The Recipe for Good Living

The Recipe for Good Living

The Recipe for Good Living

The actions of the land of Egypt which you have sat in do not do, and the actions of the land of Canaan which I am bringing you to do not do, and do not follow there statutes…. You will watch my statutes and judgements which a person does them and lives because of them, I am G-d

These words serve as an introduction to the subject of forbidden relations. However, they can easily be read and understood independently. They refer to a whole Torah lifestyle.

It has often been quoted that you should live by the commandments and not die by them as the Pasuk says, “Live by them.” The whole purpose of G-d giving us the Torah is to give us happy healthy lives. (If a person is manipulating the Torah to deteriorate the quality of life he is certainly not following the.)

Another Midrash explains that not dying by them includes general health, not just life threatening situations. (It says that we do not fast for a whole day on the 17th of Tamuz because of its proximity to Tisha Be’av. It takes forty days to fully recuperate from a fast. The teachings of G-d are uncomplicated they refresh the soul.)

There are a lot of rabbinic statements based on these Pesukim. Most of these can fall into the category of “The recipe for Good Living.” Follow the Torah as best you can and live a happy healthy life.

It has been said that the meaning of, “To live by them” is that following the commandments is physically healthy. In our next weeks the prophet Yechezkhel received an elaboration on our Perasha. He says the statement, “Live by Them” three times. Every single time he uses it as an introduction to warn the people about keeping Shabbat or complaining that they ignore Shabbat.

It is not healthy for a person to work seven days a week. Even if a person is physically healthy it is not mentally healthy to work seven days a week. It is upon every person to contemplate higher thoughts about G-d and society. If a person is always working he can not do that. A person who really keeps Shabbat has his quality of life improved.

(Hertz continues by saying that life for the wicked is not really life. Those who spend their lives chasing after emptiness without respect to other people rarely experience the true relaxation of a Shabbat nap.

Hertz further says that the simple meaning of our Pasuk is that a person who follows the commandments will encounter well being and length of days. Following the Torah is healthy for both individuals and society.

Above we also quoted the Pasuk which says not to follow the ways of the gentiles. Both Egypt and Canaan were steeped in immorality. “No country was ever prosperous and strong in which the sanctity of family life was not upheld and practiced.” It is far superior to follow the Torah instead of the sick ways of many gentiles.)

An often quoted Midrash says that “which a person does them and lives because of them” teaches us that a gentile who observes the Torah is like a High Priest. The Pasuk does not say …”Israelites” but says Ha’adam. The Gemarah explains that this refers to the commandments which all people, including gentile, must follow. In context this makes a lot of sense because observing rules concerning marital relations certainly keeps a person healthy. All of the other commandments which gentiles must keep also encourage a healthy lifestyle.

The actions of the land of Egypt which you have sat in do not do, and the actions of the land of Canaan which I am bringing you to do not do, and do not follow there statutes…. You will watch my statutes and judgements which a person does them and lives because of them, I am G-d

These words serve as an introduction to the subject of forbidden relations. However, they can easily be read and understood independently. They refer to a whole Torah lifestyle.

It has often been quoted that you should live by the commandments and not die by them as the Pasuk says, “Live by them.” The whole purpose of G-d giving us the Torah is to give us happy healthy lives. (If a person is manipulating the Torah to deteriorate the quality of life he is certainly not following the.)

Another Midrash explains that not dying by them includes general health, not just life threatening situations. (It says that we do not fast for a whole day on the 17th of Tamuz because of its proximity to Tisha Be’av. It takes forty days to fully recuperate from a fast. The teachings of G-d are uncomplicated they refresh the soul.)

There are a lot of rabbinic statements based on these Pesukim. Most of these can fall into the category of “The recipe for Good Living.” Follow the Torah as best you can and live a happy healthy life.

It has been said that the meaning of, “To live by them” is that following the commandments is physically healthy. In our next weeks the prophet Yechezkhel received an elaboration on our Perasha. He says the statement, “Live by Them” three times. Every single time he uses it as an introduction to warn the people about keeping Shabbat or complaining that they ignore Shabbat.

It is not healthy for a person to work seven days a week. Even if a person is physically healthy it is not mentally healthy to work seven days a week. It is upon every person to contemplate higher thoughts about G-d and society. If a person is always working he can not do that. A person who really keeps Shabbat has his quality of life improved.

(Hertz continues by saying that life for the wicked is not really life. Those who spend their lives chasing after emptiness without respect to other people rarely experience the true relaxation of a Shabbat nap.

Hertz further says that the simple meaning of our Pasuk is that a person who follows the commandments will encounter well being and length of days. Following the Torah is healthy for both individuals and society.

Above we also quoted the Pasuk which says not to follow the ways of the gentiles. Both Egypt and Canaan were steeped in immorality. “No country was ever prosperous and strong in which the sanctity of family life was not upheld and practiced.” It is far superior to follow the Torah instead of the sick ways of many gentiles.)

An often quoted Midrash says that “which a person does them and lives because of them” teaches us that a gentile who observes the Torah is like a High Priest. The Pasuk does not say …”Israelites” but says Ha’adam. The Gemarah explains that this refers to the commandments which all people, including gentile, must follow. In context this makes a lot of sense because observing rules concerning marital relations certainly keeps a person healthy. All of the other commandments which gentiles must keep also encourage a healthy lifestyle.