatzar, "Who formed man.", the blessing over our bodily functioning, Pokeach Ivrim, "Who gives sight to the blind", Matir Asurim, "Who releases the bound", Zokef Kefufim, "Who straightens those who are bent over" and the other morning blessings. Each day we should strive to say these words with renewed gratitude.
Awareness of the wonder of bodily functioning strengthens our motivation to take proper care of our bodies in accordance with God's commandment. The more we recognize and understand the body's amazing powers, the more carefully we will guard and maintain the precious gift of health. The better care we take of our bodies, the better our bodies will serve us in our service of God.
Several times every day we have an opportunity to express our gratitude to God for the wonderful working of our body when we say the blessing Asher Yatzar after relieving ourselves. Asher Yatzar is the blessing that our Sages instituted over the wisdom in the design of man's body and the wonders of its functioning. After relieving ourselves, cleaning our bodies and washing our hands, we must pause for a moment from all our activities and focus exclusively on saying the blessing, reflecting on G-d's wonders and expressing our gratitude for them.
A number of sources mention that recital of the blessing of Asher Yatzar with attention to its meaning is itself conducive to good health. When a person is aware of and appreciates the kindness someone does him, the benefactor is happy to shower him with even more kindness. How much more so will God, whose goodness is unending, increase His goodness and kindness to us if we truly appreciate them.
The purpose is to keep ourselves and our surroundings clean. Only then can G-d's spirit dwell among us: "Your camp must be holy" (Deuteronomy 23:15).
The cleanliness of our bodies and surroundings is one of the principal foundations of purity. We are not allowed to say words of prayer or Torah when our bodies are not clean or in a place that is not clean. Not only does physical cleanliness contribute to our general sense of well-being. Physical cleanliness is essential for good health. The body can only function properly when it cleanses itself of its various waste products. We must play our part in the cleansing process by with proper habits of toilet, washing and general cleanliness.
"The one who tends to his soul is the man of kindness" (Proverbs 11:17). This verse applies to Hillel the Elder! When he used to leave his students and go on his way, they would accompany him and ask: "Rabbi, where are you going?" "To carry out do a mitzvah," he would reply. "Which mitzvah is that?" "To wash inthe bath-house." "Why?" they would ask. "Is it a mitzvah to wash?" "Yes," he replied. "The statues of kings that stand in public theaters and circuses have a special officer whose job is to rinse and scrub them to keep them clean. They pay him for this, and he sits with the elite of the kingdom. How much more so must I wash and clean myself. For I am made in the form and likeness of the King of kings, as it is written "For He made man in the likeness of G-d" (Genesis 9:6; Vayikra Rabbah 34:3).
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Even though the specific obligation is only to wash the hands [each morning], nevertheless it is a mitzvah also to wash ones face, for "G-d made everything for His sake" (Proverbs 16:4). The body is created to serve G-d and is the garment of the soul - and "man's soul is G-d's lamp" (ibid. 20:27). It is proper to show respect for the garment in the same way as a king's officers take good care to keep the garments they receive from the king them free of all dirt. In the same way, it is proper to wash one's face and keep it clean. Similarly, the clothes a person wears - and this applies particularly to a Torah scholar - should be kept clean and free of all dirt. Chayey Adam 2:6 |
Rambam, Hilchos Maachalos Asuros (Forbidden Foods) 17:29-32
(25) The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his desire; But the belly of the wicked shall want.
"Excessive intake of food is like poison to the human body and is the root cause of many illnesses. Most of the illnesses that strike people are caused either by bad foods or because people fill their stomachs with too much food, even when the foods are good. As King Solomon said in his wisdom: "One who guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles" (Proverbs 21:23) - in other words, when he guards his mouth from eating bad foods or from overeating, and his tongue from speaking unnecessarily." (Rambam, Hilchos De'os 4:15)
All our physical needs are provided by God, "in Whose hand is the soul of all living". Yet within the limitations of the halachah, God leaves us free to choose what we eat and how we eat it. The responsibility for our health and the quality of our lives is to a large extent in our own hands.
How do we care for ourselves:
1.food
2.hygiene
3.nutrition
4.sleep
5.relaxation/hobbies
RABBI ELYSE GOLDSTEIN [Author, director of Kollel- The Adult Centre for Liberal Jewish Learning, Toronto, ON]... Shmirat HaGuf - taking care of your body - is viewed as a spiritual as well as a physical act. The wellbeing of the body has to be maintained as the vessel of the soul, the repository of that which most closely connects us with God. Our body is a gift from God, a divine creation which is to be respected, cherished and cared for as long as we are in this world. With awareness of Shmirat HaGuf, even the simplest activities, such as eating, walking, or washing one’s hands, become acts of holiness
How can we promote physical health without narrowly focusing on weight loss and athleticism? Most importantly, where is God in this conversation? I believe that Judaism, at its core, is about bringing intentionality to our lives. By bringing purpose into an act that may initially be perceived as mundane, we transform the ordinary into holy. We do this each time we say Hamotzi or Birkat HaMazon. Should we also create a prayer before we begin to exercise, pausing to acknowledge that
Tent of Meeting Rosh Hashanah 5773
taking ownership of our physical health exists in our partnership with God and honors the notion that we are made in the image of God? [www.accantors.org]
FEEL FABULOUS...Strategies [Moving Traditions - Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing- Tevet, adapted]
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Become aware of what your body does each day. Marvel at its extraordinary abilities.
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Walk tall, wit
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o saying Nisim b’chol yom (or some personal version of it) reminds us of the choices we have every day.
We need to be thankful for our ability to be out in the world and function as human beings.... to consider what a miracle it really is that we can open our eyes, get out of bed and be out and about. And that the physical aspects of our human bodies... how we treat them, how we see them, are a reflection of the person we are and the person we want to be, the person we want others to see and know
- The Zohar teaches that the 248 positive Torah commandments correspond to the 248 "limbs" of the human body while the 365 Torah prohibitions correspond to the 365 "sinews". Keeping the mitzvot brings the body in healthy balance with the spiritual energy of the Torah. In fact, serving God actually brings blessing into our daily food, which also protects our health: "You shall worship Hashem your G-d and He shall bless your bread and your water, and remove illness from your midst" (Exodus 23:25).
- Exercise and motion
- “By the sweat of your brow shall you get bread to eat” (Genesis 3:19) – The Medieval commentator, the Kli Yakar, understands “the sweat of your brow” to mean that one should also work and exercise with regard to food.
The body is the soul’s house. Shouldn’t we therefore take care of our house so that it will not fall into ruin?-Philo 20 BCE-50 CE
(כו) וְאַחַ֣ר ע֭וֹרִֽי נִקְּפוּ־זֹ֑את וּ֝מִבְּשָׂרִ֗י אֶֽחֱזֶ֥ה אֱלֽוֹהַּ׃
(26) And when after my skin this is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God;
Judaism teaches that the body and soul are separate yet indivisible partners in human life. Rather than imprisoning or corrupting the soul, the body is a God-given tool for doing sacred work in the world. It requires protection, care, and respect, because it is holy.
Ancient Israelite Concepts of Soul
The Bible gives few clues to the ancient Israelite idea of the soul or spirit. Three words which over time developed the meaning of “soul” are present in Tanakh: Neshamah, Nefesh, and Ruah. Tracing the evolution of these terms gives us some idea of the ancient Israelites’ beliefs regarding the soul.
In the Creation story, we read of God blowing a “breath of life” into the man of earth and dust (Genesis 2:7). The word used is a form of the Hebrew root indicating breath. Although this “neshamah” later becomes associated with the soul, the word here only describes the element that animates a body. This animating element is not, in early biblical tradition, separate from the body in life, nor does it possess any personality.
Similarly, ruah is the animating force from God. Most often used as “wind,” ruahmay also be used as “breath.” “God said, ‘My breath [ruhi] will not govern man forever, since he is flesh…'” (Genesis 6:3). Here, we see the added element of transience: The ruah ends its association with the mortal body at death.
The word nefesh is often used to mean “person” or “living being”. In the Torah, however, animals may also possess this life force–a “nefesh behemah.” The term nefesh is particularly associated with blood, as in “the life [nefesh] of the flesh is in the blood” (Leviticus 17:11).
Nefesh does reflect a personal dimension. It may be used in the sense of “self” (including “himself”). Nefesh is also associated with personal desire or attraction. One’s nefesh may cleave to someone (as in the case of Shehem’s yearning for Dinah, Jacob’s daughter), or to evil (see Proverbs 21:10). In a later example of this usage, a person of considerable appetite is called “ba’al [possessor of] nefesh” (Proverbs 23:2). In all of these usages, the nefesh is connected to the body and its material wants.
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מה הקב"ה מלא כל העולם אף נשמה מלאה את כל הגוף
As the Holy One, blessed be He, fills the whole world, so also the soul fills the whole body.
–just as god is in world,soul is in body
(23) And the LORD said unto her: Two nations are in thy womb, And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; And the one people shall be stronger than the other people; And the elder shall serve the younger.
The commentators note that Efron's name is spelt with a 'vav' in every instance except for the verse in which the transaction finally takes place. In that verse, his name is lacking the 'vav'. Rashi explains that Efron spoke a lot but did little. He initially told Abraham that he was willing to give away the land, but in the end, he charged a very high price, as a result his value decreases The Baal HaTurim makes a different observation about the missing 'vav'. He notes that the gematria (numerical value) of the name Efron without a 'vav' is 400, the same as the amount of money that he earned from this transaction.(1) What is the significance of this?
Rav Elchonon Fishman(2) explains that when Efron acquired this money it gave him a new sense of value - now he saw himself as 'worth' 400 sliver pieces. Efron's self-estimation was dependent upon his financial status. He fell prey to the common ploy of the yetzer hara(negative inclination) of emphasizing his material status over his spiritual standing. There is a natural tendency to do this because, since the sin of Adam HaRishon, man is far more aware of his body than his soul. Rav Motty Berger(3) observes that we tend to identify ourselves as our body. For example, when a person is sick, he says, "I am not feeling well," seeing his body as his main identity. A more accurate statement would be, "my body is not feeling well," implying that our soul is the main part of us. An essential part of our spiritual growth is to develop greater awareness of our soul and its needs.
We can gain a deeper understanding of the body-soul relationship by making a further observation about the Baal HaTurim's gematria. When Efron received the money he surely felt that he had increased his importance in the world - now he was a wealthy man. However, he actually lost a letter to his name and we know that a person's name represents his essence. This indicates that his 'real value' as a person went down. Moreover, it is significant that the letter that he lost to his name was the 'vav'. The 'vav' is the letter of connection; it means 'and' - it joins concepts and nouns together. Its shape also signifies its connecting ability; it is shaped like a hook with which we can connect two things together. When Efron gained in physicality he went down in spirituality and lost an element of connection with God. When a person gives more importance to his body, then, necessarily his soul will suffer.
The inverse relationship between body and soul is also alluded to in next week's parsha. The prophet tells Rivka that the two babies inside her will develop into two conflicting nations and that when one of these falls, the other will rise. The simple explanation of this sentence is that the nations of Klal Yisroel and Edom will counter-balance each other, when one ascends the other declines. But there are commentaries who see another battle alluded to in this sentence - they say that Yaakov represents the soul, and Esav the body; there is a continual battle between these two forces. If the soul is in the ascendancy then the body will consequently weaken, and if the soul weakens then the body will correspondingly rise.
These ideas remind us of a stark life lesson; the body and soul can be partners or they can be opponents. The Torah teaches that they should be partners, yet the soul must be the leader. In such an instance he can elevate his body to become an instrument of spirituality. However, if he gives the body the leading role then his soul will suffer and he will be unable to live a truly spiritual life. May we merit to make the right choice in this key area.