What is the Jewish approach to healthy eating and physical exercise?

The human being is a combination of body and soul. The body operates, behaves, accomplishes, gives and receives. The soul guides, instills values and provides motivation and inspiration.

This partnership is not easy. The soul is spiritual - the source of morality and inspiration, and creates an awareness of a higher purpose. The body is physical - disposed to the pursuit of pleasure, laziness and emptiness. The soul must deal with the resistance of the body. The body must be willing to cooperate with the soul, and channel its behavior in line with the soul's leadership.

All of this requires tremendous effort, and for it to work both body and soul must be strong and healthy. The health of the soul is achieved through spiritual nourishment - study, prayer and reflection. Bodily health is achieved through healthy eating, exercise and sufficient rest.

In a marriage, where one partner is run down, weak and irritable the result is miscommunication, friction and lack of cooperation. The body-soul partnership is the same. If either one of them are not healthy the relationship is damaged. Maimonides in his guide to Jewish living and Jewish law states that physical health is included in Divine worship. Based on this principle he proceeds to develop an exercise and eating program for everyone to follow.

So eat well and get enough exercise and rest. A great Chasidic rabbi once said: A small hole in the body causes a large hole in the soul.

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