Everyday Judaism · Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe

00:01 - Intro (Announcement)
You're listening to Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe, director of TORCH, The Torah Outreach Resource Center of Houston. This is the Jewish Inspiration Podcast.

00:13 - Rabbi Aryeh Wolbe (Host)
All right. Welcome back everybody to the Jewish Inspiration Podcast. Welcome back to the Mussar Masterclass Now. Last week we had a technical problem. We had a blackout in this area and we were thrown offline and our video was cut short. Our Zoom class continued, but we were not able to continue the online broadcast. So what I'm going to do today is I'm going to review some of what we learned last week and then jump into new material. So it'll be review. For us, review is always good, we know that, and then we'll hopefully finish the chapter today. So up to halacha, number 14.

00:51
Kvahr Amarna, and we were talking until now about our own personal health, how important it is for us to maintain a healthy body, to eat the foods that are appropriate, that are proper, to not eat foods that are bad, for us not to eat too late, right before sleep, and we spoke about many different ideas, some of which will be reviewed right now. Kvahr Amarna we have already mentioned that people differ in their constitutions. Every person should choose, based on a doctor's advice, foods that are most appropriate to his constitution, his location and his time. Generally speaking, early medical authorities divided all foods into different categories. There are some foods that are exceedingly harmful and these should never be eaten. Some examples of such foods are large salted fish that have been aged, salted cheese that has been aged, truffles and mushrooms, salted meat that has been aged and wine that comes straight from the press and it has not had time to be aged, any cooked foods that has remained uneaten until it has produced a repugnant odor or any other foul smelling or very bitter foods that has a poisonous effect on the body and therefore should not be eaten. Okay, so it is, I believe, some of common sense for us to understand that there are certain foods that are bad for us. They're not good. Spoiled food is not good, okay.

02:27
There are other foods that are also harmful, but they are not as harmful as those mentioned earlier. Therefore, it is proper that one eat these foods only in small quantities and very infrequently. One should not become accustomed to relying these foods for his regular sustenance, nor should these be included in his meals on a regular basis. Examples of foods that should not be eaten regularly are large fish and cheese, like mentioned previously, and milk that has remained for more than 24 hours after it has been milked from a cow. Today we have refrigerators, so that issue is not the same Meat of a large bull or large goats, bread made of barley, unleavened bread, cabbage, grass, onions, garlic, mustard, radishes. These are all harmful foods. However, they could be eaten every once in a while. A'in roilu adum lechum, e'ilu elam e'at ad ma'od. Therefore, one should not eat these foods only in exceedingly small quantities. Furthermore, even when they are eaten, they should only be eaten during the winter, but in the summer they should not be eaten at all. Why? Because they mess with your body temperature, with your inner heat. Hallaacha 15, vieish ma'acholm she'im r'im. Yet there are other foods that are harmful but not as harmful as those listed above, and they are waterfowl, geese and ducks, young pigeons, dates, bread that was needed in oil, flour that has been sifted sufficiently to the point that no trace of bran remains. It is not proper to eat large quantities of these foods. Hallaacha 16.

04:14
A person should always hold himself back from eating too much of the fruit of the trees, and one should not eat too many of them, even if they are dried fruits, and certainly an abundance of moist, fresh fruit are to be avoided. However, before they are sufficiently ripened on the tree, they are as harmful as swords that pierce the body. Eating unripened fruits are very, very dangerous. There are certain fruits that are always harmful, such as carob, and any sour fruit is harmful as well Vein, ochlen, mehem, elemaat and one should eat these fruits only in small amounts during the summer and in warm locales. There are a few exceptions to this rule Figs, grapes and pomegranates are always good for the body, whether they are moist or dried, and one may eat his fill of them. Okay, fill yourself up on them. One should not eat them on a regular basis, even though they are the best of all fruits.

05:19
So what we're seeing here is like we saw in Halach about character. When we talked about character, we said we need to have balance. You need to have balance. Someone who always has a certain temperament in their meados, in their character traits, you need to have balance. A person who is angry needs to calm down. A person who perhaps is too calm sometimes has to get awakened a little bit. A person who is too kind, too giving not good. Someone who doesn't give at all, not either good. There has to be a balance. Hallacha number 17. Be ini nashtiya.

05:57
Regarding drinks Ha mayim heim amash kimatimim l'audim. Water is the natural drink for a person and drinking it is healthy for the body If the water is pure and clear. It aids the protection of the body's hydration and expedites the excretion of bodily waste. When one drinks water, he should select cold water, for this quenches the thirst and aids digestion more effectively than water that is not cold. However, the water should not be exceedingly cold, as this can cause one's natural source of inner heat to become extinguished. So what we know as shock. Or a person drinks really cold water when their body is hot. It is dangerous. So when we call chicane, most certainly when a person is tired and weary, he should take great care to avoid drinking cold water. And when a person is exhausted, the tissue of the heart is heated and is softened due to his exhaustion and weariness. Under these conditions, cold water can cause him harm to the point where he may come to danger, god forbid.

07:11
Although drinking water is good for a healthy body, nevertheless one should still take care to avoid drinking excessive amounts. Again, balance. Furthermore, one should not drink water before a meal, before you eat, before you sit for dinner, lunch, breakfast. Don't drink before you eat, because this will chill the stomach and then it will not be able to digest the food properly, Even during the meal one should drink only small amounts of water mixed with wine. Only once the food begins to be digested one may drink a moderate amount of water. Additionally, one should not drink water immediately upon leaving a bathhouse or getting out of a bath or a hot shower, so that his liver will not become chilled. Certainly, one should not drink while he is in the bathhouse.

08:03
If you're in a hot tub, not a good idea to drink a cold beer While his body is being heated. Introducing a cold substance into his body at that time can be very harmful. Similarly, one should not drink cold water immediately after marital relations, because then one's natural inner heat has been weakened and in this weakened state the cold drink may cause the bodily organs to drop below their normal temperature. Aya'in ma'chzikahoma tivi wine has the ability to strengthen one's natural inner heat Umaytiv esa'ikul and it aids digestion, umotzi esamosros and purges the excess elements of the body, the osmium lubir esaguf, and has an overall positive effect on one's health. However, one will enjoy these benefits only if he drinks in a moderate amount.

09:00
Mishem al-khochala Shwanu's brain is in a weakened state should avoid drinking wine, for it will add to his weakness and fill his head with alcoholic fumes. Wine is beneficial for older people and harmful for younger people. The reason for the danger is because wine arouses one's natural inner heat and will have the effect of adding fire to an existing fire. Therefore, one should be careful and avoid drinking wine until one is 21 years old, at which point it will no longer be harmful to him. As we mentioned previously, this is where the law of Not buying alcohol till the age of 21 comes from halacha Ain Raui lishtois, yain kodamachila elemaat.

09:48
It is proper to drink only a small amount of wine before a meal in order to cause the intestines to be receptive to the foods that one will be eating. However, one should not drink wine when he is famished, nor after a bath or sauna or any strenuous exercise. Additionally, one should drink only minimal amounts during meals. So that we said before, a person should be careful during a meal because the natural digestion from the of the body will be Affected by the drinking that you have during the meal and it'll drown the foods that the body is trying to digest. Lo olom, lo yochol odom.

10:35
A person should Eat only when he is hungry and should drink only when he is thirsty. When one feels the need to relieve himself. He should not delay even for a moment. Additionally, one should not eat until he has checked thoroughly to erase any doubt that perhaps he might need to relieve himself. Person who needs to go to the restroom is In a state that they're not going to be at their bodies, not in a normal functioning state when they're going to be able to digest their food properly. The person should make sure that they clear their, their, their, their, bowels, they clear their stomachs and now they can eat properly.

11:14
Lo olom, yochol odom. A person should always endeavor to ensure that his bowels always be relaxed Close to lose bells. This is a fundamental concept in the field of medicine. Any time the passage of body waste is obstructed or when there is difficulty voiding the bowels, harmful illness will ensue. Therefore, when a person sees that his bowels are weakened and they no longer have the ability to properly excrete waste, he should seek advice of doctors as to how the bowels can be relaxed. The solution to this problem will vary according to the constitution and age of each individual. Haigiyah Baderachman Mutsah.

11:56
Moderate exercise is beneficial to maintaining a healthy body. However, excessive exercise, as well as excessive rest, can be harmful to the body. During the hot season one should exercise only minimally, but during the winter time More exertion is necessary. The overweight person needs more exercise than a thin person. Okay, I Think we're getting up to the place that we were last week. It is well known that one state of mind has a direct impact on their physical health. Here kits are elaborates About the relationship and describes how to achieve the ideal balance between body and mind. So this is something we all know in the back of our mind that if we maintain a healthy State mentally, then our, our body feels so much better. I wrote to Lishma Sabrius.

12:51
One who wishes to protect his health needs to be aware of his emotions and be careful that they do not have a negative effect on his well-being. Included in these emotions are happiness, anxiety, anger and fear, all of which are feelings rooted in the workings of the soul. An Intelligent person should be happy with his lot all the days of his feudal life. He should not be worried about his material world in any event, because it is not his, nor should he seek luxuries. One should be in good spirits and moderately joyful. The advantage of maintaining such an attitude is that it increases one's natural inner heat, aids digestion and expedites the excretion of the excess portion of the food he has eaten. Additionally, it strengthens one's eyesight, along with the rest of the senses, and Strengthens the powers of intellect.

13:50
Kids are now describes the potential dangers of the four emotions mentioned above. However, one should not rejoice by eating and drinking, as Is the habit of fools, for excessive joy diffuses heat over the surface of the body, thereby lowering the body's natural temperature. This can lead to a sudden drop in the temperature of the heart, causing it to fail, and he may suffer a sudden and untimely Death. Overweight people are especially prone to this danger, since their Natural inner heat is less than it Should be. The reason such people suffer from a lower body temperature is because their arteries are Constricted and their blood flow, which is the source of the body's heat, is slowed.

14:43
Anxiety is the opposite of happiness, and it too can be very harmful. Anxiety causes the body to cool and its natural inner heat can accumulate in the heart, resulting in heart failure and possible death. Anger arouses the heat of the body to the point where it can lead to a type of fever, and it's dangerous. Fear cools the body and Therefore one who is gripped by fear will shiver due to the body's drop of temperature. This can be very dangerous, for if the body becomes too cold, he may die. Certainly, one should take care to avoid eating when he is angry, fearful or anxious, and eat only when he is in a state of moderate joy. Okay, so now we're going to talk about new Stuff. That was a review and now we're gonna go on and hopefully, a shemmel bless us, we'll be able to finish the chapter of of personal health. Hashenah amamutsas, hatovah tovah libriya-sagov.

15:54
A moderate amount of sleep is beneficial to physical well-being, for it allows one's food to be properly digested and gives the senses respite. If, as a result of an illness, one is unable to sleep, one should eat foods that bring on sleep, meaning do whatever you can to make sure your body rests, that you get the proper sleep you need. However, excessive sleep is harmful, for one's head will be filled with harmful vapors and there is an increase in the fumes that rise from the abdomen to the brain, and his head will fill with these fumes, which will inflict great damage to the body. Just as a person should take care to avoid sleeping immediately after eating, he should also avoid sleeping when he is hungry. The reason for this is because when there is no food in the body, the body will need to consume the excess portion of food that is left in the body in order to fuel its natural heat. From this process, foul fumes are generated and will then rise to the brain. When one goes to sleep, the upper portion of his body should be elevated, because this aids the descent of food into the stomach, from the stomach into the small intestines and minimizes the fumes that rise to the head. The most natural time to sleep is at night, and sleeping during the day is generally harmful. It is beneficial only to one who is accustomed to it. For further information about preparing for sleep, we will talk about this later in Semen 71, chapter 71. Derech HaRachitza.

17:46
The proper method of bathing as follows One should visit the bathhouse every seven days. Now, today we know that it's every day of the seven days. Today we have the ability to shower properly daily. I highly recommend that A person should not visit the bathhouse when he is hungry or when he is full. He sated. Rather, he should wait until the digestion of his food has begun. He should begin bathing by washing his body with hot water, followed by lukewarm water and then by semi lukewarm water. He should continue the sequence until he is washing himself with cold water. Start off with hot and end with cold. When leaving the bathhouse, one should don his clothing and cover his head well, because the temperature of the body leaves the body, escapes the body from the head and is heated so that the cold wind will not affect him. Even during the summer, when cold winds are uncommon, one should take care to dress properly before leaving the bathhouse. This applies to showers. It applies to the pool as well. After leaving, he should wait until his spirit settles, his body has rested and the heat has dissipated, and only after that may he eat. If one is able to nap after leaving the bathhouse and before he eats again, this is very fine.

19:25
Okay, so there's another important thing which Allah doesn't say clearly. Here. He's talking about the health component of it, but there's a very spiritual part of how we bathe ourselves. The halacha teaches us that a person should always start from the head and work their way down to the lower parts of their body, always start with what's higher and work its way down, because the greatest value is our mind. Our mind that can think, our eyes that can see, our ears that can hear our nose, that can smell our mouth, that can talk, then goes our hearts, then goes other parts of our body. We start from the head and work our way down. Number two, second part of this, is that we always deal with the right side and then the left side. So if you're washing your hands, always wash your right hand first, then your left hand, the right side of your body, then the left side of your body. Okay, so that's just an important piece of information when we talk about our cleanliness.

20:30
La olam yishtad ala, the my person should always endeavor to live in a place where the ear is pure and clean, in an elevated area and in a spacious structure, if possible. During the summer. One should not live in a place that is exposed to the North or to the east. One should also ascertain that his home is free of any moldy items. There are people who are very, very sensitive to mold. Particularly in Houston, we have an issue because of the incredible humidity that we have, and when you have your air conditioner blowing, it's very easy for air conditioning ducts to get moldy, and therefore it's important to ensure that they're clean, because otherwise, if you have moldy ducts, what's going to happen is you're going to be breathing mold every time your air conditioner blows air.

21:31
It is a very good idea to freshen the air inside the home on a regular basis by introducing pleasant scents and burning incense, which produces a beneficial smoke. So if you have any of those aerosol cans that spray fresh air fresheners, it's important to have that to make sure that the air is not stale. Open your doors or windows every once in a while to freshen up the air. Avir hatov, labryos agufu. The ideal air quality that enhances one's health should be of moderate temperature, balanced between cold and heat. Therefore, one should be cautious and avoid overheating his home during the winter, as is the habit of unintelligent people, For too much warmth in one's home will cause many illnesses, god forbid. Rather, one should heat his home until he does not feel a chill in the air, but not to the point where it is too hot. Lishmorkhushar'iyah.

22:36
In order to protect one's vision, yizor meadvar me'elu. It is important, if someone wants to protect their vision, to be cautious in the following areas. One should not hastily enter a bright lit area directly from a dark place. So if you're leaving a dark room and you're going outside, you should open the door slightly and gaze at the light visible through the opening for a few moments. After his vision adjusts to the light, he should open the door some more and gaze at the light for a few more moments, and only after that should he open the door completely and exit.

23:21
Lichene'ase gam vivomimokom or limokomkoshach. One should do the same procedure when one is going into a from a brightly lit area to a dark area, for the transition from light to darkness or from darkness to light without pausing in between the two can damage one's vision. So now the kitsar in the last halacha here is going to change tones a little bit. He's not going to tell us anymore about what is permitted or what is prohibited or what's the right thing or wrong thing to do, but rather to just take a minute to notice the brilliance of Hashem's world and to appreciate the gifts that Hashem gives us.

24:08
Lichene'ase gam vivomimokom or limokomkoshach. One should do the same procedure when one is going into a dark area Lichene'ase gam vivomimokom or limokomkoshach. One should do the same procedure when one is going into a dark area, and only after that should he open the door completely and gaze at the light. It does so gradually. It is in reference to this phenomena that we recite in the first blessing of the Shema Ha meir la'orets v'la dorim olel berachimim. God illuminates the earth and those who dwell on it with compassion. What's the compassion? He illuminates it with compassion by doing so gradually and not all at once. Suddenly, light that is reflected from the sun perush, meaning if the sun shines on a surface and from there the light is reflected, that light can be harmful to the eyes. So if you're looking at the sun through a mirror, just be careful. It's like looking at the sun directly. Therefore, one should avoid living in a house that has all its windows facing north, for the sun does not shine from the north and all the light that is there is reflected light from the sun. Likewise, even if the windows are facing towards the east or the south or the west, it is possible that the aforementioned problem still exists If the sky is not visible through these windows, such as when they are blocked by high walls, then the light that enters the house is also only reflected light from the sun, as mentioned earlier. This can be harmful to one's vision and one should avoid living in such a house.

26:07
A few more cautionary measures to protect one's vision. You saw here, milasokh Bhaktiva. One should avoid writing, reading from a book or doing any type of work that requires precision at twilight, because his eyes will be strained due to the insufficient light. I remember my mother always told me if you read in the dark, you're going to hurt your eyes. One should also avoid such activities in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its peak strength and its brightness may be harmful to the eyes. Vichain loyar bebeksiva. One should also avoid writing excessively or reading from a book that has fine print, like any Talmud or any work that requires precision at night, when his only source of illumination is candlelight, this tool will strain his eyes.

27:02
Gazing excessively on any white colored item can also damage one's eyesight. Therefore, the color of the sky is light blue, so it's easy on the eyes, as opposed to being white, in order to avoid damaging the eyes. Similarly, gazing excessively at a bright red item, as well as steering at fire, is also harmful. Smoke and the smell of sulfur are also harmful to one's vision. This is true also of fine dust or a breeze that blows into one's eyes, and likewise, extensive walks and long strides are harmful. Excessive weeping can also harm one's eyesight, so be careful. Kamosha Amarakoso, as the verse states, kalu Padmous Enai, my eyes fail with tears. Vakasha Mikulun, hurova Mishko. The activity that is most harmful for one's vision is excessively engaging in marital relations. Aval Mitzvah, sashamborah Me'ires Enai.

28:21
However, adhering to the Torah has a positive effect on one's eyesight. As the verse states, the orders of Hashem are upright, illuminating the eyes. So if we take a moment to appreciate the brilliant world that Hashem created for each and every one of us, the body that he's given us, the unbelievable powers that are embedded within us, whether it be our eyesight, whether it be our ability to smell things, to taste things, to hear things, to think thoughts, to feel things with our fingers, with our hands, with our heart, our emotions, hashem has given us such incredible gifts, which is the central part of our morning blessings. It's thanking Hashem for all the amazing gifts that he's given us. Hashem gives us unbelievable, unbelievable gifts and this is our responsibility, that this halacha, what the Kitzar is teaching us here to protect them, to watch over them, because this one life we get is the only one we get, and it's our job.

29:48
Our body, which is one of the reasons our sages tell us that it is important for a person not to get a tattoo, for example. The Torah tells us not to get a tattoo on our body, but it's beautiful, but I art, etc. Etc. People have many different reasons why they think it's okay, but it's not our body. That's the mistake. This whole argument of my body, my choice, is a flawed argument because it's not your body, it's Hashem's body. Hashem gives it to you on lease. You're meant to do something with it. You're meant to accomplish something with it, not to just say it's my body, I'm going to do whatever I want with it. Hurry up, do dangerous things.

30:35
If you remember the way the Kitzar started this whole chapter of personal health, he said, brought from the verse in Deuteronomy and you should be very, very careful and cautious with your soul, with your body that houses that soul. It is important. It's our responsibility to ensure that we take care of our body. It's our responsibility to ensure that we do everything in our ability Not to idolize it. It's here to serve us. It's here to house our Nishama, our soul, but to utilize it properly so that it can function as best as possible. If we damage our body and now cannot serve Hashem, there could be a massive complaint against us in the heavens. I gave you a healthy body. You neglected that healthy body and now you're complaining you can't serve me. Hashem should bless us all that we should have a life continued with filled filled with good health, with success in everything we do, utilizing the body, the gifts that Hashem has given us, so that we can elevate our Nishama to the highest place possible.

31:52
Amin. I don't know what permanent makeup is. Are you asking if it's forbidden or not? It's a good question. If it's anything like a tattoo, then it's prohibited. Yeah, so that the tattoo is forbidden. A tattoo is forbidden If it's just a very strong marking. You know that lasts longer than a typical makeup. That would probably not be a problem. So if a person has a tattoo already, you know what?

32:26
There's a story that's told there was an old man. There was an old man in the mikvah, in the ritual bath in Jerusalem and he sees this young guy who's like walking to the mikvah, like covering his hands. So the old man holds him. He says to him why are you walking like that? He says I'm a little embarrassed. Look, I have tattoos. These tattoos that I did before I realized there's the God, before I realized that there was a Torah, before I realized there was commandments. I'm a little embarrassed by what I've done. The old man tells him we all have our tattoos, we all have our markings. And he shows the numbers on his arm from the Holocaust. You know what? We all have our tattoos.

33:14
We all have our past and we have to recognize that at the time that we did it perhaps we didn't know. And now we have to be very, very proud that we're connecting more with God and that we're elevating ourselves every day by learning Torah and by keeping his commandments. Hashem couldn't be prouder. So what happened happened. It's fine. We have to take the steps for the future to ensure that we're doing everything in our ability to elevate ourselves more and more and be closer to Hashem. Alright, so, my dear friends, have a terrific evening. Thank you so much. Next week, new topic. I look forward.