On Longevity: Do Religious Jews Live Longer?

"Researchers from Herzog Hospital in Jerusalem found in April 2005 that adopting a spiritual or religious lifestyle helps slow the progression of Alzheimer’s." ("Haaretz", 07/26/2012).

"In the study byKark et al(2016), the research compared the standardized mortality rates of 11 religious kibbutzim and 11 secular kibbutzim between 1970 to 1985 and found that mortality rates in secular kibbutzim were significantly higher than in religious kibbutzim." ("The link between social capital and health among Haredim", Dov Chernichovsky and Chen Sharoni).

"Haredim (ultra-Orthodox) are the healthiest group in Israel: About 74% of Haredim define their health as very good, compared to only 50% from other population groups." (Taub Center based on CBS Social Survey, 2012).

"About 19% of the ultra-Orthodox sector reported a health problem, compared to about 34% of the non-religious." (CBS, Social Survey 2012).

"49% of Haredim needed medical treatment, compared to 62% of Jews from the general public (a gap of 13%!). 55% of Haredim needed medications, compared to 69% of Jews from the general public (a gap of 14%!)." (Nitza Kasir and Dmitry Romanov based on CBS Social Survey 2016, ages 20 and above).

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The big wonder is that many studies indicate that the higher a person's income, the longer their lifespan (Kogevinas et al., 1991; Kaplan et al., 1996; Wilkinson, 1996; Marmot et al.). Yet, the "2015 State of the Nation Report" presented research that found that in towns with concentrations from the ultra-Orthodox sector, life expectancy was higher than expected considering their low economic rating(!), and this despite findings (Ministry of Health, 2013) that the more religious a person is, the less health-promoting their behavior is ("The link between social capital and health among Haredim", Dov Chernichovsky and Chen Sharoni. Chernichovsky and Sharoni's research found that on average, the life expectancy of Haredi men is three years! above what is expected based on their socio-economic status, and for women – about a year and a half!).

Why is this?

"According to the researchers, religious rituals, such as daily prayers, strengthen the sense of collectivity even more than in a secular kibbutz; (b) Calmness that results from prayer; (c) Belief in an external force; (d) Repetitive behavior (rituals) that reduces uncertainty. Also, emphasis on rest on Shabbat may play a part in this; (e) Stability of marriage ties" ("The link between social capital and health among Haredim", Dov Chernichovsky and Chen Sharoni. According to (1996) Kark et al.).

Let's elaborate and explain.

1. Prayer

Prayer, aside from being a commandment, contributes to a person's mental health and therefore to physical health, as it is known that the mind affects the body.

How does prayer contribute to mental health?

1. A person who is in any trouble and knows they have a Father in heaven who cares for them, and can talk and converse with Him, presenting their requests and praying before Him, knowing He hears their pleas and struggles and can help – has a coping tool during hardship, making challenging times easier to overcome. In contrast, a person without such support feels lost in their world, leading to sadness, depression, crisis, and despair and in extreme cases, even leading to the thought of harming oneself, heaven forbid.

2. Prayer instills the belief that life events do not depend on oneself but are managed from above. This certainly contributes to calmness (see below).

3. Once a person has poured out their heart in prayer to their Father in heaven, they immediately feel peace and hope in their hearts that, with Hashem's help, matters will be resolved. This provides calm throughout the day, allowing for a healthy and stable mind.

4. The community and fellowship among worshipers in the synagogue certainly contributes to mental health.

Indeed, a study conducted among 5,000 adults revealed that those who participated in synagogue prayers lived longer than others in the study group (see this elaborately in the second part of the book "The Revolution", chapter "Longevity").

2. Faith

A person who believes that the Creator does the best for them, as a father to their child, who cares and has mercy, and knows that life events do not depend on themselves but on their Creator, has someone to rely on and trusts the Creator that things will sort out for the best.

When a person internalizes the fact that there is a guiding hand from above, and what seems bad may turn out to be good in the future, he can become calmer and more relaxed, thereby stabilizing his mental and physical health.

3. Shabbat

When a person refrains from work on Shabbat in a relaxed manner without the pressures of the weekday, without phones, business, or travel, but with family around the Shabbat table with songs, and festive clothing, it provides calm for the entire week.

By focusing on the family and not engaging in work and calls, this strengthens the bond between husband and wife and with their children.

4. Marriage Ties

When a person follows the path of the Torah, their marital life is more stable, decreasing the divorce rate, definitively contributing to mental health and consequently to physical health. See this elaborated in the chapter on relationships.

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Besides the causes mentioned in the above research, following are additional reasons that contribute to better health among the Torah-observant public:

5. The Commandments Contribute to Health

Researchers have found that there are health benefits for the body hidden in the commandments of circumcision, separation of meat and milk, family purity, laying tefillin, honoring parents, and more (see more on all these subjects elaborately in "The Revolution 4", chapter "The Covenant and Health"; "Keys to Life", chapter "Contrasting Shorteners vs. Marital Harmony"; the first part of "The Revolution", chapter "Stages of the Menstrual Cycle"; chapter "Human Aura and Tefillin"; "The Revolution 3", chapter "Honoring Parents and Longevity").

Indeed, over 900 years ago, one of the greatest early Jewish scholars wrote that the commandments of the Torah are like medicine for the health of both body and soul! (Rashba in a letter printed at the end of his innovations to Tractate Bava Batra, on "the physician").

6. Alcohol and Drugs

Happy people don’t need to force themselves to be happy through smoking, alcohol, or drugs. A person who is content doesn’t seek intoxication or escapism. As elaborated in the first chapter, Torah-observant people are happier because commandments infuse their lives with meaning and satisfaction. For this reason they consume less alcohol, smoke fewer cigarettes (9% of the religious sector smoke compared to 23% of the rest of the population. Among women, 1% compared to 19% of the rest of the population), and do not use drugs. As a result, they are healthier and live longer.