Life: Our Most Precious Gift Continued from Page L-1 in the theaters and circuses, and is paid to do the work ... how much the more so should I — who am created in the divine image and likeness ... take care of my body?" (Leviticus Rabbah 34:3). Caring for our bodies and keeping ourselves healthy is more than just good proverbial advice. It is a religious mandate. Every time we neglect our health or willingly abuse our bodies we commit a chillul hashem, a sin that profanes God. Such behavior diminishes the holiness of the body and in some way, diminishes God. To care for our bodies, to insure our own self-preservation is an ultimate affirmation of faith. Every time we act to preserve our lives, we are glorifying the Almighty. Indeed, the Torah enjoins us to "Be exceedingly heedful of yourselves ..." This commandment teaches us not only to be heedful, but rather we are asked to be "exceedingly heedful" of ourselves. Other commandments we are obliged to observe, this commandment — the commandment of self preservation — we are obliged to observe in the extreme — uncompromisingly. Such vigilance requires a proactive posture with regard to our health. Despite the heightened health awareness that seems to permeate our culture, most of us take better 'To care for our bodies, to insure our own self-preservation is an ultimate affirmation of faith.' care of our cars than we do our bodies. Ours is the Polaroid generation — in search for instant gratification and a license to eat, drink and be merry. In response to this, Judaism is clear and unequivocal: to ingest deadly cigarette smoke into the body, to take drugs, which alter the mind and weaken the organs, to abuse alcohol are worse than eating treife! The tradition regards such practices to be tantamount to committing suicide, albeit on the installment plan. A proactive posture on health requires us not only to be vigilant about refraining from destructive behavior, but it also includes a measure of prevention to be part of our lifestyles. Maimonides, in his Mishneh Torah, repeatedly teaches us to cultivate habits conducive to health. This includes good eating and sleeping habits. Regular exercise and physical fitness, are excellent ways to help prevent the onset of illness. Those who eat enough cholesterol to kill an elephant and then suffer a heart attack because of their folly have no one else to blame but themselves. We bear a tremendous responsibility for our actions in this world and that responsibility extends itself to how we care for our bodies. We cannot rely on miracles to cure us or quick fix diets to spare us. The thrust of Jewish teaching is for us to create in our lives a balance and control for our physical well-being. This does not mean that the presence of such a balance will guarantee us to be free from illness. It does, however show our sensitivity toward God's creation. Judaism allows us, even commands us, to enjoy the pleasures of this world. But there are times in which to enjoy the pleasures of life and times to abstain. There are times to indulge and times to refrain. c; The Days of Awe are a time for hesbon hanefesh — for reflection and evaluation of our souls. They are also a time to reflect on our health and bodies. To be created in God's image means to bear the responsibility for our souls and our bodies. For "the body," wrote Philo, "is the house of the soul." It is this house which bears the imprimature of the Divine. It is our task to make ourselves worthy keepers of God's most precious gift — the gift of life itself. Rabbi Gershon is associate Rabbi of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. Hava Nedaber Ivrit: Knowing Holiday's Full Meaning By Its Shemot By NIRA LEV Rosh Hashanah, the first chag in our luach, is different from most of our chagim because its merkaz is not the tevah around us or a meorah histori, but rather, its merkaz is ha'adam atzmo. The full meaning of this chag can be found in its different shemot. The shem Rosh Hashanah means the "head," or the beginning of the year. The chag is known to us by this shem from the Mishnah only. In the Tanach this chag is called Yom T'ruah, "The day of sounding the Shofar" and Zichron T'ruah, "Memorial of the sounding of the shofar." In our liturgy Rosh Hashanah is referred to as Yom Ha'zikaron, "Day of Remembrance" and Yom Ha'din, "Day of Judgement." Each of these names conveys the special mashmaut of this chag. Rosh Hashanah, marking the hatchalah of a shanah chadasha is Ljehafffrii THE JEWISH NEWS 27676 Franklin Road Southfield, Michigan 48034 May 10, 1991 Associate Publisher Arthur M. Horwitz Jewish Experiences for Families Adviser Harlene W. Appelman L 2 - FRIDAY, SEPT. 13, 1991 a time of solemn cheshbon nefesh, a rethinking of our derech chayim, of our ma'asim, of our avar and our atid. It is a day of judgement both in the Divine sense, being judged by Ha'kadosh Baruch Hu and in the personal sense, judging ourselves. Rosh Hashanah is a Day of Remembrance — not only of meoraot chashuvim that occurred "Rosh Hashanah . . . is a time of solemn cheshbon nefesh, a rethinking of our derech chayim." be'avar ha'rachok both in the history of the olam and the history of our am, but also remembering the dvash and the oketz that occurred in our personal life. According to our masoret the olam was created on Rosh Hashanah and this chag is yom ha'huledet shel ha'olam. It is not, however, a chag of simcha, chagigot and mesibot like the non- Jewish New Year the way it is celebrated all over the world. If we rejoice it is only because of our emunah in Ha'Shem as the God of Life, Melech Ha'Chayim, who has given us life, and our tikvah that through T'shuvah and ma'asim tovim will inscribe us in Sefer Ha'chayim. The biblical shemot, Yom Teruah and Zichron Teruah indicate the main event of Rosh Hashanah which is t'keeat Shofar — the blowing of the shofar. The shofar, which is usually keren shel ayil, is an important semel of our masoret. It reminds us of akeidat Yitzchak — The Binding of Yitzchak, when Avraham Aveenu was ready to commit the utmost act of emunah and God substituted the ayil for Yitzchak. The Talmud says that when God hears the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, He gets up from His throne of justice and sits down on His throne of rachamim, to give us another chance. T'keeat Ha'Shofar serves as a siman to remember those me'oraot historiyim which made Yisrael an am, whether on Har Sinai or on its entrance into Yisrael, or on the occasion of the proclamation of Shnat Yovel. In history all of these occasions were announced by t'keeat ha'shofar. Shanah Tova! Meelon (Dictionary) a holiday chag a calendar luach a center merkaz nature tevah an event meorah historical histori Man himself ha'adam atzmo shem (p.shemot). .. a name (names) The Bible The Tanach meaning mashmaut a beginning hatchalah year shanah new (feminine) chadasha moral stock cheshbon nefesh taking, introspection, self examination, moral reckoning way of life derech chayim deeds ma'asim past avar future atid Ha'kadosh Baruch Hu ....The Holy One Blessed Be He important meoraot chashuvim events . in the distant Be'avar ha'rachok past world olam nation am honey dvash sting (of a bee) oketz tradition masoret yom ha'huledet shel ha'olam ....the birthday of the world joy simcha celebrations chagigot parties mesibot faith emunah hope tikvah Repentance T'shuvah good deeds ma'asim tovim Sefer Ha'chayim...The Book of Life a horn of a ram keren shel ayil a symbol semel Abraham our Avraham Aveenu Father faith emunah mercy rachamim a sign siman The Sinai Mountain Har Sinai a Jubilee sh n at yovel Ms. Lev is Director, Hebrew Language Lab; Agency for Jewish Education Director, Department of Hebrew, Community Jewish High School Associate Professor of Hebrew language and literature, Midrasha College of Jewish Studies. 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