Discovering Natural Healing: A Jewish Perspective

These days, more and more people are returning to their roots, embracing natural healing methods instead of relying solely on conventional medicine or prescription drugs. Natural healing takes a holistic approach to wellness, emphasizing the use of natural methods and disease prevention through a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition, herbal remedies, and other treatments. This approach is based on traditional and modern principles that allow the body to heal itself and achieve a healthy balance. In this article, you'll learn the principles of natural healing, its healing capabilities (even for chronic diseases), and its connection to Judaism.

Principles of Natural Healing

The Healing Power of Nature

Hashem created for us an incredible body that knows how to heal itself without any intervention. Natural healing is also based on the assumption that the body possesses natural healing powers capable of dealing with diseases and healing injuries. These powers can manifest through physiological processes such as the immune system, wound healing, and cell regeneration. Natural healing aims to support these forces using natural methods that do not interfere with the body’s natural processes.

Identifying and Treating the Cause

Unlike traditional medicine, which often focuses on treating symptoms, natural healing seeks to identify and treat the underlying causes of illnesses. For example, instead of treating headaches with painkillers, natural healing focuses on identifying the cause of the headaches—whether it’s stress, poor nutrition, or lack of sleep—and offers solutions to address the root of the problem.

First, Do No Harm

Natural healing emphasizes the need to avoid causing harm to the patient. This means using gentle and natural treatments as much as possible, which are less harmful and have minimal side effects. The goal is to help the body heal itself without causing further harm.

The Doctor as Teacher

Natural healing places great importance on educating and empowering patients. Practitioners serve as guides, teaching patients to understand their bodies, recognize the causes of their illnesses, and learn how to maintain their health in the future. This education allows patients to take an active role in their treatment and healing.

Holistic Treatment

Natural healing considers all aspects of a person’s health—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. The goal is to bring the individual to a healthy balance in all areas, understanding the connection between body and mind. For example, treating mental stress may involve proper nutrition, physical activity, or spiritual practices.

Lifestyle According to Natural Healing

To maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent diseases, natural healing strives to restore the body’s natural balance through non-medicinal natural methods. Here are a few:

Proper Nutrition

Proper nutrition is essential for good health. Natural healing supports a balanced diet based on natural, fresh, and organic food as much as possible. A balanced diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins, and good fats. It’s recommended to avoid processed foods, sugars, and saturated fats.

Proper nutrition can help prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. For example, consuming antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables helps reduce inflammation and prevent diseases.

Physical Activity

Everyday physical activity improves both physical and mental health. It strengthens the immune system, enhances heart and lung functions, helps maintain a healthy weight, and improves mood and overall well-being. Physical activity can include walking, running, swimming, yoga, and more.

Studies show that physical activity can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, improve mental health, and increase life expectancy. Moderate activities like a 30-minute daily walk can make a significant difference in a person’s health status.

Use of Herbal Remedies

Herbal remedies are an essential part of natural healing. They treat various diseases and health conditions such as inflammation, digestive problems, headaches, and more. Herbal remedies can be used as teas, extracts, capsules, and more.

For example, chamomile is known for its calming properties and can help reduce stress and anxiety. Ginger can help prevent nausea and improve digestion. Many studies support the use of herbal remedies, but they should be used carefully and consciously. Therefore, it’s important to consult with an expert to get precise instructions.

Personal and Environmental Hygiene

Maintaining personal and environmental hygiene is crucial in disease prevention and maintaining good health. Hygiene includes daily bathing, brushing teeth, washing hands, and keeping living spaces clean and organized.

Rest and Sleep

Natural healing emphasizes the importance of rest and sleep for physical and mental health. Adequate sleep allows the body to recover, repair damaged cells, and strengthen the immune system. The recommendation is to sleep between 7 to 9 hours a night and maintain a regular sleep routine. Additionally, it’s essential to dedicate time for rest and relaxation during the day, for example, through meditation or deep breathing exercises.

Preventive Medicine

One of the main principles of natural healing is that prevention is better than cure. The focus is on maintaining a healthy lifestyle to prevent diseases from occurring in the first place, rather than just treating illnesses after they develop. A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases and improve overall quality of life.

Spiritual Treatments

Natural healing acknowledges the close connection between body and mind and incorporates mental and spiritual treatments as part of a healthy lifestyle. These treatments help reduce stress, improve mood, and increase feelings of calm and tranquility.

Advantages of Natural Healing over Traditional Medicine

Disease Prevention

Natural healing focuses on disease prevention through a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. The preventive medicine approach includes a focus on maintaining both body and mind, strengthening the immune system, and preventing health conditions that may lead to chronic diseases.

Fewer Side Effects

The use of natural methods and materials reduces the likelihood of side effects compared to chemical drugs. Many medications can cause unwanted side effects, whereas natural treatments are considered safer over time.

Comprehensive Treatment

Natural healing addresses all aspects of a person’s health, not just disease symptoms. The holistic approach allows for thorough and deep treatment, considering the patient’s physical, mental, and spiritual condition. Comprehensive treatment helps improve quality of life and maintain good health over time.

Learning and Personal Empowerment

Natural healing emphasizes the importance of patients’ learning and understanding of their bodies and health. This allows them to take an active role in their treatment and healing, which leads to personal empowerment and improved quality of life. Patients learn to know their bodies, understand the reasons for their ailments, and find out how to maintain their health in the future.

Natural Healing and Judaism

"If you diligently heed the voice of Hashem, your God, and do what is right in His eyes, give ear to His commandments and keep all His laws, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon Egypt; for I am Hashem, your healer."(Exodus 15:26)

Jewish people see the Creator as the healer of all diseases. Yet, faith and medicine are not opposing forces; instead, they work hand in hand. Here are some points about medicine from a Jewish perspective:

Faith in Hashem’s Power

Hashem is the source of all healing and cures. In the "Asher Yatzar" prayer, we say that Hashem is "the Healer of all flesh and performs wonders." There is a wonder in the human body that Hashem created for us, a body capable of healing itself, yet Hashem is the sole responsible for our health and healing.

Prayers for Healing

In daily prayers and in the Book of Psalms, there are numerous requests for healing. In the Amidah prayer, recited three times a day, there is a special blessing dedicated to healing. In this blessing, we pray to Hashem, "Heal us, Hashem, and we will be healed; save us, and we will be saved," with complete faith that God can bring healing and health to anyone, even in the most difficult cases.

Human Actions

Alongside the faith in Hashem’s immense power, Judaism also acknowledges the need for human action. Rambam (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon), a great physician and one of the most important Jewish legal scholars and thinkers, argued that one must use their intellect and knowledge to find ways to heal themselves and others. He understood that God endowed humans with the ability and wisdom to use natural tools to improve their health.

Balancing Faith and Deeds

Judaism acknowledges the interplay of faith and action. Alongside prayers and faith that Hashem is the healer of all, one must strive and seek medical help and treatments. A person should actively pursue all possible medical avenues while simultaneously praying to their Creator.

Tzedakah and Good Deeds

According to Jewish tradition, good deeds and charity can bring about healing and health. The Talmud shares many stories of sages who recovered thanks to their good deeds and prayers.

Seeing the Bigger Picture

Judaism believes that everything that happens, including illnesses and healing, is part of a divine broader plan. Therefore, in cases of serious illnesses, there is a belief that God sees the bigger picture and has plans that we sometimes find difficult to understand. Prayer and requests for healing include acknowledgment and acceptance of one's destiny as part of God's plan.

The Wonders of Nature

In Judaism, the world and nature are viewed as masterpieces of Hashem, meaning everything found in nature can be used for healing. The idea is that nature contains everything necessary for human health. Medicinal plants, natural nutrition, and traditional healing methods are seen as part of the divine creation.

Blessing and Gratitude for Food

Before and after eating, Judaism prescribes blessings to thank God for the food, expressing the belief that food is a gift from God with the potential to heal and strengthen the body.

Medicine Alongside Prayer

Judaism combines natural healing with prayer. For instance, when a person takes herbal remedies or engages in natural healing practices, they might pray and ask God for the treatment to succeed. Prayer is an act of faith in acknowledging that true healing comes from God while using nature's tools.

Keeping the Body Healthy as a Mitzvah

In Judaism, maintaining health and the body is considered a duty - "and you shall very much guard your lives" (Deuteronomy 4:15). Turning to natural healing is part of this duty, seen as an expression of trust in the healing power Hashem imbedded in nature.

* The content on this channel is not professional advice, a recommendation, or a substitute for consultation with an expert or obtaining medical advice.