HaShoneh Halachos for Sun, Aug 30, 2015

52. Healthy Intentions 52. Healthy IntentionsHaShoneh Halachos for Sunday, August 30, 2015 Deios 3:2 A person should direct his heart and all of his behavior towards one goal: getting to know God. A person’s sleeping, waking, and speech should all be dedicated to this purpose. For example, when doing business or working, one should not think only of making money. Rather, one should do these things so that he will be able to get the things that our bodies require, like food, drink, shelter and a wife. When eating, drinking, and engaging in marital relations, one should not intend that he is doing these things just for pleasure. Rather, he should be sure to eat and drink in order to be healthy and fit. Therefore, one should not eat everything he desires like a dog does. Rather, he should eat what is good for the body regardless of how it tastes. Conversely, one should not eat what is harmful to the body even though it may taste good. For example, a person whose flesh is warm by nature should not eat meat, honey, or wine. King Solomon has told us that eating too much honey isn’t good (Proverbs 25:27). One should drink vegetable juice, even if it’s bitter, because then he will be eating and drinking solely in order to be healthy and fit, because a person cannot survive without eating and drinking. Similarly, one should engage in marital relations in order to keep his body healthy and to perpetuate the species. Deios 3:3 A person who lives a healthy lifestyle is not acting a properly if his intention is just that his body be healthy so that he can have strong children who will do his work for him. Rather, his intention should be for his body to be strong so that his soul can be upright and this will help him in his goal of getting to know God. It is impossible for a person to acquire the wisdom necessary to achieve this goal if he is starving, sick, or in pain. When having children, one should have the intention that his child might be a great scholar and leader of our people. Whoever continuously walks such a path will serve God constantly – in business, even during intimacy – because his intention in all things is just to fulfill his needs so that his body will be fit to serve God. Even when sleeping, if one goes to bed with the intention that his mind and body rest so that he remain healthy and able to serve God, then his sleep is service to the Almighty. Regarding this, the Sages said, “Let all your deeds be for the sake of Heaven.” This is what King Solomon said in Proverbs (3:6), “Know Him in all your ways and He will straighten your paths.” By Rabbi Jack AbramowitzProvided for informational purposes only. Please contact your rabbi for guidance in matters of practical application.View HaShoneh Halachos 2: Mishneh Torah Index » “Anyone who studies Jewish laws every day can rest assured that he has earned a place in the Next World...”(Talmud Megilla 28b, Niddah 73a) “One who learns in order to teach will be given the ability to learn and to teach but one who learns in order to perform will be given the ability to learn, to teach, to observe and to perform.”(Avos 4:5)   OU.ORG  |  NCSY  |  NJCD  |  OU Kosher   |  JLIC  |  Jewish Action  |  Advocacy  |  OU Job BoardShabbat Shalom  |  OU Press  |  OU Torah  |  OU Israel  |  Synagogue Services   Share this on  Facebook   |   Forward to a friend   |   Unsubscribe