The “segula” of Maimonides to enjoy good health

The indisputable reality is that our health depends on two major factors: 1. What the patient does to care for his health or to affect her own health. 2. What affects our health and is beyond our control. Of course, that which we can not control is in the hands of HaShem. Therefore, praying and asking HaShem to protect us from diseases and harmful physical conditions, and to help us heal ourselves when we are not well, is the most important factor in this equation.

We Jews believe that there is a strong interaction between the physician and HaShem. Being a doctor is one of the noblest professions, since this professional is like a proxy of God. In my own words: HaShem heals us through the doctors. When the surgeon operates, we believe that HaShem is guiding his hands.

That is why unlike other religions or cults, it is mandatory for us to visit the doctor periodically and put ourselves in the physician’s hands to preserve our health. ונשמרתם מאוד לנפשותיכם

Keeping ourselves in good health requires, first of all, routine medical controls, and especially when we have, or we suspect we have, any symptoms of a possible disease.

Maintaining a good health also involves keeping ourselves away from bad habits. For example, smoking. If I smoke, I can not expect HaShem to protect me from the consequences of tobacco. And I cannot expect the doctor to perform miraculous treatment on my lungs, while I’m still smoking.

In addition to avoiding bad habits, we also need to acquire “preventive” habits.

Many of those “segulot” to prevent diseases were formulated by haRambam, Maimonides, 800 years ago.

Maimonides, who in addition to being a great rabbi was also a famous physician, wrote an entire chapter on preventive medicine in Mishne Tora, Hilkhot De’ot, chapter 4. Anticipating the modern concept of “preventive medicine” by eight centuries, Maimonides referred to: diet, sleeping habits, physical exercise, hygiene, etc.

We’ll start by looking at what he said about eating habits.

The first thing we must improve, according to Maimonides, are our eating habits. Maimonides teaches us that we should eat in moderation. Eat to live and not live to eat.

In De’ot, chapter 4, halakha 2 Maimonides refers to overeating, in Hebrew, akhila gasa, that is, gluttony: “One should not eat until his stomach is full, but up to three-quarters of his total satisfaction.” In other words, it is not bad to stay a little hungry after we finish eating. It is actually a desirable habit.

We live in a time when most of us B”H do not have major problems with having food on our tables. In the United States, for example, the main problem related to public health is not malnutrition (lack of food). It is overeating, obesity, what has become epidemic and is said to be the number one health risk factor for millions of people.
Maimonides said it explicitly in 4:15: “Overeating (akhila gasa) is toxic to the body of any person. It is the main source of all diseases. Most diseases that afflict a person are caused either by eating harmful foods or by filling the stomach and overeating, even healthy foods. This was already suggested by King Solomon in his book of wisdom (Mishle 21:23): “Whoever cares for his mouth and tongue, keeps his soul from anguish”. “Cares for his mouth,” meaning, avoiding eating harmful foods or overeating. .. “.

I leave for the end the phrase that I consider to be the most comprehensive and practical of all Maimonides segulot, as far as the habit of eating.

4: 1 “Do not eat unless you are hungry.”

SEGULA: Repeat these words of Maimonides in Hebrew: לעולם לא יאכל אדם אלא כשהוא רעב ולא ישתה אלא כשהוא צמא Eating healthy and avoid overeating will help us to enjoy a good health.

(To be continued …)

What can we do so HaShem listens to our prayers?

“Segulot” are defined today as certain religious actions or acts that can influence the way HaShem behaves with us, responds to us, etc. Of course, we must be very careful not to trivialize this idea, because we can not make up Segulot or think that through certain superstitions we will ח”ו manipulate HaShem, thus imitating the worst ideas of pagan society.

Also, “Segulot” of doubtful origin must be taken with a grain of salt …

Therefore, in the next few days we will only present Segulot that are not controversial, that is, that are fully accepted in Am Israel; that can be examined under the magnifying glass of Jewish common sense, and which are based strictly on original and verifiable Jewish sources.

Let’s start with one of the most important Segulot: What should we do so HaShem listens, pays attention to, and ideally answers our prayers?

Every day we declare in the Amida, the most important prayer, ki Ata shome’a Tefilat kol pe, “You, HaShem -God- listen to the prayers of the mouths [of all those who pray to You ] “. The Rabbis of the Talmud did not say that it is necessary to wait for auspicious hours or astrologically positive times to pray, as did the pagan prophet Bil’am. In fact, we can and should pray to HaShem whenever we want (especially in order to thank Him!) or whenever we need it. And we can expect HaShem to listen to us at all times, and also to respond to our requests positively.

But there are exceptions. Sometimes, regardless of the merit of our request, HaShem does NOT listen to our prayers. These exceptions are strictly related to our behavior. If our behavior, especially with other people, is not appropriate, then our Tefilot will be rejected, and vice versa!

No one described this scenario better than the prophet Yesha’ayahu (Isaiah) when he said in the name of HaShem: (Chapter 1:15) “When you raise your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes [I will ignore you]. You would be offering many prayers, but I will not listen to them. “

Thus Yesha’ayahu tells us that sometimes HaShem ignores us and flatly rejects our prayers. Fortunately, Yesha’ayahu also explains to us in what circumstances HaShem rejects our prayers. At the end of verse 1:15 he says it explicitly. I will not listen to your prayers because “… your hands are full of blood.”

Yesha’ayahu denounced the hypocrisy of some corrupt people, who killed, robbed, cheated in their businesses, practiced bribery to corrupt justice, did not help the widows, did not defend the orphans or assisted the poor … and expected that HaShem would answer their prayers! Yesha’ayahu denounced that these people prayed and offered sacrifices to God, as if it were a form of a coercion, as if HaShem could be bribed. They had a very childish, immature and non-Jewish idea of God.

Yesha’ayahu then explained to them that there cannot be a divorce between what we do and the response of HaShem to our prayers. HaShem did not listen to the prayers of these people and rejected their sacrifices because their behavior was horrible. They came to Bet haMiqdash after doing all these immoralities and acted as if nothing had happened, or as if HaShem did not know what they actually did. Yesha’ayahu told them categorically: HaShem rejects the prayer of the corrupt.

But he also told them that they are not doomed forever. That if a corrupt person repents and improves his o her behavior, HaShem will accept him. In order for that situation to be reversed and for God to be willing to listen to their prayers, Yesha’ayahu told them what to do: (1:16-17)

“Wash yourselves, purify yourselves [from your evil deeds]. Stop doing evil, learn to practice righteousness, seek justice, defend the oppressed and fight for the cause of the orphan, plead for the widows.” Then HaShem, when He sees these good deeds, will listen carefully to your prayers.

Tomorrow BH will continue to see how the rabbis of the Gemara explained this same principle: that there is a solid relationship between our integrity and morality and the merit of our Tefilot being heard.

The most powerful SEGULA

ועתה, אם-שמוע תשמעו בקולי, ושמרתם, את-בריתי–והייתם לי סגולה מכל-העמים, כי-לי כל-הארץ. ואתם תהיו-לי ממלכת כוהנים, וגוי קדוש

Today is the 1st day of the month of Sivan (Rosh Hodesh Sivan). In six days, we will celebrate the festival of Shabu’ot, one of the major Holidays of the Jewish calendar. Shabu’ot is known as hag Matan Tora, the celebration of the giving of the Tora. Receiving the Tora was actually the conclusion of a larger process: the choosing of the Jewish People as the Nation of God.

We arrived at the Sinai desert on the first day of Sivan (today!) then HaShem told us to camp, all of us together and united, and get ourselves ready for the greatest event: entering a covenant (berit) with HaShem. For the following days, the Jewish people purified themselves, physically and spiritually, for the great event.

Then HaShem began to explain to us what this covenant was all about. He said (Shemot 19, 5-6) “And now, if you would listen to my commandments, and keep a covenant with Me, you will become for me a treasure (segula) among all the people… and you will be for me a Kingdom of Priests (mamlekhet kohanim) and a consecrated nation (goy kadosh).

Comprehending these three concepts, segula, mamlekhet kohanim and goy qadosh is essential to understand not only the essence of shabu’ot but the essence of the Jewish people as well.

We will explain these words BH in the coming days, one by one.

SEGULA

The Tora says that upon accepting the covenant we will become God’s “segula”. What does “segula” mean? In dibre hayamim (I, 29:3) the word segula indicates a treasure, a special treasure. Addressing the people of Israel, King David said that he had allocated the Royal reserves of gold and silver to build the Bet haMiqdash, and then he added: “Besides [the allocated royal reserves], in my desire [to build] the Temple to my God, I now give my personal treasure (segula) of gold and silver for the Temple of my God…”. For the Bet haMiqdash, David wanted to use 1. public money (=money or other assets coming from taxes), 2. the royal reserves (=federal reserves), and also 3. his personal treasure (the Kings private money). King David called his personal in Hebrew “segula”.

‘am segula, a treasured people, is a beautiful metaphor. It means that we are God’s most precious possession. His “private” possession. Furthermore, in the context of the covenant celebrated in Shabu’ot, “segula” means that HaShem commits Himself to watch over us and protect us, in the same way a man protects his private treasure, his most valuable possession. This assures us that the Jewish people, as a nation, will never disappear. Israel will be supervised, and treasured, directly by God.

Against all odds, after being persecuted from time immemorial by virtually all peoples and civilizations, we are still alive as a nation, thanks to the most powerful Segula: HaShem’s direct supervision.