In honor of the Pack-Devinki family
Judiasim on wellness
The Rebbe updating the quote from the Rambam teaches that if we eat healthy we will not get ill!
- The Obligation to Guard One’s Health
Deuteronomy 4:15
“וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם”
“Guard yourselves very carefully.”
The Sages and later halachic authorities understand this as an obligation to protect one’s health and avoid danger.
Deuteronomy 4:9
“Only beware and guard yourself exceedingly.”
Leviticus 18:5
“You shall keep My statutes… by which a person shall live.”
The Torah was given to enhance life, not endanger it.
- The Rambam — The Foundation of Jewish Health
Mishneh Torah
“Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of G-d—for it is impossible to understand or know anything of the Creator when one is ill—therefore a person must distance himself from things that destroy the body and accustom himself to things that strengthen and heal it.”
This is the fundamental Jewish statement on health.
Rambam’s Practical Health Teachings
Exercise
Hilchot De’ot 4
“A person should exert himself daily until the body becomes warm.”
The Rambam teaches daily physical activity before eating.
Avoid Overeating
Hilchot De’ot 4
“A person should never eat until completely full.”
Eat Only When Hungry
Hilchot De’ot 4
“One should not eat except when hungry.”
Drink Only When Thirsty
Hilchot De’ot 4
“One should drink only when thirsty.”
Digestion
The Rambam repeatedly teaches that proper digestion is one of the foundations of health.
Fiber is the key – Harvard 70 year study proves that 40% of the benefit of healthy food is fiber.
Sleep
Hilchot De’ot 4
“Sleep approximately eight hours each night.”
He also advises sleeping after digestion has begun rather than immediately after eating.
Regular Elimination
The Rambam writes that one should never delay using the bathroom, because retaining waste harms the body.
Fresh Air
The Rambam recommends living where there is clean air and avoiding foul-smelling environments.
Cleanliness
The Rambam stresses washing the body, maintaining cleanliness, and living in sanitary surroundings.
Emotional Health
The Rambam teaches that emotional balance contributes directly to physical health and that extremes should be avoided.
- Doctors Have Permission to Heal
Exodus 21:19
“He shall surely cause him to be healed.”
The Sages derive from this that physicians are authorized to heal.
- Joy Promotes Health
Proverbs 17:22
“A joyful heart is good medicine.”
- Envy Harms the Body
Proverbs 14:30
“A tranquil heart is the life of the flesh, but envy is rottenness to the bones.”
- Laziness Shortens Life
Proverbs 19:15
“Laziness casts one into deep sleep.”
The Sages consistently praise diligence and productive activity.
- Guard Against Danger
Deuteronomy 22:8
“When you build a new house, make a guardrail for your roof.”
From this, the Sages derive the obligation to remove all hazards from one’s environment.
Taken together, these sources establish the core principles of Jewish health:
- Guard your health.
- Preserve life.
- Exercise daily.
- Avoid overeating.
- Eat only when hungry.
- Drink when thirsty.
- Sleep adequately.
- Keep the body clean.
- Do not delay bodily functions.
- Live in clean surroundings.
- Maintain emotional balance.
- Cultivate joy.
- Remove dangers.
- Seek medical treatment when needed.
- Recognize that caring for the body is itself part of serving G-d.
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