a primer on the origins and practices of Jewish medicine

June 22, 2009

Kokko,

For the past 1939 years Jews have been wanderers, guests in countries throughout

the world. Some of our hosts have been gracious, and some have been outright

cruel and abusive. (Interestingly, though Jews traveled the silk road and traded

extensively in India and the Far East, I have only seen one reference to

acupuncture or Oriental medicine in Jewish literature, that from a little over

300 years ago, and have yet to hear of any reference to Judaism in the Chinese

medical tradition) Medicine was always one of the few professions that Jews

were allowed to engage in, even under difficult circumstances, because of our

high rate of literacy. As such, in each country, Jewish physicians would learn

the local medicine, and invariably combine it with the wisdom of the Jewish

tradition. Because of the relative lack of stability, and constant persecution

due often to the whims of government and clergy, unlike other cultures and

traditions a

" Jewish medicine " per se, was never able to develop. That being said,

though, because until the last century or so, observance of Jewish Law was

widespread, and Jewish legal scholarship was promoted and viewed as the most

praiseworthy of activities, individual great scholars and holy people were also

master physicians, some considered miracle workers. That is due to the fact

that the Talmud (or Gemara as it is also known) or Oral tradition (written down

to prevent it from being lost or forgotten) contains two intertwined streams of

scholarship: halacha or legal discussions , and agadeta or non-legal

discussions. In the Agadic sections, there are many discussions of diet

therapy, anatomy and physiology, plants, medicines, and other diverse therapies

and treatments. In addition, the works of Jewish mysticism also contain a

plethora of material related to medicine and healing. These sources, going back

3300 years

to the giving of the Torah, have been the basis from which individual great

scholars were able to glean out medical wisdom and practice medicine.

It is also interesting to note, however, that there WAS a great book mentioned

in the Talmud called the Sefer Harefuos (The book of Remedies), that existed up

until the time of King Chizkiyahu, (Hezekiah) approximately 2,500 years

ago, who hid it away. When it was composed , and by whom, is subject to

controversy, but, nonetheless, all agree that it existed and was used

extensively for at least 300 years until King Chizkiyahu's time. (The Ramban, in

his introduction to the Written Torah, tells us, for example, that it was

composed by King Solomon.) The reason that he hid it away was not because its

remedies were ineffective. On the contrary, they were too effective! According

to the great medieval commentator Rashi, the reason that King Chizkiyahu felt it

necessary to hide the " Book of Remedies " was because, " when a person became ill,

he would follow what was written in " The Book of Remedies, " and be healed. As a

result, people's

hearts were not humbled before Heaven because of illness. "

This alludes to a major premise of Jewish medicine: that illness does not occur

in a vacuum, needs to be viewed as a wake up call, and serves to motivate us to

examine our deeds and make lifestyle changes that will put us back in balance,

mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. As The Baal Shem Tov and

his successor, the Magid of Mezeritch, were wont to say: " If one has a small

hole in his body, he has a big hole in his soul. "

--- On Sun, 6/21/09, <johnkokko wrote:

<johnkokko

Re: Hippocratic medicine origins...

Sunday, June 21, 2009, 10:56 PM

When we're talking about Hippocrates,

we have to give homage to the Egyptians, since they had formulated a

complete system of medicine

long before the Greeks (specialized surgery, pharmacy, dentistry,

veterinary, embalming, gynecology, cardiology..

and even auricular cauterization) .

Read " Medicine in the Days of the Pharaohs " by Halioua and Ziskind, 2005,

Harvard Press pgs. 184-185

" Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.), the celebrated leader of the school of Cos, was

himself influenced by Egyptian

medical thought... the Hippocratic treatises certainly contain a number of

borrowings from Egyptian medicine,

including three methods for forecasting birth taken almost in their entirety

from the Carlsberg papyrus,

as well as a paragraph on the origin of sperm, which was said to be located

in the spine. "

It has been purported that Hippocrates visited Egypt and learned the

Mysteries.

Other famous sayings of Hippocrates may be borrowings from Egyptian medical

papyri.

Persia conquered Egypt in 525 BC. and after that point, the Mysteries were

much easier to access

(they were kept tightly guarded for millennia).

Both timing and proximal location makes Egypt a major influence for

Hippocratic organization

of medicine.

As far as both physical and intellectual trade between Egypt and India

(Ayurvedic medicine),

it has been written that this had been circulating for 2008 years,

since the reign of Augustus in 1 CE, when Rome had conquered Egypt.

but this was at least 3 centuries after Hippocratic times.

Also, Hebraic, Alexandrian and Roman medicine was influenced by Egyptian

medicine.

Hebrew people lived in Egypt since at least 1500 B.C.

Ptolemic rule of Egypt was from 305 B.C. - 30 B.C.

and Roman rule of Egypt was from 30 B.C. - 639 A.D.

One could say that whoever had control of Egypt in ancient times, had

control of the Western world.

Since Egypt had at least 2800 years of indigenous rule dating back 5100

years,

we can marvel at their advances in medicine and technology predating

Hippocrates

and also give them some credit for where we are today.

To credit Hippocrates as the " father of medicine " instead of " Imhotep " or

" Huang Di "

is surely Euro-centric thinking.

I'm interested in Hebraic medicine as well.

I know that Yehuda wrote about using a dove in traditional Hebraic medicine

a couple of years ago.

Some aspects of medicine are indigenous and others are borrowed.

In any case, let's give credit where credit is due.

K

On Sat, Jun 20, 2009 at 9:42 PM, adividya <adividya > wrote:

>

> What is the source for saying:

>

> " The Galenic/Hippocratic method were heavily influenced by Asian systems of

> thought. "

>

> That would be a fascinating topic of discussion.

>

> In my simple study of Classical Western Medicine, I've not come across any

> solid references for this kind of influence. Galen, who lived in the

> cosmopolitan Roman world would surely have had some kind of exposure to

> Asian traditions, but 'heavily.... '? Sushruta Samhita of Ayurveda introduces

> a 4-humour system that is similar to the Galenics (adding blood to the three

> doshas- which is akin to the sanguine humour), but their elemental

> correspondences do have differences.

>

> Then there is Hippocrates, who lived pre-Alexander (who definitely bridged

> at least Persia and India with the West), his influence of the East seems

> even further. Was there even much trade (that we know about) with the West

> in the Warring States times? Surely wandering ascetics and immortals who

> aren't bound by time and space can communicate without limitation, but as

> far as a tracable historical influence...

>

> Anyways, surely later on in the medieval and later times, there was much

> exchange of information on both sided of the silk road. Have you all seen

> references to Chinese medical theory or therapies being used in the West-

> Europe, Islamic empires, etc?

>

--

Turtle Island Integrative Health

www.turtleclinic. com

TCM Review director

CA State Board Prep Courses

www.tcmreview. com

June 23, 2009

Yehuda,

the Essene gospel of peace by Szekely, which was popular among raw foodists,

including Rabbi Gabriel Cousens tells of how Jesus (the Essene healer) would

heal people through fasting,

through prayer, through colonics (a way of getting out worms) and meditating

with the elements

(sun, water, wind, earth)....

I'm wondering if this school of thought is grounded in traditional Jewish

medicine,

or if this was an interpretive philosophy...

Since we're talking about detox methods on another thread, this seemed

pertinent

as a possible forerunner of naturopathic purifying methodology.

Thanks,

K

June 23, 2009

No, not to the best of my understanding. asceticism is not viewed favorably by

traditional Judaism or Jewish medicinal sources. For example, one who takes a

nazirite vow and refrains form drinking wine, among other things, is viewed

unfavorably and must go through a process of repentance for denying himself that

which the Torah permits. Even though there are a number of prescribed fasts

throughout the year, Judaism teaches that the fast itself is considered

secondary to one's introspection to improve one's ways, and by engaging

in specific day long fasts (without food or drink) one comes to be more in touch

with themselves and their values. Though the Jewish lifestyle involves

discipline, it clearly discourages withholding the permitted pleasures of the

world. Rather, it views the purpose of life to be to elevate those pleasures

which are permitted, and enjoy them within a framework of holiness and privacy.

By enjoying those

pleasures in moderation and within prescribed boundaries, the Torah teaches

that excesses, upon which detoxification is predicated, are rarely an issue.

--- On Tue, 6/23/09, <johnkokko wrote:

<johnkokko

Re: a primer on the origins and practices of Jewish medicine

Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 6:04 PM

Yehuda,

the Essene gospel of peace by Szekely, which was popular among raw foodists,

including Rabbi Gabriel Cousens tells of how Jesus (the Essene healer) would

heal people through fasting,

through prayer, through colonics (a way of getting out worms) and meditating

with the elements

(sun, water, wind, earth)....

I'm wondering if this school of thought is grounded in traditional Jewish

medicine,

or if this was an interpretive philosophy.. .

Since we're talking about detox methods on another thread, this seemed

pertinent

as a possible forerunner of naturopathic purifying methodology.

Thanks,

K

June 23, 2009

hmmm.

So what in all this does the teaching have to say about sex?

On Jun 23, 2009, at 11:16 PM, yehuda frischman wrote:

>

> No, not to the best of my understanding. asceticism is not viewed

> favorably by traditional Judaism or Jewish medicinal sources. For

> example, one who takes a nazirite vow and refrains form drinking

> wine, among other things, is viewed unfavorably and must go through

> a process of repentance for denying himself that which the Torah

> permits. Even though there are a number of prescribed fasts

> throughout the year, Judaism teaches that the fast itself is

> considered secondary to one's introspection to improve one's ways,

> and by engaging in specific day long fasts (without food or drink)

> one comes to be more in touch with themselves and their values.

> Though the Jewish lifestyle involves discipline, it clearly

> discourages withholding the permitted pleasures of the world.

> Rather, it views the purpose of life to be to elevate those

> pleasures which are permitted, and enjoy them within a framework of

> holiness and privacy. By enjoying those

> pleasures in moderation and within prescribed boundaries, the Torah

> teaches that excesses, upon which detoxification is predicated, are

> rarely an issue.

>

> --- On Tue, 6/23/09, <johnkokko wrote:

>

> <johnkokko

> Re: a primer on the origins and practices of Jewish

> medicine

>

> Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 6:04 PM

>

> Yehuda,

> the Essene gospel of peace by Szekely, which was popular among raw

> foodists,

> including Rabbi Gabriel Cousens tells of how Jesus (the Essene

> healer) would

> heal people through fasting,

> through prayer, through colonics (a way of getting out worms) and

> meditating

> with the elements

> (sun, water, wind, earth)....

>

> I'm wondering if this school of thought is grounded in traditional

> Jewish

> medicine,

> or if this was an interpretive philosophy.. .

>

> Since we're talking about detox methods on another thread, this seemed

> pertinent

> as a possible forerunner of naturopathic purifying methodology.

>

> Thanks,

> K

>

June 24, 2009

As with food, the pleasure of intimacy is viewed as a wonderful gift to be

shared lovingly in moderation, (based upon one's health and age) and with

complete unselfishness. The focus of one's thoughts should primarily be on

how one can please their partner, helping their partner feel whole, and it is

this unselfish merging that allows to two to " know " each other, as it says " and

Adam KNEW Eve. "

--- On Tue, 6/23/09, A. Brameier <snakeoil.works wrote:

A. Brameier <snakeoil.works

Re: a primer on the origins and practices of Jewish medicine

Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 10:04 PM