Shlomo Ganzfried

“ And as a general, behold, the early healers divided the foods into different levels. Some foods are the very, very worst and a person ought not ever eat them, such as large, salted mature fish, salted old cheese, truffles, mushrooms, salted old meat, wine straight from the wine press, and food that has been sitting until its smell has wafted about, as well as any food that has a bad or very bitter smell: behold, for the body it is like deadly poison. Some foods are bad, but are not as bad as the previous ones ”

“ Light as an eagle, refers to our sense of vision; that is, one should be quick to close one's eyes so as not to look at evil; because sight is the initial act of sin; the eye sees,the heart covets, and the limbs the instruments of action, execute it. Swift as a deer,refers to the legs; that one's feet should run to perform good deeds. Strong as a lion refers to the heart, because the zeal to worship the Creator, blessed be He, is in the heart. ”

“ For if the natural fire is extinguished, his life is lost. And maintenance of this heat is by means of the food that a person eats: just like a burning fire, where if one does not constantly add wood to it, it will go out entirely, so too a person if he does not eat then the fire that is in him will go out and he will die. ”

“ However, not to make the cheer excessive — with food and drink — as the foolish do, for with excessive joviality the warmth goes out to the body's surface, one's natural warmth is melted, the heart is cooled suddenly and he dies prematurely without warning. And this will especially happen to fat-bodied people, as the natural warmth of their bodies is low, as their arteries are narrow, and the blood circulation — which is the source of heat — is slow. ”

“ Therefore, most of the body's health or infirmity depends on the digestion of food. If digestion goes easily and well then the person is healthy; but if the digestion goes awry then the person becomes weak and can reach a state of danger, Heaven forbid.
32:3 Good digestion is when the food is not excessive and is easy to digest. For if one has eaten too much and the stomach is full then the digestion is difficult, because the stomach can no longer expand and contract as it naturally should in order to properly grind up the food. ”

“ And a person who does wisely will need to be happy in his portion, not worry about a world that is not his, not seek extras, and be of good spirit and moderate joy, for this is a factor in increasing one's natural warmth, digesting food, expelling wastes, and strengthening the light of the eyes and all the senses, and the mental power will be strengthened as well. ”

“ Worry is the opposite of cheerfulness, and it also harms, as it cools the body, and the natural warmth gathers to the heart and brings him to death.
Anger stimulates the body heat, until it brings about a type of fever. ”

“ Normally, a healthy and strong person eats twice a day, and old, weaker people need to eat a small amount each time and do this many times a day, for overeating weakens the stomach. One who wants to preserve his health should not eat until his stomach is empty of the previous food. The normal digestion of a healthy person who eats moderate foods and exercises moderately takes up to six hours. ”

“ But one whose constitution is not moderate needs to eat foods that are somewhat the opposite of his temperament. One with a hot constitution should not eat warming substances such as seasoned dishes and spices, but rather should eats foods that are somewhat cooling and sour/pickled; and one who has a cold constitution should eat foods that are somewhat warming.
And likewise the food should differ according to the time and the place. In the sunny season, he should eat cooling foods like mutton, young goats and young chickens, and also some sour/pickled foods; in the cold season, warming foods. ”

“ For this is the goal of every man, as it says in the text: They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness, which means, every morning man is like a newborn living being; and for this he must thank, with all his heart, Hashem Yitbarakh for this. ”

“ But if one is unable to get up at midnight, let one at least make an effort to rise before dawn; as King David, may he be in peace, said:I will awake the dawn, meaning - I awake the dawn, but the dawn does not awake me. Even after midnight, one may perform the midnight rite, and then engage in the study of the Torah, each one according to one's abilities. ”

“ Modeh ani lefaneikha, melekh chai vekayam, shehechazarta bi nishmati bechemlah, rabbah emunatekha/I acknowledge You, living and eternal King, that You have returned my soul within me in mercy; great is Your faithfulness. ”

“ A man should have in mind: If someone, would call him to a profitable business transaction, or to collect his debt, or calls him to save his possessions from being lost for example, by a fire which started in the city, or something else similar to this, then he would certainly be quick, and get up immediately. ”

“ Reflected light from the sun — that is, when the sun shines on some place and the light comes from there — this light is harmful for eyes. Therefore one should take care to not live in a house where all the windows are only to the north, for the sun does not shine from the north, and all the light on that side is only reflected light. ”

“ When the nights are short and it is impossible to wake so early, he should at least try to get up early enough to have sufficient time to prepare himself to go to the synagogue and pray together with the congregation.
1:6 Psalms and other portions of the Torah, Prophets and Writings which ordinarily people do not say by heart, even one who does know to say them by heart, should be careful not to say them by heart.A blind man is allowed to say any portion of the Torah by heart. ”

“ And therefore every man should take care to not heat up his house too much in winter, as the ignorant do, for by excess heat many illnesses come; the Merciful One spare us. Rather, he should heat it so that he feels no chill, not heating it excessively. ”

“ All fowl is easier to digest than beast meat, and the best type of fowl is chicken. The doctors have said that the food that one is accustomed to does not harm him, even if it is bad food, because habit becomes nature. ”

“ See Chayei Moharan #498
32:21 Moderate exertion is good for the body's health. But great exertion, as well as inactivity, harm the body.
During the hot season one should not exert himself except a little, and in the cold season one should do more. A fat person needs to exert himself more than lean person. ”

“ Therefore, every man who fears the word of G-d, must overcome him and not listen to him. Even when getting up early and is hard for him because of fatigue or his laziness, he must make his objective the will of the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. ”

“ One should not accustom himself to live off of them or add them to his food. Such include large fish, cheese, milk that has been sitting twenty-four hours after being milked, the meat from old oxen and mature (male) goats, barley bread, unleavened bread, cabbage, chatzir/hay/grass, onion, garlic, mustard and raddish — all these are bad foods. A man ought not eat from these except extremely little and during the rainy season ”

“ Not to come suddenly all at once from a dark place to bright light. And if he needs to enter from a dark place to a bright place, let him open the door a little and look at that reduced light for a few seconds, and then open it more, and also look at that light for some seconds, and then open it all the way. ”

“ He should not enter the bathhouse when hungry nor full, but rather when the food begins to digest. And he should wash his body with hot water, then with warm, then with lukewarm, until he rinses with cool. ”

“ This is a cardinal rule of the Torah and from among the features of the tzadikim who walk before God. For a person's sitting, movements and carrying about when alone in his house are not like how he sits, moves and carries about when he is in front of a great king. ”

“ And this is a big rule in healing; as long as stool is held back or is difficult to pass, bad illnesses are coming. Therefore when a man sees that his bowels are weakened and lack expelling force, he should inquire among healers to tell him how to relax them, each person according to his temperament and age. ”

“ And he should not eat until he examines himself thoroughly whether he needs to void himself.
32:20 A man should always strive for his bowels to be loose all his years, and they should be a little close to shilshul/diarrhea/runny/slimy stool. ”