Healing with Wisdom: Jewish Guidance for Body and Soul

“And You Shall Live by Them”
While we must always pray and give charity to help those who are sick, we’re not meant to rely only on miracles. The Torah teaches us to take care of our bodies through proper medicine, healthy foods, and healing practices. This is all part of serving Hashem.

Nutritious and Appealing Foods
When caring for someone who is sick, it’s important to give them food and drinks that not only help them regain strength, but also taste good and encourage them to eat. Sweet fruits are often a good option, as they are both healing and pleasant to eat. (Chazon Ovadia, Four Fasts 138)

Fish Oil
Fish oil capsules are allowed for health purposes, even if they come from non-kosher fish, because they taste unpleasant and are taken only as medicine and not for enjoyment. (Halichot Olam, Vol. 6, 239)

Camel’s Milk
Milk from a non-kosher animal, like a camel, is forbidden by Torah law, just like eating the meat of a camel. This is stated clearly in Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 81:1). Even if someone drinks it thinking it gives strength, it’s still forbidden. Those who promote or sell camel’s milk are causing others to sin. Our Sages even taught that causing someone to sin is more serious than causing physical harm, because it affects a person’s soul. (See Siman 347:16)

Liver
If a person needs to eat chicken or animal liver for health reasons, they should not avoid it. Some Kabbalistic teachings warn against eating liver, but this does not apply when there’s a medical need. It’s still a good idea to also eat things like olive oil, which support memory. Even healthy people may eat liver in moderation. (The Kashrut of the Kitchen in Halachah and Aggadah)

Meat
A sick person may eat meat to help regain strength. Even during the Nine Days before Tisha B’Av, when it’s customary not to eat meat in mourning for the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple). a sick or recovering person may eat meat, as the custom does not apply in cases of illness. (Chazon Ovadia, Four Fasts 190, 193)

Olive Oil
Someone drinking olive oil for healing purposes does not say a blessing unless it’s mixed with another food or drink. If it’s blended into juice, and the olive oil is the main part, the blessing is Borei Pri Ha’etz (Creator of the fruit of the tree). If the amount is significant (about 81 grams), a concluding blessing (Al Ha’etz Ve’al Pri Ha’etz) is also said. This is because drinking plain olive oil is actually harmful, and we do not bless over something that harms the body. (Chazon Ovadia, Berachot 126)

Blessings Over Medicine
If a medicine tastes pleasant, like a sweet syrup or flavored lozenge, a blessing should be said before taking it. But if the medicine is bitter or tasteless, like a pill swallowed with water, no blessing is needed. However, if the person is thirsty and drinks the water willingly, they should say a blessing on the water. (Berachot 158, Chazon Ovadia, Berachot 150)

Blessing Over Forbidden Foods for the Sick
A dangerously ill patient may eat non-kosher food if a doctor says it’s necessary to save their life. The Torah says (Vayikra 18:5), “You shall live by them” and not die by the mitzvot. However, even though they must eat, they do not say a blessing over this food. (Berachot 168)

Harmful Requests
If a father asks his child to bring him something that is harmful like a food or drink that could hurt his health, the child should not obey. We are not allowed to harm our bodies even to honor a parent. If giving the item would put the father in danger, it is definitely forbidden. (Berachot 173)

Cigarettes
If a father asks his child to bring him cigarettes, the child should respectfully decline. Many great rabbis, including the Chafetz Chaim and Rav Ovadia Yosef, ruled that smoking is forbidden due to its health risks. If it’s impossible to avoid, the child may buy them but should gently encourage the father to quit, reminding him of the Torah’s command, “You shall guard your soul very carefully.” If a doctor says that smoking puts the father in particular danger, it is clearly forbidden to buy them. (Berachot 173)

Waiting Between Meat and Milk
Someone who is sick, or a woman within 30 days after giving birth, may wait just one hour between eating meat and milk instead of the usual six hours. This also applies to nursing mothers who need milk for their health. Care should be taken to remove any meat from the teeth before drinking milk. (Yalkut Yosef, Isur V’heter, Vol. 3, 399)

Kosher Supervision in the Hospital
If someone usually eats only food with the highest level of kosher supervision (like Badatz), but they are now in a hospital where food has only regular Chief Rabbinate supervision, they may eat it without feeling they’ve given up their good practice. Once they are healthy, they can return to their regular observance. (Yabia Omer, Vol. 10, Yoreh De’ah, Siman 20)

Eating and Drinking Before Prayer
The Torah warns us not to eat before praying. The verse “You shall not eat on the blood” (Vayikra 19:26) is explained by the Sages to mean we must not eat before praying for our own lives. Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said someone who eats and drinks before praying shows arrogance, as if they put themselves before Hashem.

Still, if a person needs to eat for health reasons even if they’re not officially sick, they may eat before davening. For example, if someone needs to clear their throat with a raw egg to speak properly in prayer, it’s allowed. (Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah, Vol. 1, 118, 121)

If a person is too hungry to focus on prayer, they may eat beforehand. But if someone can pray at home before eating and still attend synagogue for the rest of the prayers like Kaddish or Kedusha, they should do that, rather than eat before prayer. Eating before prayer is a stricter issue than praying with a minyan. (Beur Halacha 89, Yalkut Yosef)

On Shabbat, when services are longer, people with diabetes or low blood sugar might feel weak. In such cases, they may bring a small piece of cake and eat it after the Shacharit Amidah (silent prayer), even without Kiddush, so they can join the community without needing to eat earlier.

Life Insurance
It is permitted to take out a life insurance policy. Doing so does not show a lack of faith in Hashem. On the contrary, it’s a responsible way to care for one’s family. To avoid issues of ribit (forbidden interest), one can include a heter iska clause, just like is commonly done with bank transactions in Israel.