The Rambam's Promise: Forget Everything You Thought About Diseases

Immediately after that famous miracle happened to Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, following his surprising appointment as president of the Sanhedrin at only 18 years old, he famously declared, "I am as if I am seventy years old." If I may liken myself to great figures, when it comes to dealing with health matters, from a young age I have felt "as if I am seventy." This interest has led me to explore the topic thoroughly, seeking meaningful knowledge that would allow me to remain healthy and strong for as many years as possible.

Anyone in Israel who seeks serious health information will soon encounter the method of 'natural health.' One opportunity to learn its foundations is at the 'New Song' workshop, held several times a year for 5 days and nights. It mainly involves rest, exercise, eating according to the recommended diet of the method's developers, and learning how and why to live this way. The workshop includes many Torah classes on the topic, is supervised by Haredi rabbis, and maintains separation between men and women during classes, practical workshops, and meals.

As mentioned, I recently participated in such a workshop and returned to tell about it. A group of about 25 men and women from all over and from various sectors of Israel gathered in Or HaGanuz, in Galilee. The calming scenery and clear air that gradually relaxed both body and soul did not foreshadow the challenges coming later in the week, alongside the moments of light and joy that would appear.

From my personal sense, the main difficulty for the other participants and myself stemmed from the deeply ingrained human reluctance to change. Often, even if it's not in our best interest, we prefer the familiar, even if bad, over the new and good.

Beyond that, I, like others used to eating whatever they desire, felt during the first days a lack of familiar food, because at the workshop, only fruits, vegetables, and legumes are consumed. If you had a device capable of detecting thoughts and walked among the people in the workshop during the first two days, above our heads you likely would have seen mainly hamburgers, steaks, and pizzas (not all at the same meal, of course)...

The desired change occurred midway through the second day. Despite the feeling of lightness from the first moment, the longing for familiar food was bothersome initially. The body, accustomed to receiving substantial doses of caffeine, sugar, salt, and other harmful substances, needed time to adjust. After cleansing a bit, like any detoxification, there was a special pleasure reserved for release and returning to true, good roots, to natural health. Suddenly, my fellow participants and I (mainly the men) realized that a big vegetable salad is also a lunch. A lentil soup can complete the dinner, and we even saw and experienced ourselves that fruits are the best solution for breakfast.

Admittedly, here and there, the body still demands a decent slice of bread, and the soul desires a piece of chocolate, but professionals say that's exactly why Hashem created dates. It was interesting to see that as the workshop progressed and our intellectual understanding of why the method seems right and good solidified, our comfort increased, and new worlds we never knew began to reveal themselves.

The truth is that food plays a central role in our lives, and no matter how we look at it, if we consider the Jewish calendar, it surrounds us almost all the time and everywhere. From our entrance into this world until we take our last breath, we must, every few hours at best, satisfy our hunger and gain new strength to continue. Beyond the basic and existential need for food and drink, nutrition has become a significant factor in other important areas such as culture, creativity, study, employment, and more. Many of us also find eating a quick and accessible way to relieve boredom, stress, and general discomfort.

Given the central role of food in our lives, which of course Hashem established deliberately, it is unthinkable that He would not give us precise instructions on the correct and proper way to eat. Indeed, we find these in several places. Beyond the well-known dietary laws, it is interesting to discover in our Torah many more good manners and teachings regarding food. This starts with recommended eating times, through desired quantities, and preferred types of food. It can be said that above all, the Rambam stands out and elevates himself as a great sage who dealt with this topic, and even coined the nearly unbelievable saying soon to be quoted, which he wrote after instructing the best manner of eating, in the Mishneh Torah, Sefer Mada, Hilchot Deot, Chapter 3: "Anyone who follows these ways we have instructed, I guarantee that he will never become sick all his life, until he decrepit and die, and he will not need a doctor, and his body will be complete and in excellent condition all his days".

Sages of Israel throughout the generations have taught their listeners to maintain a healthy soul in a healthy body, and moreover, argued that the obligation to preserve health applies to every person in Israel. However, we have not always had accurate information about what constitutes nutritious food. With the worldwide development in recent years of awareness of healthy food, there has also been an increase in this engagement in the Jewish world. As with any innovative field, there are several methods claiming to be the most worthwhile and closest to the truth. In this article, we will talk about the 'natural health' method, led by Rabbi Yuval Hacohen Asherov. The workshops where the method is taught are managed by Asaf Elzara, whom I met for this conversation.

Let's start with the basics of the method. What does it actually say?

"The matters are long and complex and cannot be adequately explained in this time and place, but at least let's lay the foundations. Our sages taught us an important rule: 'The Torah should always appear to you as general principles and not as details,' so it's important to understand the general principles of the natural healing mechanism on which the natural health method is based, which draws from the words of our sages and other ancient medical methods: Every illness is actually a kindness from Hashem. The Hebrew term for illness is similar to the word for compassion. What Western medicine calls a disease, we see as healing. A cure. Take, for instance, a cough. Western medicine wants to eradicate it. It does not take into account that Hashem, in His great kindness, created such a wise body, which detects something wrong in the respiratory tract and wants to expel it. That is the cough. A cough is not a malfunction that should be fought against. We encourage the cough and allow it to pass naturally. According to the natural health method, the only thing that can cure the world is the life force, which Hashem gives us every moment. There is nothing outside of that. Not medications, not vitamins, and not even good and nutritious foods. Once Hashem stops giving us this life force, we die. All that is left for us is to learn how not to interfere with this life force reaching us well, and put it into practice."

According to Asaf, there are four main things to pay attention to regarding how we should allow the life force that Hashem gives us every moment to reach us, and not disturb it: "A. A balanced emotional state. Simply put - joy. B. Proper nutrition. C. Maintain a balanced blood composition. D. Either too much or too little physical activity.

"This time we will of course focus on nutrition. When we eat incorrectly, we keep the body busy with removing toxins and waste, burdening it with things it finds difficult to handle, which hinders the natural healing it constantly performs anyway. Natural healing, that is, the removal of toxins and waste that naturally accumulates there. Additionally, it is important to know that as there is no cure without cleansing, there is no cleansing without rest. This implies that to achieve healing, I need cleansing, and cleansing can only take place through the rest of the body in general, and our digestive system in particular."

"We recommend that our breakfast consists only of fresh fruits," adds Asaf. "Fresh fruits provide a lot of energy, they are rich in minerals and vitamins, and they contain glucose and sugar, which are essentially our fuel in life. For lunch, which is a starchy meal, it is advised to eat a fresh vegetable salad, which is the majority of the meal, alongside baked vegetables. The recommended menu for dinner, which is a protein meal, again includes a fresh vegetable salad and cooked legumes such as lentils. It is advisable not to finish dinner after eight o'clock, to allow the body healing and rest. Thus, if I finished my last meal at eight in the evening, after which it is not recommended to have 'night meals,' and also not to sleep immediately after eating, and my next meal is fruit in the morning, and I continue with fruit until noon - I gain a significant period of about 16 hours where my stomach and intestines work at very low capacity, meaning they rest - meaning they cleanse - meaning they heal.

And what should one eat when sick?

"Eating during illness nourishes the illness, not the patient. To understand this, we must understand the body's defense mechanism and the process of bacteria development in the body. To put it simply, let's compare our body to a country currently unexpectedly at war. In other words, there is currently an invasion into it, and all forces are directed towards the front attacked. Now, when we eat, the digestion process is postponed because it is 'another front' requiring direction of resources and energy, but it is not an urgent front, meaning the food can wait. Meanwhile, the food rots and begins to ferment. Rotting generates bacteria that raise our temperature, so eating nurtures the illness, not the patient. What should be done is to rest, drink water, and if one desires to eat, consume only a little and eat fruits. It should be noted that naturally, we do not have an appetite when we are sick. The body does not want to overload itself with additional activities while dealing with the illness. Hashem created the whole world, and our body in particular, in such a wise and wonderful manner. It is worth listening to it."

Alongside discussing the times when the body is attacked, we began to talk about the types of food one should almost entirely avoid. Unsurprisingly, Asaf also has a structured opinion on this: "It is highly advisable to minimize the consumption of animal protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, etc. These should be reserved for Shabbat, and even then, not to exaggerate. Daily excessive consumption of animal protein 'contributes' to excessive acidity in the blood, which is a key factor in chronic diseases like hypertension, osteoporosis, and more. Likewise, coffee of all kinds, cola and its relatives, snacks, sugar, and salt - all these are highly not recommended. Everything the body needs is in the diet mentioned above. Additionally, it is very unwise to eat until we 'burst.' It is advisable to eat until just before feeling full."

In this regard, what can you tell us about the workshops you conduct? Whom are they for?

"Our 'New Song - Nutrition and Health' workshops are intended for anyone who wants to take responsibility for their health. To make an effort in 'and you shall greatly guard your souls,' as HaShem commanded. We hear amazing responses from countless people who have changed their lives to follow the natural health method. Even if not a hundred percent. The main goal is that most of the diet is healthy. The beginning may not be easy, but very soon it is found to be both enjoyable and worthwhile. The workshop is designed for both healthy individuals and those with joint problems, diabetes, blood pressure issues, and others. We receive health enthusiasts or those whose regular treatments haven't helped them. We also conduct juice workshops, which are a more intense cleansing, and we do a lot of soul work. Many of the lessons are related to things like spiritual eating, eating improvement, etc. Furthermore, all our workshops are held with full separation between men and women and under the supervision of Haredi rabbis. We see tremendous change. There is great heavenly assistance."

As our conversation drew to a close, I told Asaf that there are certainly people for whom it is not suitable to attend a workshop, for various reasons, but who nonetheless want a significant change in their lives concerning their health, and I asked what they can do. "In addition to the 5 or 10-day workshops we conduct, I have a clinic where I receive people for private treatment, where I essentially assist people in adapting a healthier menu. It is important to know that, in essence, I do not do anything. I only guide and direct. The entire issue is great heavenly assistance, and the patient must make an effort. There are people I have not even met in person; we only talked on the phone. They took responsibility, and their lives changed completely. It's worth knowing that these are medical principles Rambam also spoke about. It's wondrous how Rambam knew so well how our stomach functions, without a microscope or advanced medical equipment. It's still unclear how he knew this."

For more information and consultation on health and nutrition issues, you can contact Asaf Elzara via emailshirhadaash@gmail.com