Advice

The Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Leibel Groner, wrote to us, that although for many years the Rebbe’s attitude towards artificial insemination was negative,2 “however, some time before the 27th of Adar, 5752, a couple turned to the Rebbe with a question: The insemination would be done in Jerusalem under the supervision of several G-d-fearing Rabbis, from start to finish. The main issue of the supervision was to ensure that they would not mix into the husband’s semen anything in any way questionable. They received the Rebbe’s agreement, and his holy blessing.

“When the Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Mordechai Eliahu visited the Rebbe, in Cheshvan 5752, to the best of my recollection the Rebbe’s response about a supervising organization in this matter was that if Rabbi Eliahu would personally take responsibility he could be relied upon.”

Question: Blood transfusions have become very common, and are becoming increasingly more so. Why aren’t we careful about whom the blood is coming from? Theoretically, this would “dull the heart” much more than, say, an infant nursing from a non-Jewish nurse.4

Response: Possibly the reason why people are not particular about this is:

a) Usually blood transfusions are reserved for cases of critical need, or at least for the seriously ill;

b) The blood transfusion is only a one-time event, as opposed to the ongoing nursing described in the Shulchan Aruch there.5

The Rebbe’s secretary, Rabbi Leibel Groner, relates that the Rebbe refused to use contact lenses. Similarly, he responded to several Chabad women and girls: “It’s not worthwhile.” “Don’t use them (if possible).” “My opinion against using them is well known.”6

According to Rabbi Groner, the Rebbe did not seem to differentiate between ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ lenses. [Parenthetically, the issues that the doctors point to, such as infections, etc., are also not specific to one type.]

Regarding the earache you write about, according to your description, it sometimes results from eczema in the ear, and the holes that it causes. If this is the case, there are doctors who deal with this, and heal it with ointments, and through ensuring that water does not enter the ear, etc.

The doctors have a rule: If a patient has spent too much time in the same environment, the doctor instructs him to get away for awhile, or engage himself in some other activity. This helps to strengthen his health.

That doesn’t mean that what he was doing until now wasn’t good. Even if everything was fine, the boredom itself can have a negative effect. The same is true spiritually: “A constant enjoyment is not enjoyable.” We must always move higher, and break out of our previous boundaries.

Question: Should an overweight person undergo a surgery removing sections of his stomach?

Response: It is a wonder that there can even be a question about getting involved with such a surgery, especially since the results are uncertain (to the degree necessary), etc! and especially since the only reason for it is since she is heavy?! The whole idea is out of the question.

Question: Should one keep to a diet of health foods only?

Response: Regarding diets, etc: What one eats is not so important (as long as it is properly Kosher). What is important is the intent of his eating: is it to fulfill his desires, or to satisfy his hunger, or does he eat in order to be healthy, and thereby to do good deeds, etc. See also Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 231 [where it says that all of a person’s actions must be for the sake of Heaven].

Normal life for any Jewish man or woman is only if their lifestyle is in accordance with Torah and Mitzvot (as elaborated upon in the Shulchan Aruch). Any lack or deviation therefrom puts the person in a situation comparable to a fish that has jumped out of the river or sea onto dry land;11 even during the moments that it is still alive, it is only floundering around, and not living a true, normal life.

In response to your letter, in which you write about your health, and especially your hoarseness: You write that you consulted several doctors and they could not find a cause. They instructed you to rest — at least rest as far as limiting speech. You explain in detail the unique hardships that this would create for your work and your job.

In such situations one may say, to use our Sages’ phrase13, “the loss is outweighed by the gain,” i.e. by seemingly losing temporarily (through heeding the doctor’s instructions), you will be gaining much more in the long term. Surely they are not demanding that you don’t talk at all, but rather just that you cut down on it.

It is also worth asking your doctor about talking only from the lips outwards (of course, only in the physical sense, and not, Heaven forbid, in the spiritual/internal sense of “lip-service”). For the past several decades, they have tried to teach this method to speakers, especially those who speak relatively a lot — even if they are completely healthy. The general idea is learning how to talk — though with a loud voice and with vitality — using only the external organs of speech, such as the lips and tongue, etc., without inner strain. This will certainly benefit you greatly, also with regard to your particular issue. And, this benefit will probably continue even after you are healed, and back to your full strength.

You are correct that in many cases like yours, and possibly in even more serious instances, the stones passed from the kidneys without surgery, just by certain lifestyle changes. Included in these are hot baths, and considerable liquid intake. Some people ensure that the liquids should have some vegetable fats, etc. It would be worthwhile to consult with the doctors about this.

From your letter it is unclear where the stone is located. Sometimes it may be reached and broken into pieces, which makes it easier to pass afterwards.

Our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were shepherds. Our Sages explain16 that they were completely absorbed in G-d’s will.17 Living a pastoral lifestyle spared them from the distractions and tumult of most worldly concerns, so that they would be able to serve G-d wholeheartedly.

The same is true for us. We must separate ourselves at least every now and then from the “rat-race,” from the noise and confusion of city life, and find some quiet time for relative solitude for a couple of hours a day. At that time, one should think about matters that bring serenity to his soul, and not issues that upset him or make him nervous. Such conduct strengthens the health of the soul, calms the nerves, and frees one’s thought from disturbances.

As in every other area, regarding meditation too, one may apply the verse18 “Behold I have placed before you today life and good” as well as the converse. Hence one often finds aspects of idolatry connected with meditations.

It is a famous question: Why does G-d allow the sun, moon, and stars to exist? After all, there are people that bow down to and worship them. The Sages’ response was:19 “Just because there are fools, G-d should destroy His world?!”

Meditation is often practiced in conjunction with rituals such as burning incense, bowing down to forms or to human beings, etc. It has thus become a terrible calamity, which has spread throughout the United States and other countries, including the Holy Land.

They chose a nice-sounding name for it, “transcendental meditation,” implying something above the intellect, beyond limitation, despite the fact that it includes outright idol worship, or at the very least derivatives of idolatry. In this present darkness of exile, people don’t even imagine how many sons and daughters of Israel, young and old, have fallen into this trap, not only in the United States, but even in the Holy Land and in the Holy City of Jerusalem, where they have erected a popular center which they proudly promote here in the Diaspora.

Our Sages say,20 Idolatry is compared to leprosy. Indeed, the affliction continues to spread. Since each Jewish soul is a “complete world,” one must sacrifice his life to save it.21 This is especially so with respect to idolatry, which is a sin where “one should be killed rather than transgress.”22 Nonetheless, many people are afraid to get involved, viz. “They were in their own eyes as grasshoppers;”23 i.e., they stand at the side and remain silent. In fact, rabbis are even afraid to rule what types of meditation are permitted, since it is possible that through the permitted kind, people will, Heaven forbid, get involved in the forbidden kind.

On the other hand, we must remember that we are not talking about healthy people. Indeed, one should not prescribe meditation for a healthy person, which would take him out of his regular sphere of work in Divine service; since “Man was created for toil.”24 Such a prescription could be the opposite of Judaism, and especially the opposite of the path of Chassidut. We believe that people should work amongst others, and not separate themselves. Someone who is capable of work should do so, and should feel that it accomplishes a purpose. In fact, the Talmud relates that the people of Mechuza, who used to carry heavy loads, fell ill when the opportunity to work was withheld from them, and those who caused the problem were forced to pay damages.25

Thought and meditation have their place, as a part of Divine service. The law is26 that before each prayer we are to meditate upon the “lowliness of man” and “the greatness of G-d.” Obviously, it is impossible to meditate while sitting in the middle of Times Square in New York, amidst the tumult of day-to-day life. Meditative solitude is beneficial at specific times, and for the sake of specific purposes.

However, the discussion here is about people who need a cure, who need to settle their nerves and spirits. There are also others who have convinced themselves that they require meditation, and that too is an illness. If it is withheld from them, they will turn to the gurus who perform it in a manner of idolatry. On the other hand, if one grants their desire, and presents meditation to them in a Torah manner, such as the explanation of the words “Shema Yisrael,” and the like, it will again turn into a meditation about the greatness of G-d or the lowliness of man, and the patient may become depressed. This is obviously not healthy for the spirit.

It is therefore necessary, at least as a start, to compromise and ensure merely that the treatment is a kosher one. It is a fact that all those who attempted to cure themselves with a kosher treatment were successful. We must explain to people that the cure is not dependant on incense or gurus and the like, Heaven forbid.

The counselor must be an expert from a medical standpoint, and also an expert in this area of Halacha. He must be able to rule regarding which aspects of this treatment may be applied, without derivatives of idolatry. He must apply this treatment sparingly, just like all other remedies that are applied only under direction from a doctor.

This is a holy obligation for all doctors who work in the area of ailments of the mind and the treatment of neurological problems. Whether doctor, psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, etc., each must acquire knowledge and expertise in meditation treatments. They must then advertise properly, as is the custom in this country. When a person comes to them to be healed, they should not connect the meditative treatment with other issues, even if they are indeed good and holy; not even with Kabbala, Chassidut, or the secrets of the Torah. For if we set any additional requirements other than the treatment itself, it is almost a certainty that the vast majority of Jews who desperately need to be saved from the idolatrous methods will not agree to forsake them.

Even those few who can be taught these concepts as well, need not receive it immediately at the first stage. They should first be saved, and only then can they be taught the secrets of Torah.

Nowadays, for the most part, people aren’t willfully rejecting the right path. If the opportunity exists to do something in a kosher manner, they will not choose to purposely do the opposite.27

When there will be success in this regard, it will become possible to start saving even Jews who have already fallen into their nets. This is especially true if we will not wait until people come to ask for treatment, but rather approach those who are in need — even if they haven’t recognized their need yet — and talk to them in their language, and tell him the truth: that we are interested in spiritually healing him without any strings attached. If he puts forth an effort, he will see that this is true.

“Do not be embarrassed by the scoffers”28 is a condition that is prerequisite to all four sections of the Code of Jewish Law. Don’t be embarrassed by those who scoff and sow doubts: Who says you will be able to convince the doctor? Who says the doctor will be successful with the treatments? Who says there is a basis for this altogether? All of these doubts are Amalek — “who cooled you off along the way”29 — who tries to cool people off and convince them that they should worry only about themselves. This characteristic is the root of all evil characteristics, and we should not be affected by it at all.

Regarding the migraine headaches from which you are suffering. In addition to the many new medicines, including various types of nicotinic acid, it would also be worthwhile for you to get a small mezuzah that was checked and found to be kosher. Wrap it in layers of felt, and carry it with you (of course, only when one is permitted to carry, and not in the public domain on Shabbat, etc.). This will certainly have a positive effect on your health.

Multiple Sclerosis31

Recently it came to my attention that a new approach to the treatment of M.S. has been made by means of the drug “Interferon.” Although at present it is believed to be helpful in controlling the disorder, it is expected that in similar situations, it will prove helpful also as a cure.

Regarding your letter about moles: Many doctors feel that cutting it off may aggravate the situation, causing it to re-grow, etc. On the other hand (at least in their view), if one doesn’t touch it — not even scratching or picking at it — it is much better. It is also a good sign that yours are not causing you any discomfort. Therefore, you should consult with another expert doctor about all of the above. If there end up being differences of opinion amongst the doctor, taking the passive route (i.e. doing nothing) is better.

Question: Is it desirable to turn to a naturopathic doctor for assistance?

Response: It depends on how much success he has had in the past.

Question: Is one permitted to inject into the body medicines that include non-Kosher ingredients?

Response: This too is common practice, without question, by people who are extremely observant and careful. One may derive benefit from things that are only forbidden to be eaten, but may be used for other purposes.

Inasmuch as you ask my “advice” in this matter, I can only say in a general way that I am not in favor of radical treatment if there is any possibility of treating a patient in some other way.

I must also add that it is customary among Jews that when there is a difference of opinion among doctors as to the urgency of an operation, or whether to operate or not, it should be treated as any other Shaala [halachic question], to consult with a competent practicing Rov, with whom the various aspects and details of the case could be personally discussed, and he can then state his opinion in accordance with the Shulchan Aruch.

In my opinion:

a) The doctors exaggerate in their estimation of the damage caused by a person being overweight.

b) Putting it out of mind — at the very least making sure not to constantly obsess about and focus on it —

* will make it easier to withhold from excessive eating and drinking,

* will strengthen your serenity and peace of mind, thus leading to a better metabolism, which will cut down on the extra fat.

* And, equally imperative, will allow you to serve G-d with joy.

The Rebbe’s secretaries relate, that if a child came down with jaundice, not only with the infection itself but even with the perinatal condition, the Rebbe would emphatically state that they should wait seven complete days after the baby has healed before performing a circumcision.37

Question: Is it permitted to perform medical procedures or treatments only for a sick person, or may one use preventative medicine, i.e. methods to strengthen the body so that it will not fall ill?

Response: This is something that is done every single day, even by Jewish leaders and Torah greats. Maimonides’ De’ot chapter 4 deals mostly with preventative medicine. Indeed Scripture is replete with such references, viz., “All the diseases… I will not place on you, for I am the L_rd your healer,”39 i.e. preventing a disease is also considered a treatment.

Re your letter that someone is being treated by a doctor who deals with mental health. Though it is not certain from your letter which doctor you meant, unfortunately there is a segment of these doctors who begin immediately talking to the patient against G-d, honor of Heaven, honor for one’s father and mother, etc. A lot of research and clarification is necessary to determine what kind of great benefit will be derived from this treatment, and even if it is indeed valuable, whether it is not outweighed by the losses caused over time.

However, it is obvious that some of these doctors have healed and helped very properly and directly. This is especially true every since a certain professor41 found the inner fortitude to announce that (contrary to the beliefs of the famous originator of this treatment42): “Belief in G-d, and overall religious persuasion which lends meaning to life, etc. etc. — are among the most effective steps towards healing.” Nevertheless, for various reasons, this approach has not yet reached broad sections of such doctors, which is why clarification is necessary.

Question: Should I continue to study and practice healing through parapsychology, scientology, telepathy, etc.?

Response: Although the Torah recognizes that such powers do exist, and can have an effect — though not from a holy source — it is absolutely inappropriate for Jewish people. The verse says,44“From the signs of the heavens do not tremble, for the non-Jews shall tremble from them.” In other words, Jews have no reason to fear or worry, since they have a direct connection to G-d through the Torah, and they receive their vitality, support, and assistance directly from Him. Thus, they do not need any of these roundabout ways.

Every now and then I get the opportunity to see some of the fruits of your pen in newspapers, regarding matters relevant to mental health. For someone like you — and especially according to my recollection of our talks in the past — there is no need to stress that mental stability and healing — for every single Jewish soul — is related to the degree of his connection to Torah, about which it says,46 “For they are our life and the length of our days,” and the fulfillment of its Mitzvot, about which it says,47 “You shall live through them.” If every person’s bodily health is dependent on the health of their soul, how much more so is this emphasized and highlighted in the case of a Jew.

Treatment through “radium” waves (radiation), especially for young children, requires great care. If one of the doctors says not to do it, you should not.49

Generally, between the two treatment options that you mentioned, surgery or radiation, I would be more inclined to the first. Obviously, this is only after receiving approval on the specifics from a Halachic authority. The reason for this is because with radiation one cannot always foresee the way the treatment will unfold, and it is not always certain that they are careful of the things they should be careful about.

As is customary in such situations, you should get a decision from two doctors who are expert in this field, in addition to the approval of a Halachic authority, as mentioned.

“…I do not agree at all with the suggestion that your wife undergo an operation on her tubes, since that would almost certainly preclude the possibility of her ever becoming pregnant. You mention other options, seemingly methods of birth control. You should consult a Halachic authority, and share with him in detail the doctor’s opinion.

“It should be noted, however, that often what they assume to be a clash between the bloods, actually has no effect upon the baby. Also, sometimes the situation improves before birth.

“In this case, since you write that your wife is having medical problems, it is very possible that the symptoms that you wrote about are being caused by her poor health, and have nothing to do with a rejection of the baby’s blood by the mother’s. If that is the case, then through her recovery in her general health, there will be nothing to worry about at all…”

Regarding your husband’s health, as he is suffering from a ruptured disk:

Here in the US they now try to avoid surgery, and try instead other forms of treatment.

Question: What is the correct approach to the Salk Vaccine that they have started giving to children?

Response: This has already become the custom here in the US for many months, even amongst the most observant groups. In other words, there is no question as far as issues of Kosher and the like are concerned. Obviously (from a medical perspective) one should make certain that the vaccine is from a good and reliable company.

Regarding uncertainty about cortisone (which was administered over a sustained period of time, and caused delay in the child’s development): The same is true of the other antibiotics, although obviously the side effects aren’t the same with all of them. In any case, recently the doctors avoid using them, and seek alternatives. One of the ideas is to switch medicines periodically.

… I will mention your son at a good time at the holy resting place of my father-in-law the Rebbe, for a blessing for all of his needs, and especially for an improvement in his health with regards to the issues you raised. You will undoubtedly consult with doctors regarding the recent new treatments in this area, and ask whether they can be utilized in this case.

With your forgiveness, I must state the truth, which is that in most cases such conditions (skin problems) come as a result of the parents not having kept the laws of family purity properly while the mother was pregnant. If, Heaven forbid, this was true in your case, you can still correct it to some extent by being extra careful from now on about these laws, and by attempting to increase other people’s care in these areas as well.

May G-d — Who sees what takes place in a person’s heart, and sees your resolution to improve and to have a positive influence on your surroundings — cause the medical procedure to be successful as much as possible. And, when you do your part fully, He will send also a complete recovery. I hope that you will find the right words to explain this to your wife as well, and may it be G-d’s will that you be able to share good news about this matter…”

It is almost certain that this is related to your nerves. If you read the Bedtime Shema with a general intent that you are turning to “He who stands over you” — as we say in the Bedtime Shema, “G-d is your shadow on your right hand56” — it is certain that there is no place for anything negative. That will cause the same in health issues, for “they will melt as wax.”57

Obviously, this does not take away from the natural means, i.e., heeding the doctor’s instructions, since that is the way G-d established His world. [The reason for this is explained in Kuntres Uma’ayan,58 on the verse59 “And G-d will bless you in all that you do.”] You should also ask the doctor whether you should make a bigger separation between eating and sleeping than you have been accustomed to in the past.

Regarding the disturbance of your sleep, etc., about which you consulted a doctor and it did not help:

First of all you should check the mezuzot in your home, as well as your tefillin, to make sure they are properly Kosher. Every weekday before your morning prayers you should set aside a few coins for charity. After prayers every day, even on Shabbat and holidays, you should recite the portion of Psalms as it is divided into the days of the month. It would also be beneficial if you wore Tzitzit not only by day, but also when you are sleeping, as the Arizal dictates.61 When you do these things, I have strong hope that everything will work out.

A doctor who was interested in Chassidic philosophy once wrote the Rebbe about the fact that joy has been scientifically linked to hormonal secretions which are carried by the blood to the brain, and that this lessens — in his opinion — the spiritual implications of joy. The Rebbe responded:

Since the body and the soul are bound together, integrated into one composite entity, it is obvious that every event occurring to the soul will set off a similar occurrence in the body. I hope you will agree that this integration within the “microcosm,” man — who exemplifies the true unity in the macrocosm — is not, as Spinoza’s pantheistic approach would claim, because everything, even the spiritual, is truly natural and material, but rather just the opposite: Everything is really spirituality. And beyond this, indeed everything is really G-dliness, as the Alter Rebbe points out in Tanya63 when explaining the verse64 “one nation in the land:” “Even in material matters they are not separated from the true One.”

It is worth pointing out that those who espouse “materialism” get very excited whenever they find some supposedly spiritual quality manifest in physical bodily changes, such as electrical impulses, etc.

The truth is, however, that not only does this not pose any contradiction to the Jewish approach, but on the contrary, it is a logical result of the true unity of G-d. G-d is one, and there is nothing else besides Him. Not only is there no other god besides Him, but there is nothing else — no true existence — besides Him. This is one of the fundamental concepts of Chassidut, as explained in the second section of Tanya, Sha’ar HaYichud Ve’HaEmunah.

[In a letter to a conference of observant doctors the Rebbe again wrote about this issue:65]

As doctors, you should completely negate the theory that the material is dominant, taking into account the dependency of the body’s well-being on that of the spirit. If in the past there was a clear need for “a healthy spirit in a healthy body,” in our times we have come to yet a greater recognition of how even slight damage to the spirit causes a much greater damage to the body. The healthier the spirit is, the greater control is it able to exert over the body, and the greater is its ability to correct failings within the body. This is why many physical medical procedures have a much greater impact upon the body when accompanied by a strong will and strong spirit on the part of the patient.

This concept of form (quality) over matter (quantity) is further highlighted by the fact that there is growing recognition, even in areas of physical well-being, that some treatments etc. are not necessarily dependent on quantity, for example, hormonal and vitamin treatments and the like66 which are administered in minute quantity.

By the way: It is stated that “from my flesh I see G-d” — from the recognition of the soul’s dominance over the body, it is only a small step to recognizing G-d’s control of our world. As our Sages said67: “Just as the spirit fills the body, tolerates it, and sees but is not seen, so too the Holy One Blessed Be He fills this world, tolerates it, and sees but is not seen.”

Re your letter about stuttering: Since a person must do everything he can within nature, you should ask a doctor and follow his advice. However — most importantly — you should also add in your diligence and application to your Torah studies, both the revealed aspects of Torah and Chassidut. This study should be in accordance with the instruction of our Sages69 “a study that leads to action” — to the fulfillment of Mitzvot with extra care and devotion. In addition to the fact that the above is G-d’s command, it is also the conduit through which to receive G-d’s blessings — “who heals all flesh and performs wonders.”70 The flesh-and-blood doctor is no more that G-d’s agent.

We see plainly that especially the ailment of stuttering is greatly helped by strengthening one’s trust in G-d, that He oversees every single person with particular Divine Providence, since a major factor in the above ailment is a lack of serenity and self-confidence.

Regarding the surgery that is called “testicular,” you should follow the advice of two expert doctors with success, but you should first consult with a Halachic authority as to whether this indeed has anything to do with the testicles, etc.

Early in the Rebbe’s leadership, Rabbi Leibel Bistrizcki suffered greatly from toothaches and inflammations. All the doctors and medicines were to no avail. When he told the Rebbe, he responded: “Check your tzitzit.” He checked them, and found them to be perfectly valid. He even showed them to several of the elderly Chabad Rabbis, Rabbi Shmuel Levitin and Rabbi Yisroel Jacobson, o.b.m., and they confirmed that the Tzitzit were completely kosher.

When he related this to the Rebbe, he told him that he should continuously check them himself. He explained that the Chernobyl Chassidim used to check their Tzitzit several times a day, for the checking itself helps the teeth.73

It is well known in this country that diet can help with ulcers if it is maintained scrupulously. The benefit is not just in quieting the pains, but also in healing the ulcer. The pills that they prescribe along with the diet are only to speed the healing, to strengthen general health, and to make up for the vitamin deficiencies that may be caused by the diet, etc.

Regarding the medical treatment, you should act according to the agreed-upon advice of (at least) two expert doctors (and, in any event, not during the ‘Three Weeks’).

Regarding your varicose veins, you should try elastic stockings, injections, etc.

In general, this is not a proper mode of behavior according to Kaballah and Chassidut. Every person is obliged to “refine” [from evil, and elevate to holiness] his portion of foods. Through not eating meat, he is not refining it — except for certain individuals or holy people.