Take Care of Your Health - Jewish Ethics: Lesson 4

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Take Care of Your Health: Jewish Ethics: Lesson 4

There is a mitzvah to protect one's own body (Deuteronomy 4:9). How far does this obligation go? Does it prohibit us from partaking in dangerous activities? What about cosmetic surgery?

Handouts:	Take Care of Your Health
Topics:	Cosmetic Surgery, Health, Illness and Healing

Rabbi Yehuda Leib Zarchi is co-director of Chabad @ Laureleaf in Thornhill, Ontario.

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4 Comments

M February 9, 2021

If, you cannot testify against your own guf, then should we be allowed to gestify against somebody else's guf? If the reason is that we do not own our guf, then how much more so that we do not own another's guf! Reply

Patricia Rivkah S Pasadena October 3, 2020

This is a fascinating subject. It is interesting that 30 years ago a lot of rabbis smoked cigarettes like much of society did, and found them to be permissible, because no one knew them to be harmful. But, didn't a person notice their cough become more frequent? Did they notice their teeth become stained and the horrendous odor? Was there not an awareness that smoke being inhaled and exhaled on a regular basis did not coincide with the Torah reading, the Lord breathed into man the breath of life and man became a living being? So, there was no evidence in the jewish mind that smoking was harmful?
Cosmetic surgery is ok if it is enhancing to the body? What exactly does that entail? So, it must mean enhancing a body physiologically, or because of a defect that was now enhanced? Surely not for vanity. A rickety ladder sounds like a rickety common sense barrier. Excellent speech Rabbi. It has us examining the details. The holistic fine greenery of the garden we were originally created in Reply

Joseph Lathrop Lafayette , Indiana December 28, 2011

Tattoo's If a Person has Tattoo's that they got befor they Came to Faith in G-d can they Get them removed ? Reply

Neomi July 16, 2020

in response to Joseph Lathrop:

I don’t know the answer ... I am not a rabbi
However I know people that have become Jewish and also Jewish people that didn’t know they were not allowed tattoos... and later found out they can not have tattoos

They keep their tattoos and now their behaviour is more aligned with Gd's will

There is always a chance to be closer to Gd no matter what was done in the past.

We take whatever deeds we had in the past and transform them for good ! We upgrade everything we have and everything we are :)) Reply

Take Care of Your Health: Jewish Ethics: Lesson 4

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