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Gan Eatin’

The first sin of mankind was of eating a forbidden food. Centuries have passed and I ask you, the reader, a fundamental question: Have we learned from our mistakes?

In the 2009 National Health Survey of America regarding adults 18 years and older, 35% of the population is considered overweight and 27% obese.

In Israel, the average amount of calories a person needs to consume are 2000, yet the average intake is 3000.*

Hashem brought us into this world to be happy and enjoy ourselves and truth be told, food is a great way of gaining pleasure.

However we must use this pleasure in moderation for the price of eating too much is major health problems and negative effects on the way we feel about ourselves.

Thank G-d we have the Torah to enrich our lives, for within it is contained all of the instructions to live a meaningful, healthy, and happy life. In Devarim (Deuteronomy) 4:15 we are given the commandment to guard our soul, which our Sages explain to mean to guard your health. Furthermore, the Rambam states;”Maintaining a healthy body is among the ways of serving G-d, since it is impossible for one who is not healthy to understand or know anything of the Creator. Therefore one must distance oneself from things which harm the body, and accustom oneself to the things which strengthen and make one healthy”.

So what’s the answer?

Leading a life with a balanced diet and active lifestyle.

And here’s how:

Eat whole grain products instead of products made of white flour.

Try to eat fruits and vegetables as snacks because they are nutrient dense and fill you up instead of eating chips, chocolate and candies that are calorie dense and unhealthy.

When eating meat avoid eating the fat and skin.

The real battle of eating right begins in the grocery store and not in your kitchen. Thus I suggest buying healthy, low fat food so that then when you crave something to eat you’ll be left with nothing but the best at home.

Take activities you love like bike riding, hiking, jogging, tennis and more and fit them into your schedule. I bet you can find a family member, friend, or study partner to get active with you.

What better motivation than having Hashem Himself giving us another shot to perfect ourselves since the first sin? He believes in us, and now it’s time we believe in ourselves.

Adam Ezekiel
Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology
Certified Personal Trainier
Certified Aqua Fitness Instuctor

Sources:

U.S Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics. Series 10: Data From the National Health Interview Survey No. 249, 2009.
* Israel Frankel, Physiology Teacher at Wingate Institue, Israel.
Rambam, Hilchot De’ot 4:1; 4:14-15
Rambam, Kontres Hanhagat HaBriut, 1:3

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The Almighty does not create us perfect, we are born with a natural drive for growth because we are expected to grow. Some of you might be thinking , all of those long prayers, written in a language that is over 2,000 years old, destruction of the temple, it happened so long ago, I just don’t relate. I heard someone say that the Ninth of Av reminds him of an old age home, people are walking around in slippers complaining about being hungry. In effort to elevate this monumental holiday I would like to suggest a few points:

· Prepare – The more you prepare for something, the more you are attached to it. Our sages tell us “He who prepares on Shabbat eats on Shabbat”. Don’t wait for the Ninth of Av. Interesting to note that the period is called “The three weeks” a progressive process that starts with the 17th of Tamuz and reaches it climatic point on the 9th of Av. Our sages want to convey the message that it is a package deal you need three weeks of preparation to reach the point where we will feel the 9th of Av.

• Use it-Use what we have to relate. We have all been to the Kotel. The air is different there, you can not explain it. How much more so if you have been there on Friday night! Take a look at the Kotel [even on-line] imagine that the Temple was in its glory; the Western Wall would be accompanied by the Eastern, Southern and Northern Wall’s. What we have now is but a remnant of the real thing. In a spiritual sense this is all the more true. Spiritually, if the Temple was re-built our spiritual level would be in a different galaxy! There would be full clarity in life no confusion, decisions would be easier to make.

• It is in our hands-R.Yehezkel Levenstien,the venerable Mashgiach of Ponevizch Yeshiva had removed cushion on the back of his chair. When asked as to the reason behind it he replied” Our sages tell us that the Almighty’s throne is not whole as long as the Temple is not built, how can I sit on a chair that is fully intact when the Almighty’s is not?” Why is His throne not whole? As long as the Jewish People are not one, the baseless hatred exists in all circles; as long as we do not acknowledge God’s sovereignty, there are 1 million children in Israel alone that do not know how to say the Shema; As long as we are not setting an example and acting as a light unto the nations – How can it be whole? On the Ninth of Av ,pause for a moment ; take sometime out of your day , think about the world, think about what you can do to make it a better place ; a place that is more Godly.

• Look ahead- The Almighty is true to His word. On this solemn day, the Jewish People read Eicha , Lamentations. After talking about the destruction and hardships it ends of with the following verse: Ch.5 Vs.21 “Bring us back to You, Hashem and we shall return, renew our days as of old.” We must see forward to the time when the Almighty will shine His will to all of the nations. The Ben Ish Hai writes, based on the verse in Isaih 63:9 “In all of their troubles He (God) was troubled”. The prophet uses two words for He –One with the letter Aleph and one with a Vav. One translates as “In all of their troubles He was troubled” and one as “In all of their troubles There Was Not trouble”. Both are true. From our perspective we see trouble we do not understand many of the challenges in the world, but there will come a time, when the Temple is rebuilt that it will be “There was not trouble”, we will understand the challenge and the reality behind it, a tool for growth for our place in World History. We shall see the good in everything.

The secret lies in the Hagadah.“It is a mitsvah for us to retell the story of Egypt, and the more one elaborates on the story of Egypt, the more praiseworthy it is”. All of the mitsvot of the evening have an order and a time frame; Four cups of wine, eating of the Matsah before midnight, eating a kazayit of Maror etc. However on the contrary, the retelling of the Exodus is specified to be unstructured. One is encouraged to tell the story of Pesach with no boundaries and with great elaboration, (The more the merrier). The Hagadah mentions the story of Rabbi Akiva and his students that were completely immersed in the story of the Exodus, that they had remained awake the entire night; expounding on the miracles, and were only interrupted by their responsibility to recite the Shema in the morning.

The Ramban explains that the purpose of all the mitsvot is to lead us towards Emunah , belief in G-d. Every encounter, challenge, and triumph is a tool that is given to us to build a relationship with Him. The theme that runs through the entire seder night is that not only did G-d create the world, but He also keeps a watchful eye on all that happens. An example of Hashem’s protection upon the Jews is revealed through the sequence of the ten plagues. The plagues encompass all of the levels of the earth in an ascending order, from the low to the high points i.e.; the first three are water related and below , then ground level and finally the last four descended from the heavens. They started from water turning to blood, frogs, lice, – wild animals, sick animals, boils- hail, locusts, darkness and finally the Almighty Himself comes down from the heavens. The Almighty shows us that He has control over all levels of creation. The holiday of Pesach is an affirmation of that fact -G-d involved in every aspect of our lives.

The Ben Ish Hai points out that the name Pesach has another meaning “Peh –Sach” the mouth speaks. As mentioned above the focal point of the holiday and of Judaism is to appreciate and live with an awareness of the Almighty in our lives. While it is true that there are many mitsvot in the holiday of Pesach, the goal of all of them is “Peh –Sach;” to vocalize and recognize the involvement of G-d in our lives. It is for this reason that we commonly call the holiday Pesach - the holiday that we praise and appreciate His dominion.

In addition, each name that is mentioned is approaching the holiday from a different perspective. The Torah calls the holiday “Chag Ha’Matsot” in recognition of the “eagerness” that the Almighty portrayed to be united with his children. It is a name that expresses His love for His chosen nation. While we, the children call it “Pesach” to recognize the greatness of our Father in the heavens. These two names were chosen for this holiday specifically at the onset of our nation. The Almighty knew that the Jewish people were headed for a long journey. As hindsight testifies, we have transformed from royalty to ruins; advisors to the king and inquisitions. These two names resemble opposite traits. Chag Ha’Matsot – matsah is the bread of the poor, unleavened and a mixture of only flour and water. Pesach – is in commemoration of the elevated status that we have; our mouth praises the Almighty that he “Passed over” our houses and chose us as his nation. These two names are hinting to the path that the Jewish people will be taking, but above all we must maintain our steadfast belief, and be ready to follow the Almighty even into the desert.