The People of the Treadmill

By Michael Freund
The Jerusalem Post, September 14, 2004

Well, it’s that time of year once again. The High Holidays 
are upon us, which means lots of praying, plenty of family, 
and more than anything else, a plethora of food.

Distinctive delicacies will grace the traditional Rosh Hashanah 
table, as we dip apples in the honey, experiment with new recipes 
and generally eat to excess. Even Yom Kippur is preceded by a 
large and special feast, and is usually followed by one as 
well, as though forgoing a day’s worth of food requires some 
form of caloric compensation. 

The challahs will be round, the kugels will be hot, oh and 
please hurry up and pass some of that chocolate dessert.

But as much as food has come to play a central role in our 
celebration of the festivals, there is another key component 
of Judaism that seems to have gotten lost amid all the 
gorging. 

It may sound odd, or even peculiar, but physical exercise is 
actually something that is valued, or is supposed to be, 
by the people who gave the world pastrami and corned beef.

Yes, I know what you are thinking. Jews are the “People of 
the Book”, which necessarily implies a sedentary type of 
lifestyle, rather than one that involves heavy lifting or 
even a moderate amount of sweat.

But put aside the stereotypes for a second, and consider the 
following: if you thought Richard Simmons was a big believer 
in exercise, you should hear what the rabbis have to say 
about it.

"As long as a person exercises and exerts himself..." 
writes Maimonides in his compendium of Jewish law known 
as the Mishneh Torah, "sickness does not befall him and 
his strength increases". But as for "one who is idle and 
does not exercise...even if he eats healthy foods and 
maintains healthy habits, all his days will be full of 
ailments and his strength will wane." (Hilchot Deot, 4:15)

This is more than just a bit of useful advice from the 
early medieval scholar, who was himself a physician. 
For by including it in his work on Jewish law, Maimonides 
was signaling that the need to exercise is itself a form 
of religious obligation, one that is incumbent upon each 
and every one of us.

Indeed, the Torah says that it is necessary to "guard yourself 
and greatly guard your soul" (Deuteronomy, Chap. 4), and 
the Sages explain the words "guard yourself" as a reference 
to protecting one's health.

Moreover, during these Days of Awe, it is especially interesting 
to note that Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaKohen Kook, who became the 
first Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel in 1921, listed 
"bodily" or "physical" repentance as the first prerequisite 
to drawing closer to the Divine. 

In his work Orot HaTeshuvah (Chap. 1), Rabbi Kook stresses 
the need for man to recognize that "he himself through his 
bad conduct is responsible for that very same diminution of 
life that has come to him," and that only by correcting his 
indolence can "life return to him in all of its freshness".

While there are different ways of understanding the text, 
its simple meaning is fairly clear: in order to truly enhance 
one’s spirituality, a person must get active and take care 
of his body.

For, as Maimonides put it centuries ago, "maintaining a healthy 
body is among the ways of serving G-d, since it is impossible 
for one who is not healthy to understand or know anything of 
the Creator."

The significance of these words is far-reaching. Essentially, 
it means that being a loyal and faithful Jew constitutes 
not only sitting and studying, but also jogging, running or 
even a bit of kickboxing too. The reason is fairly obvious: 
exercise is not only good for the body, but for the soul as 
well, enabling it to better fulfill its purpose in this world.

Taken to its logical conclusion, then, it would seem that the 
"People of the Talmud" must also become the "People of the 
Treadmill" too. As silly as it might sound, it is time for 
us to ensure that all schools, yeshivot and seminaries take 
steps towards adding workout rooms, where students could 
periodically engage in physical exercise to keep themselves 
trim and fit.

There is no better way to hit the books then by first getting 
the adrenaline flowing, and the heart pumping, through a 
regular program of physical activity. It would not only 
improve the strength and concentration that is required for 
study, but it would also make for a healthier crop of 
students, one less prone to exhaustion or illness.

Of course, we need to keep things in perspective. As far as 
Judaism is concerned, exercise is a means to an end, rather 
than an end in itself. But it is important nonetheless.

So at this time of year, when our focus is on improving 
ourselves and our behavior, we might want to consider 
adopting an additional resolution. While things such as 
engaging less in gossip and more in Torah study, or being 
kinder to our neighbors, will certainly make us into more 
spiritual beings, adding a few sit-ups or push-ups to our 
daily regimen might just work some wonders as well.
------------------------------------
The writer served as Deputy Director of Communications & 
Policy Planning in the Prime Minister's Office under 
former premier Binyamin Netanyahu.