Taking Care of Your Health, the Torah Way

The Rambam (Maimonides) teaches in his Hilchot De'ot (Laws of Character Traits, Chapter 4) that maintaining a healthy body is part of serving Hashem. If a person is sick or weak, it's harder for them to connect with their Creator. That’s why the Torah expects us to care for our physical health, just as we care for our spiritual growth.

What Our Rabbis Said About Health

In the Gemara (Tractate Shabbat 82a), we find a powerful story. Rav Huna asked his son Rabba why he wasn’t attending the classes of Rav Chisda, who was known for his sharp teachings. Rabba replied that Rav Chisda mostly spoke about “worldly matters”, topics like bodily health. Rav Huna was surprised and said, “He’s discussing matters of life and death, and you call that worldly? All the more reason to learn from him!” This shows how seriously our Sages took the topic of health, it’s not just physical, it’s spiritual.

Taking Care of Your Body

The Torah says (Deuteronomy 4:9, 15), “Be very careful and guard your soul diligently.” Our Sages (Taanit 22b) interpret this to mean: Hashem gave you a soul, and your job is to protect it. That includes guarding your physical well-being. Don’t eat harmful food, and protect yourself from cold weather or dangerous situations. Taking care of your health is part of being a responsible Jew.

Avoiding Danger

The Rambam also teaches (Laws of Murder and Protection of Life, Chapters 11–12) that removing hazards from your home or environment is a Torah commandment. If there’s something dangerous, something that could cause serious harm then it must be dealt with immediately.

For example, in earlier times, people were warned not to drink water that had been left uncovered overnight in case a snake had drunk from it and left poison. While this may not be a concern today, the idea remains: avoid risky situations. Likewise, don’t put coins in your mouth. They may contain sweat or bacteria, which are harmful. Don’t place food or drink under your bed while you sleep, because a harmful spiritual force (known in Hebrew as ruach ra’ah) is said to rest on such items. (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 116:1)

Fish with Meat or Dairy

The Sages taught that eating fish together with meat or poultry is not allowed, as it may cause a type of spiritual illness associated with tzara’at (biblical leprosy). If someone eats fish and wants to follow it with meat, they should rinse their mouth and hands first, or eat something in between.

For Sephardic Jews, there is also a tradition to avoid eating fish with milk or cheese, but Ashkenazi Jews are generally more lenient and permit it. (See Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah 116 and Beit Yosef 87)

Don’t Serve Harmful Food

Even if a father asks his son to bring him food or drink that is clearly harmful to his health, the son should not do it. While it may seem respectful, it actually goes against the commandment of honoring one's parents. True respect means wanting their well-being. Giving someone food that can harm them is not a kindness, even if they ask for it. (See Sefer Chassidim and many halachic sources including Tzitz Eliezer 1:73)

Healthy Living as a Way to Serve Hashem

In Hilchot De’ot, the Rambam outlines many practical health tips that still hold true today:

Eat only when you’re hungry and drink only when you’re thirsty. Never delay going to the bathroom. When eating a meal, start with the lighter foods and move to the heavier ones, for example, eggs before chicken, or lamb before beef.

Exercise regularly and don’t overeat. The Rambam writes that a person who stays active, doesn’t eat too much, and avoids constipation will stay healthy even if their diet isn’t perfect. On the other hand, someone who doesn’t move much, eats too much, or delays bodily functions, will suffer illness even if their food is healthy.

He also emphasizes that overeating is like poison and the root of many diseases. As it says in Proverbs (21:23), “He who guards his mouth and tongue, guards his soul from troubles.” This refers not only to speech, but to eating habits as well.

Living With Purpose

The Rambam takes it one step further: Taking care of your health should never be only for the sake of appearance or comfort. Our goal is to use our healthy bodies to serve Hashem. It’s hard to focus on prayer, Torah learning, or kindness if you’re in pain or weak. So, even something as simple as getting good sleep, if your intention is to feel better so you can serve Hashem tomorrow, is considered a mitzvah.

This is what our sages meant when they said, “All your actions should be for the sake of Heaven.” Even daily tasks like eating, sleeping, walking, can be ways of connecting with Hashem.

And finally, the Rambam promises something remarkable. He writes: “Anyone who follows these health practices will not become sick their whole life, until they grow old and pass away at an advanced age, without ever needing a doctor.” His body will be strong and his mind clear, allowing him to live a full and meaningful life in service of the Creator.