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Post by hollygail on Oct 9, 2016 14:47:26 GMT
Welcome!!! You have entered a space where all people are invited to gather to discuss matters of Spirituality, in mutual respect and friendliness: "Considering...Spirituality." Here, the focus is on personal spirituality and not dogma. We welcome with open arms people from any, all, and no religious/faith backgrounds, and those who practice spirituality on their own, to join us for a discussion centered on a higher consciousness. Each day there will be a quote, question, or discussion prompt presented for all to ponder and respond to.
**In maintaining an atmosphere of comfort and trust, we do not allow proselytizing (the effort of trying to convert others) or the denigrating of the religions and viewpoints of others. We also avoid bringing up topics such as politics, hot button social issues, or anything that can be considered divisive**
As this was a WW board, we also discuss our personal wellness, including our weight management program. We share our struggles and our triumphs regarding such as well as discuss things like family, friends, jobs, hobbies, outside interests, etc... We strive to build each other up with loving support in a positive manner. Let us not ever tear one another down in any way, shape or form.
Regular thread starters for the time being are:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: Gary / Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Holly (except this week, Holly and Gary are swapping Sunday for Wednesday)
Yet if anyone is so inclined, please feel free to start a new thread by beginning with the title: "Considering....(topic -q/q)", post this introduction (by way of copy & paste) then follow that with a post putting forth a question and/or quote (with or without some explanation) for us to ponder today. The topic can be inspired by your personal faith, but please do remember that anyone from other spiritual paths should be able to answer it.
Shalom, Love & Light, Blessed Be, Namaste...
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Post by hollygail on Oct 9, 2016 15:03:52 GMT
Here’s one Jewish aspect of spirituality and food. I figure it covers both topics… I took the article from myjewishlearning.com, a site I frequent. The comments inside {...} are mine; the parentheses and square brackets are the author's.
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The Spirituality of Food
We may need to work on our spiritual health in order to ensure our physical health.
By Rabbi Michael Strassfeld
In this article, a contemporary rabbi mines classic rabbinic sources and later ethical writings to argue that Judaism offers insights into healthy eating and healthy living. Reprinted with permission from A Book of Life (Schocken Books).
Judaism postulates that we can approach food and eating in a spiritual way.
Godlike Bodies
A midrash {a rabbinic story based on something in Torah} compares the creation of human beings to the striking of coins. As coins are struck, each is produced in the same image. When God creates people, each is created in God's image, yet each one is unique.
This midrash is a basic affirmation of every body. No body can be more Godlike than any other. One could even say that this body is the one that has been given to me by God. In a sense, this is similar to saying that some people are overweight because of a genetic disposition, not because they cannot control their eating. For superficial reasons, plastic surgery can make some difference. When it comes to how tall or short you are, however, these things cannot be significantly changed at all. Thinking of your body as a gift from God is good beginning, though clearly for those born with disabilities there are difficult burdens that accompany that gift.
Still, this gift, this body, is give into our care and — like Hillel {a great rabbi who lived approximately 100BCE}, who considered it a mitzvah {commandment} (precept) to bathe in the bathhouse — we are responsible for strivig for a healthy body because our body is the image of God. According to some rabbinic authorities, an understanding of the verse "for your own sake, therefore, be most careful" (Deuteronomy 4:15) is broader than avoiding harmful situations. It also implies not doing things that are clearly detrimental to our health. For these authorities, alcoholism, cigarette smoking, and overeating fall into this category.
Healthy Eating
“‘He who does good to his own self is a person of mercy’ (Proverbs 11:17) — as may be inferred from what Hillel the Elder once said. After bidding farewell to his disciples, he kept walking along with them. His disciples asked him, ‘Master, where are you going?’ he replied, ‘To do a good turn to a guest in my house.’ They said, ‘Every day you seem to have a guest.’ He replied, ‘Is not my poor soul a guest in my body, here today and tomorrow here no longer?'” (Leviticus Rabba 34:4).
“And whatever he eats or drinks…his intention will be to keep the body and limbs healthy….he will eat what is healthy, whether it is bitter or sweet. His practice will be to have as his intention that his body be healthy and strong so his soul will be fit and able to know God. For it is not possible to understand and become wise in Torah and mitzvot [plural of mitzvah] when you are hungry or sickly or when one of your limbs hurts.” (Orhot Tzaddikim, an anonymous Hebrew ethical work from the 15th century, Gate 5, p. 39).
The impulse that we have to nourish ourselves through food is a good one, reflecting God’s desire that we feel cherished. (Thanks to Joyce Krensky {sorry, I don't know who she is} for this insight.) Thus we see food equals love not because we are sick but because it reflects a measure of truth. There is an emotional quality to eating. Food gives pleasure. (By the same token, hunger is also a gift from God, for it promotes self-preservation and impels us to action.)
Eating All That Is Excellent
“In the world-to-come {that is, after we die}, a person will be asked to give an account for that which, being excellent to eat, she gazed at and did not eat” (Jerusalem Talmud, Kiddushin, end).
“[You should realize that] God created the good that is before you, and God gives it its existence and puts within it its taste and nourishing qualities. And God gives to a person the desire to eat and also his sense of taste, whereby the food tastes good.” (Menorat Zahav by Rabbi Zusya of Hanipoli, a leader of 18th century Chasidism)
Food, however, cannot replace love. There may be an uncontrolled desire to attain through food that which it can not ultimately provide. Clearly, then, a healthy approach to eating is rooted in a healthy body and a healthy psyche. Thus eating can be transformed into a spiritual exercise.
A healthy/spiritual approach to food is rooted in three areas of traditional teachings: berakhot, “blessings;” kashrut, “dietary laws;” and seudah, “food as celebration and pleasure.” Taken together, they make the everyday act of eating an essential part of a spiritual path. [emphasis mine]
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q/q: I’d like to concentrate on the final two paragraphs, but please feel free to comment on any part(s) of Rabbi Strassfeld’s piece.
(1) Lots of people attempt to replace love (or other emotions) with food. What’s the best method you’ve found NOT to fall into this trap? (After all, we all got to this board through Weight Watchers…)
(2) What did you have to go through to come to your own place of having a healthy and spiritual approach to food?
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Post by hollygail on Oct 9, 2016 22:18:39 GMT
I have no idea why the size of the font keeps changing... And here are the notes that dropped out of my second post.
1. midrash: a rabbinic story based on something in Torah
2. ...(Leviticus Rabba 34:4): a section from Talmud
3. Joyce Krensky: sorry, I don't know who she is
4. and I'm the person who put the final two paragraphs in bold
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Post by hollygail on Oct 9, 2016 23:28:00 GMT
Gary: you may find this of interest. I mean no disrespect; I hope you’re not insulted by my showing it to you… tinyurl.com/jrl9ln3 |
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Post by hollygail on Oct 9, 2016 23:29:23 GMT
Gary: you may find this of interest. I mean no disrespect; I hope you’re not insulted by my showing it to you… tinyurl.com/jrl9ln3 |
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Post by glrogers67 on Oct 10, 2016 7:04:27 GMT
Today was an incredibly busy day so I didn't get a chance to respond, but I do have thoughts about this article. I will defer my response until tomorrow (Monday) after a night's sleep.
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Post by fabulessme on Oct 10, 2016 15:11:37 GMT
I agree with what's posted here especially the last 2 paragraphs. While I understand and agree intellectually, it's been difficult for me to not eat emotionally and to be mindful to the point of making consistently good choices.
There is a disconnect between what I understand and what I actually do. This is the missing link in my weight loss process.
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Post by glrogers67 on Oct 10, 2016 16:32:25 GMT
What impressed me about this article is how close it is to LDS doctrine. We believe we are created in the express image of God; in fact, we are literally spiritual offspring of a loving Heavenly Father (and Mother). We also believe our bodies are temples of God and should be treated as such.
That said, we live in a world filled with temptations that bring momentary physical pleasure, including the foods we eat. If we can keep sight of the spiritual part of us, to bring our bodies under our spiritual control then we become more Godlike. The LDS Word of Wisdom is remarkably similar to Jewish beliefs regarding how we treat our bodies and also remarkably similar to the Weight Watchers program. Despite all this, I have been struggling with using food as a emotional crutch.
And, Holly, I don't know why you would be concerned about sharing the other article about overcoming bad habits. It makes total sense to me. But, controlling bad habits is hard nonetheless.
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Post by hollygail on Oct 10, 2016 17:04:53 GMT
Gary, you've shared some personal information, and I didn't want you to think I was "using" it to scold you or hold it over you in any way. That's why I provided the caveat. I wasn't overly concerned (or I wouldn't have posted it at all), but I find I am more sensitive to people's personal "stuff" than I used to be, so "better safe than sorry" won out in this instance. I'm glad to know you took it in the spirit in which I meant it. Thanks for saying so.
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