wings of the sun

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GUIDE TO THIS BOOK

THE WINGS OF THE SUN is an exploration of the Jewish healing tradition

as taught in the Bible, Talmud, Midrash and Kabbalah, and especially in the

writings of the outstanding Chassidic luminary, Rebbe Nachman of Breslo!"##$%"&"'()

The Title

The title of the boo*, +The ings of the -un,+ is based on the words of the

biblical erse, +.nd for you who reere My Name a sun of righteousness will

arise with healing in its wings + !Malachi /0$'()

Theory and Practice

The boo* is diided into two main parts) 1art 2, +The ings of the -un,+

focusses mainly on +theory,+ examining Jewish teachings on healing from all

periods, especially those of Rebbe Nachman) 1art 22, +2n 1ractice,+ offers

practical guidance concerning general healthcare, common medical

problems, serious illness and care of the sic*) Any suestions !ade in

this "oo# are not intended to re$lace !edical treat!ent %here this

is necessary& Those %ith !edical $ro"le!s should consult their

$hysicians a"out 'ollo%in the ideas in this "oo#&

Ho% to use this "oo#

Those wishing to inestigate the Jewish healing tradition in depth are

adised to read through the boo* in se3uence) Those see*ing information on

specific topics may use the full Table of Contents to locate the releant

sections of the boo*) here the sub4ect%matter in one part of the boo*

relates to material discussed elsewhere, cross%references are gien in the

text) Those facing illness or other medical problems may wish to turn

directly to the releant chapters in 1art 22, +2n 1ractice+) These may be readwithout haing first studied the earlier sections of the boo*)

Ne%co!ers to (hassidut and Ka""alah

. wealth of original source material is presented in this wor*, but the text

has as far as possible been written to be comprehensible with a minimum of

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bac*ground *nowledge) Neertheless, certain parts of the text may proe

difficult for newcomers to Chassidut and Kabbalah) This applies especially to

the *abbalistic teachings in Chapter "$, and to Rebbe Nachman5s Torah

discourses in Chapters "&%"6) 2f you encounter passages that you find

difficult or confusing, do not hesitate to s*ip them and moe to material thatis more comprehensible)

Structure o' the Boo#)

Part I) The Wins o' the Sun

1art 2 is diided into seen sections, most of which contain seeral chapters)

Section *) +e'a,einu -- Heal Us. /(ha$ter *0

7eneral introduction to the boo*)

Section 1) The 2e%ish Healin Tradition /(ha$ters 13 43 53 60

Traces the Jewish healing tradition to its roots in the Bible and rabbinic

teachings in the Talmud and Midrashim) The Rambam !Maimonides( and Baal

-hem To are discussed as outstanding exemplars of two diergent trends in

Jewish healing)

Section 4) +e""e Nach!an /(ha$ters 73 83 93 :0)

.s an introduction to the detailed examination of Rebbe Nachman5s

teachings in later sections of the boo*, this section proides an oeriew of

the Rebbe5s life and career, and sureys the deelopment of his teachings on

healing)

Section 5) Si!chah 'or Health and Healin /(ha$ters *;3 **3 *13 *40)

8or Rebbe Nachman, simchah, 4oy, is the *ey to true healing) 9iscussions

about the Torah conception of health !Chapter "'( and simchah !Chapter ""(

are followed by depth examination of the *abbalistic understanding of the

soul%body connection, leading into a presentation of *abbalistic teachings on

the ten *inds of pulse patterns !Chapter "$() This proides the bac*ground

for understanding Rebbe Nachman5s teachings on 4oy and the Ten Kinds of

Melody as the foundation of spiritual healing !Chapter "/()

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Section 6) +e""e Nach!an and the Doctors

/(ha$ters *53 *63 *73 *80)

Rebbe Nachman5s opposition to doctors and medicine must be understood in

the context of his teachings about the spiritual dimension of physical illness

!Chapter ":( and also in relation to a trend of opposition to medicine among

important rabbinic precursors, as well as against the bac*drop of the state of

medicine in Rebbe Nachman5s time !Chapter ";() To what extent hae Rebbe

Nachman5s chassidim followed his warnings against doctors !Chapter "ow does his spiritual approach to illness and healing apply to us today

!Chapter "#(=

Section 7) Sound the Sho'ar) +e""e Nach!an,s Path%ay o' Healin

/(ha$ters *93 *:0)

Rebbe Nachman gae fullest expression to the Torah tradition of healing in

his Torah discourse, +Sound the Shofar -- Dominion+ !Likutey Moharan 22, "()

The first ?nglish translation of this discourse is presented with full

explanation and commentary !Chapter "&(, followed by excerpts from

another ma4or discourse of Rebbe Nachman on faith and healing !Chapter

"6()

Section 8) The Wins o' the Sun /(ha$ter 1;0)

ith the coming of Mashiach, a new world order of miracles and wonders will

come into being, and the sun of 7odly reelation will shine forth, with

healing in itswings)

Part II) In Practice

(ha$ter 1*) Keeping >ealthy) 9iet, exercise, relaxation and breathing)

1reentie medicine) -piritual aspects of healthcare)

(ha$ter 11) Common problems) Minor upsets, infections, in4uries, etc)-piritual healing strategies) The spiritual meaning of symptoms) 7etting out

of a rut)

(ha$ter 14) 8acing serious illness) Medical treatment) 8aith) Redemption of

the soul) @ercoming fear) Coping with pain) Meditation and isualiAation)

1rayer)

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(ha$ter 15) isiting the sic*) Care of the sic*) >ow those inoled in sic*

care !whether as doctors, nurses, etc) or in a priate capacity( can enhance

the healing process through a warm, open, personal connection with the

sic*) Children5s illness)

Prayers . selection of prayers for healing composed by Rebbe Nachman5s

leading disciple, Reb Noson of Breslo)

Su$$le!entary +eadins .dditional teachings of Rebbe Nachman on

healing)

Sources 8ull bibliography of wor*s cited in the text)

Section *

Refa'einu

(ha$ter *

Refa'einu - eal us, and we will be healed)+!from the blessing for healing, cf) Jeremiah "#0":(

The last hundred years hae witnessed a reolution in medicineunparalleled in the history of the world) -mallpox and plague haebeen irtually eradicated the world oer) 9iphtheria, tetanus, polioand other scourges hae been brought under control in countrieswith reasonable standards of hygiene and healthcare) 2mmuniAationpreents millions of childhood deaths a year) 2n adanced countries,infant mortality has dropped from about a 3uarter of lie births to

less than ")/ percent, while life expectancy has risen from :; to #;years)

Techni3ues that were once unimaginable are now routine0 organtransplants, ideo surgery, laser operations, molecular therapy,tissue regeneration) 8ar from abating, the medical reolutioncontinues to expand exponentially) .s you read these words,

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intensie research in molecular biology, biotechnology and a host ofother specialties ma*es it conceiable that within the foreseeablefuture, ninety percent of cancer could be preented or cured,coronary disease might be largely eliminated, mysteries li*e

.lAheimer5s disease could be unraeled, and cures found for doAensof conditions, including allergies, migraines and other afflictions)

The !edical esta"lish!ent

estern medicine5s many successes and the hope it offers haegien it a highly prestigious place in contemporary society)>ealthcare is a multibillion%dollar business, consuming double%digitpercentages of the gross national products of some of the world5smost adanced countries) The medical establishment consists of

armies of doctors, specialists, nurses, paramedics, laboratorytechnicians, research wor*ers, secretaries, maintenance and otherpersonnel sering in public and priate sector hospitals and clinics,special care centers, the pharmaceutical industry, the armedserices, education, industry, business, international organiAations,and so on)

2t is ta*en for granted by goernments, public agencies, the massmedia and the oerwhelming ma4ority of the general public that themedical profession is the appropriate authority in all issuesconcerning the health of the human body) Many also assume thatM)9)5s are the proper experts when it comes to the health of themind) ith their white estments, scientific rites and terminologicalarcana, the doctors are li*e a priestly hierarchy, seemingly holdingthe *eys to health, freedom from pain and illness, and the bestowalof life itself) Many people would gie more weight to thepronouncements of a medical authority on matters of life and deaththan they would to those of a tAaddi*) 7rueling, costly medicaltreatments offering a slender hope of ameliorating a person5s

earthly existence are often tolerated with greater willingness thanthe mild efforts inoled in carrying out simple religious preceptswhich carry with them a guarantee of infinite rewards)

The strength of our belief in the efficacy of medicine is hardlysurprising) 2n some shape or form, medical care and guidance areeer%present factors in our lies from before birth until the day we


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die) .fter months of prenatal monitoring, the newborn baby comesstraight from the womb into the hands of a reception party ofnurses and doctors) 7rowing children soon learn that ointments andband aids ma*e little sores, cuts and graAes disappear, while sic*ly%

sweet syrups banish colds and coughs) 9octors and nurses arefamiliar figures in the worlds of most children, among whom eenthe healthiest receie medical and dental treatment of some *ind3uite regularly)

?en when eeryone at home is feeling fine, health awarenesspenetrates our daily lies to a degree we are hardly conscious of)?ery food pac*et we glance at has exhaustie details about itscarbohydrate, fat, cholesterol, protein, itamin and mineral content)e are bombarded on all sides with information about the

healthfulness or otherwise of exercise, cigarette smo*ing, alcohol,sunbathing, insect repellants, computer screens and thousands ofother things) ?eryone has his own stoc* of medical wisdom culledfrom upbringing, general education, T, magaAines, home healthguides and the li*e) ?ery household has a cache of assorted pills,ointments, lotions, sprays, etc), etc)

.nd if anything goes seriously wrong, 7od forbid, most people5simmediate thought is to call a doctor) rgently) Des, we pray, we

recite psalms, gie charity, ma*e resolutions) But is it our religiousfaith and trust that gie us confidence that eerything will turn outfor the best= @r is it the arrial of medical assistance, the in4ectionsand medicines, and the loo* on the doctor5s face that says thesituation is under control=

+e""e Nach!an o' Breslo=

2t comes as something of a shoc* to find that Rebbe Nachman ofBreslo !"##$%"&"'(, the outstanding sage, mystic and chassidic

teacher, +denounced doctors and medicine in the strongest terms)>e adised anyone who cares about his life and that of his family toaoid them, een in the case of serious illness) @ne should dependonly on 7od)))) The art of healing inoles many ery fineintricacies, but they are hidden from the doctors, who are not ableto ta*e account of all the subtle details without error)))) 2t ta*es onlythe slightest mista*e by the doctor to destroy a person5s life and


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actually *ill him, as we see so often, for many people die because of doctors)))) The ma4ority of doctors are agents of the .ngel of9eath+ !Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom E;'()

.re these the words of the same Rebbe Nachman who told delightfulstories and taught us to be happy always, to loo* at the better sideof things and 4udge eeryone positiely= Calling the doctorsmurderers may be good for a laugh % haen5t we all heard storiesabout arrogant doctors and medical incompetence, faulty diagnosesand people who receied altogether the wrong treatment=Castigating the doctors could be a way of enting our resentment atfeeling so dependent upon them)

But when it comes to the crunch= hat would we do in a real crisis,

7od forbid= . child is haing conulsions)))) .n accident ictim isbleeding heaily)))) -omeone is experiencing seere chest pain andis omiting and sweating profusely)))) >aen5t we seen miracles %cases of people who might not be alie and well today were it notfor the intensie care, the miraculous operations, the extraordinarydrugs, the new technologies= -o we explain Rebbe Nachman away0+>e was tal*ing aboutthen, the medicine of two hundred years ago,before all the amaAing scientific discoeries of the modern age)+ @rwe dismiss his ideas0 +8aith healing= -urely all contemporary

rabbinic authorities would agree that Fyou are not permitted to relyon miracles5 !Pesachim


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doctors and medicine in this book as an e%cuse not to see a &hysician when necessary or to terminate medica# treatment Thosewho hae 3uestions or doubts about medical adice they haereceied or treatment they are undergoing should as* the opinion of

other experts in the field) Religious or spiritual matters should bediscussed with a competent rabbi) 2t must be remembered thatRebbe Nachman was addressing chassidim who deoted their liesto following his spiritual path) 2t would be extremely dangerous touse Rebbe Nachman5s comments on doctors as a rationaliAation foraoiding necessary medical treatment while failing to carry out hisother teachings)

But the sub4ect does not end here) Rebbe Nachman5s statementsabout doctors are only one facet of an entire corpus of teachings on

healing that are uni3ue in the whole of rabbinic literature)Throughout the ages many leading rabbis hae been well ersed inmedicine) -ome, notably the RaMBaM !Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Maimonides,""/;%"$':(, wrote extensiely on conentional medicine) The legal andethical implications of arious aspects of medical practice haeexercised rabbinic authorities throughout the generations) ith thenew horiAons opened up by modern medical science there hasrecently been a great proliferation of such literature) Det in all of it,the primary focus is on the treatment of physical disorders by

physical means) 1ractically nowhere do we find a detailed discussionof the spiritual dimensions of health, illness and healing except inthe writings of Rebbe Nachman)

+.ll the illness that afflicts people comes onlybecause of a lac* of 4oy))) .nd 4oy is the greathealer+

!Rabbi Nachman( Likutey Moharan 22, $:()

References to healing are to be found throughout Rabbi Nachman5steachings) But in the last three years of his life, when he himselfwas seriously ill with tuberculosis, healing became a central themein eery one of his ma4or discourses) Rebbe Nachman was


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expressing and explaining a distinctie Jewish approach to healthand healing that has its roots in the Bible and is implicit in countlesspassages in the Talmud, Midrash, Kabbalah and Chassidut, as wellas in innumerable stories and anecdotes from all periods and all

parts of the Jewish world)

Rebbe Nachman distilled the wisdom of thousands of years andturned it into a uni3ue healing pathway) The primary focus is notthe body but the soul) The gauge of spiritual health is 4oy) RebbeNachman5s teachings on healing are summed up in one statement0+.ll the illness that afflicts people comes only because of a lac* of

4oy)))) .nd 4oy is the great healer+ !Likutey Moharan 22, $:()

Paradi!s o' healin

2t ta*es considerable courage and honesty to open ourseles tounfamiliar ways of thin*ing) 1eople are usually strongly committedto ideas imbibed from their social, cultural and educational milieu)>ealing can be a matter of life and death) 2t is a sub4ect that maybe surrounded by stronger barrages of emotion than we perhapsrealiAe) To those brought up to thin* of healthcare exclusiely interms of white coats, mas*ed faces, blood tests, dials, meters,intraenous drips and the li*e, some of the basic concepts of RebbeNachman5s healing pathway % faith, 4oy, repentance, confession,charity, song and dance % may seem irreleant, een disturbing) Tograsp the true meaning of an unfamiliar paradigm we must hae thehumility to loo* beyond our own inbred ways of iewing things andexplore its concepts in their authentic breadth and depth)

The conentional medical paradigm of healing concentrates almostexclusiely on the human body and its ailments) ntil 3uite recentlythe ma4ority of orthodox practitioners paid little or no attention tothe owner of the body % the &erson, his or her mental and spiritual

life, outloo*, feelings and emotions, moral choices, lifestyle andactiities % any more than a car mechanic would show other thanpolite interest in the lies of the owners of the cars he repairs) Thebody is seen as a machine) Complex, amaAing, awesome, yesH butstill a machine that is essentially the sum of its components and canbe dissected, tested, analyAed, and ad4usted to perform better)


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tired) hy= hat is it in this person5s life situation, currentenironment, past history, conscious and unconscious thoughts andattitudes, habits and actiities that may be bloc*ing true fulfilmentand happiness= . doctor may suggest that the fatigue is caused by

systematic indulgence in the wrong foods) But can this be isolatedfrom deep frustration, depression and other factors that may bedriing this person to oerindulge= ithout confronting theseproblems, will any of the physical strategies bring about more thana superficial change=

The same point could be made about a multitude of other physicalcomplaints) 2s someone5s heart condition or cancerous growth hisessential problem= @r is it 4ust the tip of the iceberg of a far moreextensie life crisis= Medical authorities in many different times and

cultures hae pointed to the destructie influence of mental statessuch as melancholy, grief and despair on one5s physical health) Butsuch factors are hard to measure scientifically and hae beenlargely neglected by mainstream modern medicine) Det numerousstudies conducted in recent years hae demonstrated the influenceof stress, inner conflict, frustration, depression and so on in a wideariety of different conditions)

2s it alid to ma*e a hard and fast distinction between physical

illness and maladies of the soul= .dherents to the conentionalwestern medical paradigm might agree that negatie traits andnegatie outloo* could be described as +unhealthy,+ +diseased+ andso on) Det they would consider this use of such terms asmetaphorical and secondary to their +primary+ use to describetangible physical conditions) But 4ust because frustration, bitterness,anger and other traits are hard to 3uantify, does that ma*e themany less real= here emotional and spiritual problems areintimately bound up with physical disease, does it ma*e any senseto treat the latter without guiding the patient to resole the former=

.nd where emotional and spiritual problems hae so far caused nodiscernible bodily ailment, does that ma*e them any lesspathological than heay smo*ing, drin*ing, drug abuse and the li*e=2s there any wisdom in waiting for physical damage to set in before


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see*ing to heal them= .nd what about the other *inds of secret painso many of us hide behind our public facades=

Pre=ention and health

The Rambam wrote0 +The ability of a physician to preent illness isa greater proof of his s*ill than his ability to cure someone who isalready ill+ !)a#kut Lekach *o!( Besha#ach() Rebbe Nachman5s pathway ofhealing is first and foremost one of *eeping healthy % +preentiemedicine+ % because true healing must begin long before physicalillness stri*es) 7uarding our health is a mit"!ah, a positie duty)+Ta*e care of yourself, and guard your soul diligently+ !9euteronomy:06() 7ood health is ital to the fulfilment of our mission in thisworld0 obiously, physical wea*ness interferes with our ability to

pray, study, perform acts of *indness and carry out the othermitAot)

7uarding our health clearly inoles ta*ing the utmost care of ourbodies0 obsering the rules of hygiene, eating wisely andmoderately, exercising, not smo*ing, aoiding substance abuse andother haAards) But it is no accident that when the Torah as*s us tota*e care of our health, the expression it uses is0 +7uardyour sou# diligently)+ -piritual healthcare is not merely an extra) 2t isthe ery foundation of sound physical health) Ta*ing care of physicalhealth fre3uently inoles sacrificing immediate gratification for thesa*e of long%term benefit) hat incentie is there to forgo thetempting pleasures of the moment unless one is firm in the beliefthat life in this world has a higher purpose= 8actors li*e a sense ofmission, courage in the face of obstacles and general optimism arefundamental to good health) +. 4oyous heart is good medicine,whereas a bro*en spirit dries the bones+ !1roerbs "#0$$()

Today preentie medicine is high on the public agenda) The sheer

cost of conentional medical care has turned it into a crushingburden in een the wealthiest countries) 9iagnostic testing,medications, operations and hospital care hae all become soexpensie that not only the poor but een the more prosperous areoften simply unable to afford them) >ealth insurance costs haesoared) 1eople who hae paid insurance all their lies discoer thatonce they become sic* they may not be coered anymore) The


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luxury of state%of%the art medical treatment may be affordable bythe ery wealthy, but for innumerable health%conscious ordinarycitiAens it is preferable to do eerything possible to aoid the needfor medical treatment through ta*ing the best possible care of their

health) The Jewish spiritual pathways of faith, 4oy, prayer,meditation, charity, loe and *indness may yet proe to be amongthe world5s most aluable assets in attaining the ultimate goal offreedom from illness)

Sic#ness and healin

9isease can be a terrible thing) But iewing it as a purely physicalphenomenon ma*es it een more terrible, turning it into ameaningless torment, proiding no comfort to those who are

suffering) Medical science can often !though not always( trace thephysical causes of disease) But it is silent on the deeper 3uestion ofwhy a certain illness becomes a part of someone5s destiny at aparticular point in his or her life) To say that the indiidual had agenetic predisposition still does not answer the 3uestion of +why)+

hy should a baby be born deformed= hy should a little child or ayoung man or woman in the prime of life suddenly be struc* downwith a crippling disease= The faith that 7od guides and controlseery detail of the entire unierse with unfathomable loe does notin itself proide snug answers) +There is no wisdom, understandingor counsel relatie to 7od+ !1roerbs $"0/'() >oweer, faith does gieus a pointer to the way in which we can eentually come to termswith suffering) ltimately 7od does only good) The faith that eerysituation must contain good somewhere is what actually helps ussearch until we find it)

hile accepting what we cannot alter, we must also ta*eresponsibility for that which we hae the power to change)

Conentional medicine tends to encourage patients to rely on thedoctor to repair the physical damage to their bodies % +Cure meG+ %allowing them to aoid confronting deep%seated problems of lifestyleand personality that may lie at the root of their illnesses) But merelyattac*ing manifest physical symptoms can be dangerouslycounterproductie) The underlying disorder remains untreated andmay gie rise to a far more destructie disturbance later on)


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The Torah iew is that in4ury and illness may often be sent toprompt us to loo* carefully at ourseles and our lies) They can alsohelp us come to a greater appreciation of the preciousness of lifeand health) >ow hae we been using our bodies= hat hae we

been doing with our lies= hat is our true mission in this world=9eepening our self%understanding is itself a ital part of the healingprocess) This is what helps us ta*e control of our lies and let go ofunnecessary baggage % bad habits, outworn complexes, anger,bitterness and the li*e) 2t becomes easier to repair relationshipswith spouses, parents, children, friends and enemies, with ourselesand with 7od)

+Turning to 7od+ does not mean simply replacing one *ind offatalism with another, trading belief in the ultimacy of blind physical

forces for intellectual acceptance of some ague, un*nowable,implacable spiritual force +out there)+ Cultiating faith in 7odinoles a profound shift on eery leel of our being) e must learnto perceie ourseles and the world in fresh ways) e must redirectour faculties of thought and emotion, explore our ability to ma*edecisions, embar* on unfamiliar paths of action) The *ey to bringing7odly power into our actual lies is prayer) This means much morethan simply repeating ancient formulae and hoping for 7od5sblessings in return) e must learn a new way of using words %

our own words % to define the blessing we see* and to channel itinto the real situations we face within ourseles and in the worldaround us)

Ne% directions in !edicine

Today many mainstream medical practitioners are becomingincreasingly open to alternatie paradigms of healing) @er the lasttwo decades an increasing body of scientific eidence and clinicalexperience has begun to conince not only psychologists but

numerous doctors as well of the importance of emotional andspiritual factors in physical healing) The ery success of westernmedicine in combatting infectious diseases has resulted in theirreplacement by heart disease, cancer and other degeneratiediseases as the chief causes of death in our society) 2t is certainlytrue that lies are saed eery day through sophisticated coronary


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care, adanced methods of cancer treatment and other medicaltechni3ues) These can help patients surie immediate crises) Butmore and more mainstream practitioners now realiAe that the long%term health of such patients depends on radical changes in lifestyle,

general outloo* and attitudes)

There are now thousands of documented cases of patients who haerecoered +spontaneously+ from extremely serious conditions, to thecomplete amaAement of their doctors) These are miracles, thoughnot necessarily in the sense that the patients inoled suddenlystood up as if raised from the dead) Many of them put a lot of hardwor* % spiritual wor* % into their recoery) They understood theirillness as a signal to ta*e a hard loo* at themseles and to institutefar%reaching changes in their fundamental beliefs, their iew of

themseles and their intimate human relationships)

More and more medical research is now focussing on the complexand subtle relationship between the mind, both conscious andunconscious, the nerous, endocrine and immune systems, and thefunctioning of the rest of the body) Ma4or hospitals hae establishedclinics for people with problems ranging from headaches, high bloodpressure and bac* pain to heart disease, cancer and .29-, teachingrelaxation, meditation, isualiAation and other techni3ues that

harness the powers of the mind to control pain and promotehealing) 2ncreasing numbers of patients are supplementing theirmedical treatment with psychotherapy, music therapy, creatiewriting and the li*e in order to grapple with the psychological andspiritual dimensions of their illnesses)

There is also growing awareness that these approaches may be ofma4or importance in relieing the suffering of some of the manypatients whom conentional medicine is unable to help becausetheir complaints simply defy all diagnostic tests) The doctors can

find nothing definite % though this does not ma*e the patients5fatigue, incapacitating headaches, isual dysfunctioning, digestietroubles, chronic pain and other symptoms any less real) Manydoctors are inclined to dismiss these sufferers as neurotics ormalingerers) -ome drift from one specialist to the next, while


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countless others despair of eer improing and are ready prey fordownward spirals of anxiety, depression and despair)

Those in this category are by no means an insignificant minority)-tudies of the patients treated by group medical practices in onema4or ?uropean city showed that between thirty and forty &ercent were classified as suffering from +neurotic+ complaintsG.nother fifty percent of the patients were classified as chronically ill)That leaes a mere ten to twenty percent of patients whoseillnesses responded to the standard medical proceduresG !.rthurJores, Medicine in the +risis of our *ime p);:()

The limited effectieness of conentional medicine is een morestri*ing when we remember that by no means do all sic* people

become +patients)+ -tudies indicate that between a half and two%thirds of physical complaints do not result in a isit to a doctor5soffice % and these complaints are not necessarily triial in nature, asproen by the statistics on untreated illnesses and the early stagesof chronic diseases) -ureys of 4ob holders % people in the prime oflife % hae reealed thatfewer than ten &ercent of respondentsconsider themseles really healthy, whereas about sixty percent feelthemseles to be in need of some *ind of medical attention !ibid()

That such enormous numbers of people in the prime of their liesfeel less than healthy is a sad comment on healthcare in a societywhere the ma4ority suffer no lac* of food, housing and otheramenities) 2s the root of the problem purely physical or does it haemore to do with the emptiness and lac* of meaning in so manylies= 2s it not tragic that some people hae to wait until theybecome seriously ill before they realiAe the central role of faith and

4oy in good health and healing, while countless others neerdiscoer it at all= hat effect would it hae on the health and well%being of millions and millions the world oer if not only diet and

exercise, but also the basics of faith, prayer, meditation, charity,*indness, loe and 4oy were taught as a matter of course in schools,colleges and the mass media, not to mention medical schools,hospitals, clinics and doctors5 offices=

Where do %e $ut our 'aith>


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that in time to come a new light will shine into the world0 not aphysical light, but the spiritual light of t"edakah, the true 4ustice,charity and loe that come to right the wrongs that cause strife anddisorder in countries, nations, communities, families, in indiidual

souls and physical bodies)

Iet us search for 7od through our studies, prayers and meditation,our mitAot and our acts of loe and *indness) Iet us draw downthis healing light) +>eal us and we will be healedH sae us and wewill be saed, for Dou are our praiseG+

Section 1

The 2e%ish Healin Tradition

(ha$ter 1

He?e#iah and the Boo# o' +e!edies

+?en if a sharp sword is pressing on your nec*, don5t despair of

pleading for 7od5s mercyG+!Berakhot "'a(

At one of the most critical 4unctures of Jewish history, with .ssyrianKing -ennacherib5s ast army closing in on Jerusalem, >eAe*iah

King of Judah suddenly fell mortally ill) >is entire body was coered

with horrible sores) The prophet 2saiah came to him and said, +Thus

says the Iord0 -et your house in order, for you will die and not

lie+ !2saiah /&0"H Kings 22, $'0"()

ith 7od5s prophet telling him to ma*e his will and prepare to die, a

lesser man might hae gien up the fight) Not >eAe*iah) >e had a

tradition from his ancestor, King 9aid0 +?en if a sharp sword is

pressing on your nec*, don5t despair of pleading for 7od5s

mercy+ !Berakhot "'a() >eAe*iah turned his face to the wall and

prayed0 +Remember now, @ 7od, 2 beseech Dou, how 25e wal*ed


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before Dou in truth and with a whole heart0 2 did what is good in

Dour eyes)+ >eAe*iah wept bitterly)

>eAe*iah5s turning his face to the wall was more than a physical

moement) 2t was a moement inwards) The +face+ he turned washis inner awareness) >e focussed his mind on the walls of his heart

in order to brea* through his inner armory, the rationaliAations, the

accumulated insensitiity !Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom E/6() The sic*

>eAe*iah turned to 7od with all his heart, pleading for life) That

didn5t mean mere chest%thumping) >eAe*iah searched within himself

not so much for his guilt as for his merit) Just as he had wal*ed

before 7od and done good in the past, so now he begged to be

allowed to continue) .nd his prayer found faor)

7od told 2saiah to return to >eAe*iah and inform him that not only

would he be healed, but he would hae another fifteen years added

to his life) 2saiah ordered figs to be laid on >eAe*iah5s boils % a

miracle within a miracle, because normally figs cause raw flesh to

become putrid % and the *ing was healed) @n the third day >eAe*iah

went up to the >oly Temple, while an angel passed through the

.ssyrian camp, *illing one hundred and eighty%fie thousand men)

-ennacherib retreated to Nineeh, and was murdered by his own

sons as he worshipped in his idolatrous temple)

The Boo# o' +e!edies

The Midrash throws light on the meaning of >eAe*iah5s illness)

+Rabbi Iei said0 >eAe*iah mused, F2t isn5t good for people to en4oy

constant good health until the day they die) This way they5ll neer

thin* of repentance) But if they fall sic* and then recoer, they5llcome to repent their sins)5 7od said to >eAe*iah, FThis is a good

idea) .nd 25ll start with youG5+ !Bereshit Rabbah eAe*iah saw that

illness can hae a positie side if it prompts us to examine

ourseles) hat hae we been doing with our lies= >ow hae we


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been using our bodies= hat is our true purpose in this world= >ow

can we attain it=

.s >eAe*iah lay in mortal danger, he as*ed the prophet where he

had gone astray) 2saiah explained that he had failed to carry out thefirst commandment of the Torah, to be fruitful and multiply)

>eAe*iah said this was because he had seen with holy spirit that his

offspring would be unworthy) But 2saiah said this was not his

business0 he had an obligation to hae children) >eAe*iah

understood his mista*e and undertoo* to marry and hae children)

That sic*ness is a prompt from 7od to examine ourseles was a

lesson >eAe*iah, spiritual leader of his people, had long wanted to

teach) The point is brought out in a rabbinic comment on >eAe*iah5s

prayer as he lay sic*0 +2 did what is good in Dour eyes)+

?numerating >eAe*iah5s achieements during his reign, the Rabbis

said he was alluding in his prayer to two ma4or innoations0 he

+4oined Redemption to 1rayer, and he put away the Boo* of

Remedies+ !Berakhot "'bH Pesachim ;eAe*iah5s

institution of the rule that during the daily prayer serices nointerruption may be made between recital of the blessing of

Redemption that follows the Shema and commencement of the

silent midah prayer) But what about the Boo* of Remedies= hat

was it, and why did >eAe*iah ban it=

?xtant clay tablets and papyruses indicate that the ancient

ciiliAations of Mesopotamia and ?gypt possessed a ast body of

medical *nowledge) >undreds of therapeutic plant, mineral andanimal substances were in use, as well as a wide ariety of surgical

and other treatments) 2t would be easy to speculate that the Boo*

of Remedies included medical techni3ues borrowed from other

cultures with which the Jews had contact) @n the other hand, Rabbi

-himon bar TAemach !the Ta-hBaTA, "/


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the boo* was supernatural0 when Noah was in the ar* during the

flood, destructie spirits in4ured his sons, but an angel too* one of

them to the 7arden of ?den and taught him all the remedies in the

world !Seder .aDorot E"


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in order to attain genuine self%fulfilment) Concealing the Boo* of

Remedies would encourage people to ta*e their lies in hand and

actualiAe their latent spiritual powers, playing an actie role in their

own healing process)

1utting away the Boo* of Remedies was thus intimately bound up

with King >eAe*iah5s second innoation, +4oining Redemption to

1rayer)+ This was more than a technical rule of religious ritual)

>eAe*iah redeemed prayer itselfG >e taught people how to pray

again) 1rayer brings us to the ultimate connection with 7od) .nd

precisely because prayer is so exalted, it is surrounded by endless

obstacles) 8or many people it seems li*e a meaningless, tiresome

burden0 prayer is in exile) >eAe*iah sought to tear down thebarriers and reeal the new%old pathway of prayer in its true

splendor) 1rayer is not 4ust a matter of as*ing 7od for faors) 2t is

our way to channel diine power and blessing into ourseles, our

lies and the whole world) Through prayer the soul rises to 7od and

is healed, and in turn sends healing power into the body) By truly

redeeming prayer >eAe*iah was able to put away the Boo* of

Remedies) There was simply no more need for it)

Section 1

The 2e%ish Healin Tradition

(ha$ter 1

He?e#iah and the Boo# o' +e!edies

+?en if a sharp sword is pressing on your nec*, don5t despair of pleading for 7od5s mercyG+

!Berakhot "'a(

At one of the most critical 4unctures of Jewish history, with .ssyrianKing -ennacherib5s ast army closing in on Jerusalem, >eAe*iah


25/510

King of Judah suddenly fell mortally ill) >is entire body was coered

with horrible sores) The prophet 2saiah came to him and said, +Thus

says the Iord0 -et your house in order, for you will die and not

lie+ !2saiah /&0"H Kings 22, $'0"()

ith 7od5s prophet telling him to ma*e his will and prepare to die, a

lesser man might hae gien up the fight) Not >eAe*iah) >e had a

tradition from his ancestor, King 9aid0 +?en if a sharp sword is

pressing on your nec*, don5t despair of pleading for 7od5s

mercy+ !Berakhot "'a() >eAe*iah turned his face to the wall and

prayed0 +Remember now, @ 7od, 2 beseech Dou, how 25e wal*ed

before Dou in truth and with a whole heart0 2 did what is good in

Dour eyes)+ >eAe*iah wept bitterly)

>eAe*iah5s turning his face to the wall was more than a physical

moement) 2t was a moement inwards) The +face+ he turned was

his inner awareness) >e focussed his mind on the walls of his heart

in order to brea* through his inner armory, the rationaliAations, the

accumulated insensitiity !Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom E/6() The sic*

>eAe*iah turned to 7od with all his heart, pleading for life) That

didn5t mean mere chest%thumping) >eAe*iah searched within himself

not so much for his guilt as for his merit) Just as he had wal*ed

before 7od and done good in the past, so now he begged to be

allowed to continue) .nd his prayer found faor)

7od told 2saiah to return to >eAe*iah and inform him that not only

would he be healed, but he would hae another fifteen years added

to his life) 2saiah ordered figs to be laid on >eAe*iah5s boils % a

miracle within a miracle, because normally figs cause raw flesh to

become putrid % and the *ing was healed) @n the third day >eAe*iahwent up to the >oly Temple, while an angel passed through the

.ssyrian camp, *illing one hundred and eighty%fie thousand men)

-ennacherib retreated to Nineeh, and was murdered by his own

sons as he worshipped in his idolatrous temple)


26/510

The Boo# o' +e!edies

The Midrash throws light on the meaning of >eAe*iah5s illness)

+Rabbi Iei said0 >eAe*iah mused, F2t isn5t good for people to en4oy

constant good health until the day they die) This way they5ll neerthin* of repentance) But if they fall sic* and then recoer, they5ll

come to repent their sins)5 7od said to >eAe*iah, FThis is a good

idea) .nd 25ll start with youG5+ !Bereshit Rabbah eAe*iah saw that

illness can hae a positie side if it prompts us to examine

ourseles) hat hae we been doing with our lies= >ow hae we

been using our bodies= hat is our true purpose in this world= >ow

can we attain it=

.s >eAe*iah lay in mortal danger, he as*ed the prophet where he

had gone astray) 2saiah explained that he had failed to carry out the

first commandment of the Torah, to be fruitful and multiply)

>eAe*iah said this was because he had seen with holy spirit that his

offspring would be unworthy) But 2saiah said this was not his

business0 he had an obligation to hae children) >eAe*iah

understood his mista*e and undertoo* to marry and hae children)

That sic*ness is a prompt from 7od to examine ourseles was alesson >eAe*iah, spiritual leader of his people, had long wanted to

teach) The point is brought out in a rabbinic comment on >eAe*iah5s

prayer as he lay sic*0 +2 did what is good in Dour eyes)+

?numerating >eAe*iah5s achieements during his reign, the Rabbis

said he was alluding in his prayer to two ma4or innoations0 he

+4oined Redemption to 1rayer, and he put away the Boo* of

Remedies+ !Berakhot "'bH Pesachim ;eAe*iah5s

institution of the rule that during the daily prayer serices no

interruption may be made between recital of the blessing of

Redemption that follows the Shema and commencement of the


27/510

silent midah prayer) But what about the Boo* of Remedies= hat

was it, and why did >eAe*iah ban it=

?xtant clay tablets and papyruses indicate that the ancient

ciiliAations of Mesopotamia and ?gypt possessed a ast body ofmedical *nowledge) >undreds of therapeutic plant, mineral and

animal substances were in use, as well as a wide ariety of surgical

and other treatments) 2t would be easy to speculate that the Boo*

of Remedies included medical techni3ues borrowed from other

cultures with which the Jews had contact) @n the other hand, Rabbi

-himon bar TAemach !the Ta-hBaTA, "/


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+2 *ill and 2 ma*e alie, 2 wound and 2 heal, and there is no one thatcan delier out of My hand)+

!9euteronomy /$0/6(

King >eAe*iah wanted to bring the Jewish 1eople bac* to theoriginal Jewish pathway of healing through faith and prayer, Torahand mitAot) The Torah is the Jewish path of health and healing)9irectly after the ?xodus from ?gypt, as the Jews made their wayfrom the Red -ea to Mount -inai to receie the Torah, 7od gaethem the first in4unctions of the Torah code) +.nd >e said, 2f you willlisten carefully to the oice of >a-hem your 7od and do what isright in >is eyes and gie ear to >is commandments and *eep all>is statutes, 2 will put none of the diseases upon you that 2 haeput on the ?gyptians, for 2, 7od, am your >ealer+ !?xodus ";0$


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+hen a human being prescribes a medicine itmay be good for one person but harmful toanother) Not so the >oly @ne, blessed be >e) TheTorah >e gae to the Jewish 1eople is an elixir of

life for the whole body, as it is said !1roerbs :0$$(0Fand health to all his flesh5+ !,ru!in ;:a()

2n the words of one of the classic Bible commentators, +.t first thispathway may be unfamiliar and its meaning and purpose unclear) 2tmay be difficult and een bitter) But in the end it is ery sweet) 2t isli*e the medicines gien by an expert doctor) The patient may notunderstand their purpose or en4oy ta*ing them) -ome of them maybe ery bitter) But if the patient has faith in the doctor and follows

his prescriptions faithfully, he will be cured and hae his healthrestored+ !$#i )akar on ?xodus ";0$


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The plague was not 4ust a punitie isitation) 2t was an initation to.imelech to be more honest and search beneath his consciousrationaliAations) hat he most needed to release himself and hiscourt from illness was insight , and this was sent to him in a dream)

2n the ancient world sic* people would often go to sleep in culttemples in the hope of being sent a dream that would reeal thecause of their illness) 8or the Torah, idolatrous cults are abhorrent,but the dream state is accepted as one that can open us to leels of understanding that are presently beyond us, as can prayer andmeditation !Sha'arey $edushah /H Derekh .aShem /0"0ealing came notthrough physicians and medicines but by .imelech5s rectification of his own error and through .braham5s intercession with 7od)

@e$rosy

1hysicians were *nown figures in the world of the Bible0 forexample, Joseph called in ?gyptian doctors % though not in this caseto heal the liing, but to embalm Jacob5s body !7enesis ;'0$() Detsignificantly, there is no mention whateer of either doctors ormedical treatment of any *ind in connection with the illness thatreceies the most attention in the Bible0 ) !t"ara'atצרעת !Ieiticuschapters "/%";() This is usually translated as leprosy for want of a

better word, but the detailed typology gien in the Bible includesnot only what we today would call leprosy but also a ariety of others*in disorders seemingly a*in to ulceration, ecAema, psoriasis,impetigo, melanomas, carcinomas and alopecia !hair loss() Thebiblical section dealing with the laws of t"ara'at is followed by asection on זיבה ! "i!a( % genital discharges in men, sometimesidentified with gonorrhea, and abnormal genital bleeding in women %to which many of the same rules apply)

-omeone displaying symptoms of t"ara'at is called

a מצורע !met"ora() The met"ora had to be examined not by a doctorbut by a priest) The priest5s tas* was to gie not a physical but whatmight be termed a +moral+ diagnosis) hat the priest had todetermine was whether the isible symptoms put this affliction intothe category of a +pure+ or +impure+ affliction according to strictcriteria handed down in the written and oral law) 2f the priest


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declared it impure, the sufferer had to go into isolation outside thecity until he was healed) >e was effectiely in a state of mourning)>e was not allowed to shae, launder his clothes or greet anyone)>e had to coer his head li*e a mourner and inform passers%by that

he was ritually impure) . drop of his salia or urine was enough torender others impure) .ny food, clothes or utensils he touchedbecame impure, as did a chair or a bed he sat or lay on) 2f heentered a house, eerything inside it became impure)

Throughout the biblical passages on t"ara'at not a word is saidregarding how the met"ora was actually healed) Before he couldreturn to normal community life, he had to undergo an elaborateprocedure of purification and atonement inoling ritual sprin*ling,shaing of the body, immersion, sacrifices and anointment with oil)

But none of this had anything to do with healing) 2t all too* placeonly after the affliction was healed)

The fact that any person or ob4ect the met"ora touched becameritually impure must certainly hae discouraged people from haingany contact with him, which doubtless sered to preent contagion)But the main purpose of forcing the met"ora into complete isolationand mourning was to encourage him to +turn his face to the wall,+as did King >eAe*iah, to contemplate the spiritual meaning of his

affliction) .nd this itself was what caused him to heal)

The Bible teaches that although t"ara'at is un3uestionably a physicaldisease, it is sent because of a spiritual flaw in the met"ora) Theslanderer becomes a !met"ora( because of beingמצורע רע מוצי !mot"i ra( % +bringing out eil+ about others, while turning a blind eye tohis own shortcomings, until the conspicuous blemish on his ownbody forces him to confront it) Moses5 sister Miriam was a saint anda prophetess, but she was not spared when she spo*e disparaginglyof her brother!Numbers "$0"%"


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transgressions for which leprosy might be sent, including atheism,blasphemy, idolatry, murder, incest, immorality, robbery, per4ury,

4ealousy and arrogance !,rkhin "


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the rulers of the Northern Kingdom as part of their bloc*ade onthe Kingdom of Judah!Sotah "'a and see Likutey Moharan 22, $0/()

>oweer, King .sa himself was reluctant to accept that his afflictionwas diine chastisement) +?en in his sic*ness he did not see* out7od, but he turned to the doctors+ !Chronicles 22, "is wordsheartrendingly eo*e the torment of protracted pain and illness)

Three of Job5s friends, ?liphaA the Temanite, Bildad the -huhite and

TAophar the Na5amatite, come to comfort him) They argueelo3uently that 7od is righteous in all >is ways and deals 4ustly andtruly with all man*ind) +hoeer perished, being innocent, or wherewere the upright cut off= ))) Those who plough ini3uity and sowmischief reap them bac*))))+ !ibid :0#%&() 2f 7od sends a personsuffering, it is because he has transgressed, and he must repent) 2fJob is sic* it must be because of something he has done)


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Many rabbinic sayings attest to the superiority of the Torah5s healingpower oer that of natural medicine) +Ra Dehudah the son of RabbiChiya said, Come and see the difference between 7od and humanbeings) hen a human being prescribes a medicine it may be good

for one person but harmful to another) Not so the >oly @ne, blessedbe >e) The Torah >e gae to the Jewish 1eople is an elixir of life forthe whole body, as it is said !1roerbs :0$$(0 Fand health to all hisflesh5+ !,ru!in ;:a()

+Rabbi Dehoshua ben Iei said, -omeone with a headache shouldbusy himself with Torah, as it is said, F8or they shall be a diadem of grace for your head 5 !1roerbs "06() -omeone with a sore throat shouldbusy himself with Torah, as it is said, Fand chains aboutyour neck 5 !ibid() -omeone with stomach pains should busy himself

with Torah, as it is said, Fit shall be health to your na!e# 5 !ibid /0&()-omeone with aching bones should busy himself with Torah, as it issaid, Fand marrow to yourbones5 !ibid() .nd if his whole body isaching, he should busy himself with Torah, as it is said !ibid :0$$(,Fand health to a## his flesh5+ !,ru!in ibid()

Not only does the Torah heal0 it preents illness in the first place)The point is brought out in the following midrash0 +2s a Jew who issuffering from an ear%ache allowed to hae medical treatment on

-habbat= Des0 the -ages taught, hereer there is a possibility ofdanger to life one may iolate -habbat) Thus an earache, which canbe a threat to life, may be treated on -habbat) But do you want toaoid getting an earache, or indeed any other pain, in the firstplace= Then turn your ear to the Torah and you5ll inherit life, as it iswritten, F2ncline your ear and come to Me, hear and your soulshall #i!e5 !2saiah ;;0/() 8or as Rabbi Iei said, Man is made up of twohundred and forty%eight limbs, and all of them receie itality fromthe ear+ !De!arim Rabbah "'0"()

The biblical teaching that in4ury and illness are sent from 7od isreflected in many rabbinic sayings) +Nobody bruises so much as afinger here on earth unless it was decreed against him in>eaen+ !+hu##in #b() +. sna*e only bites a person when a commandfrom >eaen forces it to do so+ !)erusha#mi Peah ", "


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name of R) Chiya bar .bba0 Recoery from illness is a greatermiracle than Chananiah, Mishael and .Aariah5s being saed fromNebuchadneAAar5s furnace !9aniel /() .nyone can put out a man%madefurnace, but the furnace of sic*ness is made by >eaen % who can

put it out=+ !Nedarim :"a()

+2f you see a Jew who has symptoms of one of thefour *inds of leprosy mentioned in the Torah, itcomes only to heal him of all his sins, and throughhis suffering he merits the orld to Come+ !*annade-!ei ,#iahu ;()

-ince it is 7od ho heals, the sic* person5s first step must be to

turn to >im sincerely) +hen a person sees that suffering has comeupon him he should carefully examine his behaior+ !Berakhot ;a() +R).lexandri said in the name of R) Chiya bar .bba, @ne who is sic*cannot be healed unless he is first forgien for all his sins+!Nedarim:"a() +Rabbi Meir used to say, Two people ta*e to their beds with thesame illness) @ne recoers while the other does not) @ne prays andis answered, the other prays and is not) hy is one answered andthe other not= Because this one prayed with true sincerity while theother did not+ !Rosh .aShanah "&a()

Besides the prayers of the inalid himself, those of others can alsohelp) +2f a person is sic* for more than a day, he should let people*now so that they will pray for him+ !Berakhot ;;b() ?specially effectieare the prayers of the saintly) +-omeone who has a sic* person inhis house should go to a -age and as* him to pray for him+!Ba!aBatra ""


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Sanction to heal>

These teachings show clearly that the talmudic -ages iewedphysical illness as a manifestation of what is at root a spiritualproblem) 2t follows that true healing can come about only when thespiritual flaw is repaired by the sic* person himself with the help ofa TAaddi* who prays for him and guides him in his repentance) Butdoes this mean that as long as we attend to our spiritual health wecan leae our physical health to ta*e care of itself=

+Ta*e care of yourself and guard your soul diligently+ !9euteronomy:06() The Rabbis were emphatic that we hae a duty to ta*e allreasonable precautions to guard our physical health and aoidbecoming sic* in the first place) hen they said that +eerything is

in the hands of >eaen except chills and colds+ !Ba!a Batra "::b(, theywere not implying that the power of >eaen is anything but total)hat they meant is that we must use our common sense and ta*eresponsibility for our physical welfare) The world we lie in containsgood and eil on eery leel, physical as well as spiritual) >aingbeen created with the freedom to choose between them, we haean obligation to aoid not only cold drafts but all other obioushealth haAards as well) The Talmud therefore offers practical adiceabout general hygiene, healthy elimination, washing and bathing,

exercise, and especially diet, since +more people are *illed by thecoo*ing pot than suffer from staration+!Shabbat //a()

-o much for preentie medicine) hat about when illness stri*es=hile ta*ing the biblical iewpoint that the roots of illness arespiritual, did the talmudic -ages follow King >eAe*iah in hisre4ection of all physical strategies of healing=

2n fact the Talmud itself contains a wealth of practical medicaladice including detailed herbal and other remedies for all *inds of

problems from toothache and stomach pains to feer and heartcomplaints !see ittin


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the ומן !uman(, the +blood%letter)+ -ome physicians are referred toas

מומחה רו !ro&he mumcheh(, an +expert healer)+ There were alsoscholars who, although they did not practice as professional doctors,were considered authoritatie in medical matters, such as Mar

-hmuel !c) $'' C)?)(, head of the rabbinical academy of Nehardea)

here the opinions of physicians might hae a bearing on 3uestionsof ritual, ciil and criminal law, they were sought and respected bythe Rabbis) But what was the Rabbis5 attitude to actual medicaltreatment= .s with any detail of life, before as*ing if it is desirable,the first 3uestion a Jew as*s is whether it is permissible) 2f King .sawas criticiAed for going to doctors, did that mean that nobodyshould go to a doctor= 2n hiding the Boo* of Remedies was >eAe*iahsee*ing to forbid resort to medicine for all time=

@n the general 3uestion of the permissibility of medicine, nowhereis there any suggestion that the use of physical therapies is actuallyforbidden) hile the Rabbis un3uestionably saw faith, prayer, Torahand mitAot as the essential elements of the Jewish path of healing,unli*e King >eAe*iah they made no efforts to preent resort tomedical remedies as long as they did not inole transgression ofthe prohibitions against idolatry, sexual immorality andmurder !PesachimL $;a() 9octors were consulted on all *inds of medical

problems without opposition from the Rabbis, some of whomthemseles receied treatment on occasion, such as Rabbi Dehudah>aNasi, who was treated by Mar -hmuel for an eye ailment !Ba!aMet"ia &;b() The Talmud itself adises against liing in a city that doesnot hae a doctor!Sanhedrin "#b()

2n the centuries following the destruction of the -econd Temple thetalmudic -ages faced ery different conditions from those that hadexisted in >eAe*iah5s time, when there was no diision betweenstate and religion) >eAe*iah was at once a spiritual and a political

leader, and had sufficient influence to +put away the Boo* ofRemedies+ as part of a more general religious reial) But intalmudic times the Jews were already in exile and liing side by sidewith adherents of all *inds of other religions and cults) The medicineof the non%Jews was a mix of physical therapies and idolatrous rites)hile the talmudic -ages made eery effort to lead the people in


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the traditional Jewish path of faith, their primary concern in theirhala*hic deliberations was to clarify what Torah law explicitly forbidsand what it permits) The Talmud and later hala*hic literaturetherefore discuss an enormous range of medical 3uestions, such as

receiing treatment from a doctor who worships idols, thepermissibility of arious medical procedures on -habbat andfestials, abortion when the life of the mother is at ris*, theobligation of sic* people, new mothers, etc) to fast, the extent ofliability in cases of in4ury, etc)

hether the talmudic -ages fa!ored the use of medical remedies ornot is another 3uestion altogether) There is a reealing passage inthe Talmud !Berakhot


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>is agent) This is deried from the biblical passage decreeing thatone who causes in4ury to another has an obligation to +cause him tobe thoroughly healed)+ .ccording to the @ral Iaw, this means thathe must coer the in4ured party5s medical expenses !Ba!a $ama &/b(,

implying that medicine is effectie)

This latter iewpoint is iidly expressed in a midrash telling of asic* man who approached Rabbi Dishmael and Rabbi .*ia as theywere wal*ing in Jerusalem one day) The sic* man as*ed the tworabbis what he should do to be cured) They gae him a number ofrecommendations, upon hearing which a farmer who had beenlistening said to them, +Dou5re interfering in something that5s noneof your businessG 7od afflicted him with illness and you want to healhim=+ +But don5t you as a farmer do the same=+ they replied) +7od

created the earth, but you hae to plow, till, fertiliAe and weed ifyou want the land to yield produce) F.s for man, his days are asgrass5 !1salms "'/0";() The human body is the tree, the medicine is thefertiliAer and the physician is the tiller of the earth+ !Midrash Shmue# ;$aE:()

Judaism re4ects the fatalistic iew that if 7od sends illness it mustbe borne with complete resignation without ma*ing any efforts tooercome it) 2t is up to us to ta*e the initiatie to see* healing) The

3uestion is0 what *inds of steps are we to ta*e= The tradition ofRabbi Dishmael, as reflected by .baye, accepted the use of medicalstrategies of healing) Certainly we must *now that illness is sentfrom >eaen) e must direct ourseles to repentance and prayereen as we turn to doctors and undergo treatment) e must *nowthat ultimately 7od is the >ealer een when the cure is channeledthrough the agency of a person, a substance or an operation) Butwe may resort to doctors and medicine without 3ualms since +thephysician has sanction to heal)+

@n the other hand, the tradition of King >eAe*iah, while certainlyre4ecting fatalistic resignation, holds that action in the spiritualrealm alone has the power to bring complete healing without resortto physicians and medicines) 2t is up to us to ta*e the initiatie, butthe ery essence of what we hae to do is to cry out to 7od, searchour hearts and see* healing through the redemptie 4oy of the Torah


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and mitAot) This iew finds an echo in the sentiments expressed atthe end of Ra .cha5s prayer before blood%letting as Rashi explainsthem0 +1eople ought not to hae recourse to medical treatments butshould rather pray for mercy)+ The same iew is expressed een

more directly in the rabbinic statements 3uoted earlier about thepower of the Torah to heal the entire body !see p) $6()

These diergent tendencies are reflected in the iews of laterrabbinic authorities) Many of them too* the statement that thedoctor has sanction to heal at face alue as giing us completelicense to resort to medicine) This is accepted by irtually allcontemporary rabbis) @n the other hand, some of the mostoutstanding authorities of all times, including the Ramban and Rabbi?liahu, the 7aon of ilna, championed King >eAe*iah5s path of faith)

hile not disputing that the physician may hae sanction to cure,they argued that this does not mean that a Jew has sanction toresort to doctors and medicines when he can achiee completehealing through faith and Torah)

8rom this point of iew exclusie dependence upon physicalstrategies of healing can be seen as dierting the sic* person fromthe path of true healing) This was why King .sa was criticiAed forturning to physicians) 2t may also be among the considerations

underlying the much%discussed mishnaic dictum, +The best ofphysicians are destined to go to hell+ !$iddushin &$a() @ne of thereasons gien for this is that the physician is not afraid of illnessand therefore does not turn to 7od with all his heart !Rashi ad #oc() 2tcould be added that if the physician allows the patient to belieethat illness can be con3uered by physical means alone he is allowinghim to aoid turning to 7od with all his heart, causing him to eadethe ery spiritual issues his illness was sent to ma*e him confront)

The 3uestion remains, if the -ages of 2srael endorsed King

>eAe*iah5s concealment of the Boo* of Remedies, why does theTalmud itself gie explicit details of so many medicines andtreatments= This 3uestion is addressed by the Maharsha !Rabbi -hmuel?lieAer .ideles ";;;%"


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to eeryone because of the unworthy people who will trust not in7od but in the doctors) @riginally it was forbidden to write down theTalmud itself, but because later generations became so forgetful,permission was gien to put the oral traditions into writing !ittin


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To aoid forced conersion to 2slam, the Rambam and his familyfled 8eA in about ""olyIand went to ?gypt, where they eentually settled in Cairo) 8orseeral years the Rambam was supported by his brother 9aid, a

gem merchant, and spent the time preparing his wor*s forpublication while also sering as religious and lay leader of theJewish community) But in ""ebrew0

+2 dwell at 8ostat, while the -ultan resides in Cairo a distance of $%/ *m) away) My duties to the -ultan are ery heay) 2 am obligedto isit him eery morning, and when he or any of his children orthe inmates of his harem are indisposed 2 dare not 3uit Cairo butmust remain in the palace for most of the day) 2t also often happensthat one or two royal officers fall sic* and 2 hae to treat them))))?en if nothing unusual happens 2 do not return to 8ostat until the

afternoon)

+By then 2 am dying of hunger) 2 find the ante%chamber filled withpeople, Jews and gentiles, nobles and common people, 4udges andbailiffs, friends and foes % a mixed multitude awaiting my return) 2beg my patients to bear with me while 2 ta*e some lightrefreshment, the only meal 2 eat in twenty%four hours) 2 then goforth to attend to my patients and write prescriptions and directionsfor their arious ailments) 1atients come in and out until nightfall,and sometimes, 2 solemnly assure you, for another two hours or

more into the night) 2 conerse with them and ma*e prescriptionswhile lying down from sheer fatigue, and by nighttime 2 am soexhausted that 2 can barely spea*)+

The Rambam priAed the pursuit of medicine as one that can deepena person5s faith, *nowledge and loe of 7od through witnessing theamaAing wisdom and intricacy of >is creation as manifest in the


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human body and in the incredible diersity of healing plants andother natural wonders) -ee*ing to ease the suffering of the sic*inculcates precious traits of *indness and patience) +The ac3uisitionof medical s*ill is one of the great gateways to intellectual

expansion, the deelopment of a noble character and the *nowledgeof 7od) hen a person reaches true proficiency, his 3uest is a greatact of serice+ !Shmonah Perakim ;()

+The physician should ma*e eery effort to seethat eeryone, sic* and healthy ali*e, shouldalways be cheerful, and he should see* to relieethem of the spiritual and psychological forces thatcause anxiety) This is the first principle in curing

any patient)+

!Rambam, .anhagat .aBri'ut /0"/%":()

The Rambam5s oluminous medical writings include a compendiumof about three hundred and fifty herbal and other remedies, wor*son asthma and hemorrhoids, and a study of poisons and theirantidotes that is still used in medical research today) 8ar more

releant to the lay student are a number of other wor*sexemplifying the Rambam5s coniction that the most important tas*of the physician is not so much to cure the sic* as to preent illnessin the first place) >is +.phorisms of Moses+ is a collection of adiceon healthcare with 3uotations from 7alen, >ippocrates and arious.rabic medical authorities) >is classic .anhagat .aBri'ut !+7uide to7ood >ealth+( was written in ""6& in response to a re3uest formedical adice by the ?gyptian -ultan, who suffered fromdepression and a ariety of physical complaints) This concise andhighly practical treatise outlines the main principles of diet,exercise, hygiene and general healthcare, the *ey to which, says theRambam, is emotional balance) !8or selected highlights from .anhagat.aBri'ut clic* here)(

Most accessible of all is the chapter on healthcare in the Rambam5sall%encompassing code of Jewish law, the Mishneh *orah !.i#khotDe'ot :(, the opening words of which are0 +Bodily health and well%

http://www.azamra.org/Heal/Wings/Rambam1.htmhttp://www.azamra.org/Heal/Wings/Rambam1.htm


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being are part of the path to 7od, since it is irtually impossible to*now or understand anything of the Creator if one is sic*) @ne musttherefore aoid anything that may harm the body, and cultiatehealthful habits+ !ibid "() The Rambam then proceeds to gie

practical guidance about how, when and what to eat, physicalexercise, sleep, hygiene, healthy elimination, bathing and sexuallife !Clic* here for further details() Much of the Rambam5s adice is basedon passages in the Talmud and elsewhere) The Mishneh *orah runsto a thousand chapters coering eery aspect of Jewish law, and isprinted with lengthy commentary material and dissenting opinionsby later -ages) 2nterestingly, the chapter on healthcare is one of theonly chapters in the entire wor* that appears with no 3uestions ordissenting opinions)

The Rambam5s writings on healthcare are one of the main sourcesof later rabbinic guides to healthcare, such as Chapter /$ ofthe $it"ur Shu#chan rukh !+Concise Code of Jewish Iaw+( andthe *a! )ehoshua !see Sources and 0urther Reading() .lthough the Rambamgae detailed adice about which foods are healthful and which areto be aoided, he was aware that his specific recommendations didnot necessarily apply in cultures other than his own !see >anhagat>aBri5ut "0< and "/() ith the tremendous innoations in foodproduction, supply, refrigeration, etc) since the time of the Rambam,

his adice on diet cannot be applied today without modification) Buthis guidance on moderate liing, how and when to eat, theimportance of exercise and especially of positie attitudesanticipates accepted contemporary healthcare wisdom by eighthundred years)

Healthcare Ad=ice 'ro! +a!"a!

Insihts 'ro! +a!"a! on the art o' healin

The Baal She! To=

To moe from the Rambam to Rabbi Disrael Baal -hem To !"


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closer than the mystical world of the Baal -hem To) Besides thefeudal lords, the furious priests, the uncouth peasants and theJewish scholars, merchants, inn*eepers and their wies and childrenpeopling its towns and illages, the Baal -hem To5s was a world in

which the open hills, ast plains and forests seem to hae had theirown population of werewoles, witches, demons and spirits)

hile some of what is told about the Baal -hem To may belegendary, the reliability of our main biographical source, She!achey .aBaa# Shem *o! !Praises of the Baa# Shem *o! ( by R) 9o Ber of IinetA,was endorsed by Rebbe Nachman ! !anehah Bar"e# p)$6 E/'(, and inalmost all cases it gies full details of those from whom the authorheard the stories) But much of what is recounted there inoles*abbalistic deotions, holy spirit, isions of higher worlds, miracles

and other supra%rational phenomena that must be accepted simplyon trust)

2t is difficult to glean more than the most general information abouthow the Baal -hem To ac3uired his Torah *nowledge, let alone hishealing powers) @rphaned at a young age, he was for a while ta*enunder the wing of the residents of his natie town and seemed to bea promising student) But he would disappear to the forests for daysat a time and before long went his own way, wor*ing on occasion as

a teacher5s assistant, study%house attendant or in other capacitieswhile pursuing his deotions) hen the hidden tAaddi* Rabbi .damBaal -hem was on his deathbed, he instructed his son to see* outthis young R) Disrael and entrust him with his secret *abbalisticwritings, which eidently gae directions for attaining holy spirit andalso, ery probably, for ino*ing holy names in order to achieepractical results)

2n the years that followed, the Baal -hem To spent most of histime in the hills and forests in study, prayer and deotion) The

extent of his talmudic and hala*hic *nowledge is impossible togauge, though it is unimaginable that outstanding scholars li*e theMeAritcher Magid and R) Daa*o Dosef of 1olonnoye would haesubmitted themseles unreseredly to his leadership had hislearning not been of the highest order) The Baal -hem To himselfsaid that he reached his spiritual leels primarily through his efforts


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The Baal -hem To5s iew of the relatie effectieness of spiritualand natural remedies can be seen from one of the ersions of hisfirst meeting with Rabbi 9o Ber, the MeAritcher Magid, who becamehis closest disciple and the main leader of the Chassidic moement

after his death) The Magid was lame and ery sic*) .lthough theBaal -hem To had long wanted to bring him under his wing, whenthe Magid first arried the Baal -hem To made a show of re4ectinghim) The Magid pleaded with the Baal -hem To to heal him, butthe latter retorted, +My horses don5t eat matAos+ !as if to say, 9oyou thin* 25m such a great tAaddi* that een my horses *eep themitAot and 25m therefore on a leel where 2 can heal you rightaway=( The Magid began sweating profusely and felt so poorly thathe had to leae the room) >e called one of the young followers ofthe Baal -hem To and re3uested that he go in and as* him why he

did not fulfil the commandment to +loe thestranger+ !9euteronomy "'0"6()

2n the words of the She!achey .aBaa# Shem *o! 0

+The Baal -hem To came out and appeased him, and wanted toheal him with words) >e went to him regularly for a period of twowee*s and would sit by his side reciting psalms) >oweer the Magidas*ed him to gie him a more immediate cure using medicines)

Iater the Baal -hem To said to him, F2 wanted to heal you withwords, because this brings lasting healing) But seeing that you wantto be cured 3uic*ly 2 hae no option but to use medicines)5 The Baal-hem To did so, and proided him with a place to lie nearby) .tfirst the Magid was unable to go to the Baal -hem To because hewas too wea*, but after a little while he began to improe andwould go to him+ !ibid E:"()

The Baal -hem To was eidently 3uite familiar with +orthodoxmedicine)+ The saintly Rabbi Chaim, Chief Rabbi of Byela Cher*o

!-adeh Iaan(, who was chronically ill, called for the Baal -hem Toto heal him)

+>e spent an extended period with him trying arious treatments,but when the Ra5s sons saw that their father was not improingthey sent for a well%*nown doctor) This doctor had already swornthat if he were to so much as catch sight of the Baal -hem To he


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would ta*e a pistol and shoot him) The Baal -hem To hurriedlytoo* his leae of the Ra and departed) hen the Ra5s sonsbrought the doctor to him, the doctor prescribed a ariety oftreatments) hateer the doctor said, they replied, FThe Baal -hem

To already did that and it didn5t help)5 The doctor left under acloud) The Ra then thundered at his sons, Fhat hae you done=?en though 2 didn5t get a cure from the Baal -hem To, 2 *new thatthe -he*hinah !9iine 1resence( came with him) But when thedoctor entered it was as if a ga#ach !a gentile priest( came in5+ !ibid)E";()

.nother story tells of a prominent doctor who had come to isit thewife of the local lord)

+The countess laishly praised the Baal -hem To as a great manand an expert healer) The doctor as*ed the countess to send forhim) hen he came, the doctor as*ed him if it was true that he wasan expert healer) FTrue,5 replied the Baal -hem To) Fhere did youlearn= ho was your professor=5 as*ed the doctor) F7od taught me,5replied the Baal -hem To) The doctor laughed heartily and as*edhim if he *new how to ta*e someone5s pulse) The Baal -hem Tosaid, F2 myself suffer from a certain problem) Dou ta*e my pulseand see if you can find what it is, and 25ll ta*e your pulse and see

what it reeals)5

+The doctor too* the Baal -hem To5s pulse and could tell that hehad some *ind of problem but he did not *now what it was, becausethe truth was that the Baal -hem To was sic* % he was loe%sic* for7od !cf) -ong of -ongs $0;(, but this was beyond the doctor5s leel ofunderstanding) .fter this the Baal -hem To too* the doctor5s handand examined his pulse) The Baal -hem To turned to the countessand as*ed, F>ae you had a burglary here=5 The Baal -hem Tolisted a number of precious items) FDesG5 replied the countess, F2t5s

some years since they were stolen and 2 hae no idea where theyare)5 F-end to the doctor5s lodgings,5 said the Baal -hem To, Fandopen his chest) Dou5ll find eerything there, because 2 can feel thistheft in the doctor5s pulse)5 The countess sent to search the doctor5slodgings and found the stolen goods, as the holy Baal -hem To had


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said, and the doctor left in disgrace+!ibid E$'


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The healing wisdom of the Baal -hem To was neer recordedsystematically and most of what we *now of it has come down to usonly through such stories) The underlying philosophy is reealed inthe following0

+There was a certain sic* man whom a great and famous Jewishdoctor had gien up all hope of curing) The man was unable tospea*) The Baal -hem To was isiting his town and was as*ed tocome to see him) The Baal -hem To told them to prepare theinalid a meat soup and said that as soon as he ate it he would startto spea*) They gae him the soup and he recoered) The doctorsaid to the Baal -hem To, F>ow did you cure him= 2 *now that hisblood essels were irreparably damaged)5

+The Baal -hem To replied, FDour approach to his sic*ness wasphysical but mine was spiritual) . person has two hundred andforty%eight limbs and three hundred and sixty%fie eins and arteriescorresponding to the two hundred and forty%eight positie preceptsof the Torah and its three hundred and sixty%fie prohibitions) hena person fails to carry out a positie mitAah the corresponding limbis damaged, and when he contraenes a prohibition thecorresponding blood essel is damaged) 2f he contraenes manyprohibitions many blood essels become damaged) The blood does

not flow and the person is in danger) But 2 spo*e to his soul andpersuaded her to repent, and she undertoo* to do so) This way allhis limbs and blood essels were repaired and 2 could healhim5+ !ibid E"$;()

Insihts 'ro! +a!"a! on the Art o' Healin

!from Rambam5s .anhagat .aBri'ut (

") 2f a person cared for himself the way he cares for his horse he

would aoid many serious illnesses) Dou won5t find anyone whogies his horse too much fodder) >e measures out only as much asthe horse can tolerate) But he himself eats to excess) >e ma*essure his animal gets proper exercise to *eep it healthy) But when itcomes to himself he neglects exercise een though this is a


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fundamental principle in health maintenance and the preention ofmost illnesses !"0/()

$) ?en with the utmost care and caution it is impossible to aoidconstant minor fluctuations in our physical functioning) -ometimesthe stools become a little soft, sometimes a little dry) @ne day aperson may find a change in his digestion or feel a mild headache ora slight pain in some other part of his body, and so on) 9on5t be in ahurry to ta*e medications for these *inds of minor problems) Naturewill ta*e care of them without any need for medicines) 8ollow yournormal health regime) 2f you try to treat these minor ailments,either you will do the wrong thing and cause harm or, if you do theright thing, while you may succeed in restoring the normal balance,you hae also taught your body to become laAy and it will no longer

function properly without outside assistance !:0/()

/) 2f the illness is stronger than the patient there is no hope ofsaing him and the physician is of no benefit at all) 2f the patient isstronger than the illness he has no need for a physician becausenature will cure him) 2t is only when the strength of the patient andthe illness are e3ual that medicine is needed to strengthen thepatient))) Most doctors are greatly mista*en in this and thin* theyare strengthening the patient5s natural itality when in fact they are

wea*ening it) @n this sub4ect .ristotle in his Perce&tion and thePerce&tib#e said that the cause of most patient deaths is thetreatment they receie from physicians who are ignorant ofnature!$0:()

:) 2f the patient can be treated through diet alone he should not betreated with medicines) 2f it is impossible to control the illnesswithout medications, the first choice should be medicines that arenourishing and foods that hae medicinal properties) hen usingmedicines one should begin with mild ones) 2f these are sufficient,

well and good) @nly if they are insufficient should one use strongermedicines) hereer a single, simple drug can be used one shouldnot use a compound) 2f the illness cannot be controlled without acompound, one should use the least number of ingredients)Medicines consisting of many ingredients should only be used whenabsolutely necessary !$0$"%$$()


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;) @ne should neer forget to strengthen the patient5s physicalitality with nourishing food and to strengthen his spiritual powerswith fragrant odors, with music, by telling him happy stories thatexpand the heart, and by distracting his mind with things that ma*e

him and his friends laugh) The people chosen to ta*e care of himshould be those who *now how to cheer him up !$0$'()


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?at only when hungry) 9rin* only when thirsty) 9on5t *eep eatinguntil your stomach is full) ?at approximately a 3uarter less than theamount that would ma*e you fully satisfied) 2n the summer eatcooling foods and don5t use excessie seasoning) 2n the winter

months eat warming foods with plenty of spices) 9on5t drin* withyour meal except for a little water mixed with wine) hen the foodstarts to be digested, drin* as much water as you need, but eenthen don5t drin* water to excess) .lways sit down to eat) 9on5t wal*about, ride, ta*e exercise or engage in any other *ind of demandingphysical actiity until the food is digested) 1hysical exertionimmediately after meals can cause serious illness)

Eercise)

Before you eat, wal* about to warm up your body, or engage insome other form of physical actiity) ?ery morning you shouldexercise until your body is warm) Then rest a little, and after thishae your meal) 2f you wash with warm water after your exercise,so much the better) .fter washing, wait a little and then eat)

Bo%el !o=e!ents)

hen you need to reliee yourself, do so immediately) Dou shouldchec* to see if you need to reliee yourself before and after meals,exercise, bathing, sexual intercourse and going to sleep)

Slee$)

2t is sufficient to sleep for eight hours a day) 9on5t sleep on yourfront or bac* but on your side0 at the beginning of the night on theleft side, and at the end of the night on the right side) 9on5t go tosleep directly after eating0 wait about three or four hours after yourmeal)

Bathin)

9on5t bathe immediately after eating, or when you are hungry, butwhen the food begins to be digested) ash your entire body withwater that is hot but not scalding) .fter this, wash your body with


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lu*ewarm water, then with tepid water, until you finally wash withcold water)

9on5t stay in the bath too long0 as soon as you perspire and yourbody becomes supple, rinse yourself and leae the bath) Then dressand coer your head so as not to be caught in a cold draft) Thisapplies een in the summer) .fter your bath, wait till you are calm,your body is rested and the warmth of the bath has dissipated) Doumay then eat) 2f you sleep a little after your bath and before eating,this is excellent) 9on5t drin* cold water after bathing, and certainlynot while in the bath) 2f you are thirsty after leaing the bath andcannot restrain yourself, drin* water mixed with a little wine orhoney)

Seual intercourse)

The semen is the life and strength of the body and the light of theeyes) heneer semen is emitted to excess the body becomeswasted and its life and strength fail) -omeone who is sun*en insexual actiity will age prematurely) >is strength will wane, his eyeswill wea*en, and a bad odor will emit from his mouth and armpits)))).ll *inds of maladies will afflict him) -omeone who wants to lie awholesome life should be ery cautious about this) @ne should notcohabit unless one5s body is strong and healthy and one experiencesrepeated inoluntary erections which persist een when one diertsone5s thoughts to something else) @ne should not cohabit wheneither sated or hungry but only after one5s meal is digested)

General healthcare)

.s long as a person exercises, ta*es care not to eat to the point ofsatiation and *eeps his bowels soft, he will not fall ill and hisstrength will be fortified, een if he eats unhealthy foods) But the

opposite is true of someone who leads a sedentary life, ta*es noexercise, fails to reliee himself when necessary and allows himselfto remain constipated) ?en if such a person eats good food andta*es care of himself according to proper med

wings of the sun

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