Issuu

MAY 2021 // SIVAN 5781 // ISSUE 64

THE HEALTH MAGAZINE FOR THE JEWISH FAMILY

New Column! Inner Parenting What happens to me when my child misbehaves? A s k S h a n i Ta u b

How to maintain healthy habits over Shavuos Plus! Shani’s recipe for eggplant parmesan

Cup of Tea Meet Craniosacral Therapist Zelda Trieger

Cheesy Cauliflower Garlic Bread and more great ways to up the veggie game

How to Safeguard Your Thyroid in a Toxic World Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE

Hi from the Lab Will Libby meet the jump rope challenge?

Ten Questions for Devoiry Neuman and Gitty Klein of Aid L'Shalom

6 Foods to Avoid with Psoriasis How to Grow a Garden in a Pot When we plant seeds, we nurture ourselves

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Editor In Chief Shiffy Friedman Editorial Assistants Esther Kahan Meira Lawrence Libby Silberman Nutritional Advisory Board Dr. Rachael Schindler Laura Shammah, MS, RDN Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE Bashy Halberstam, INHC Shaindy Oberlander, INHC Shira Savit, MA, MHC, CHC Nutrition Contributors Tanya Rosen, MS CAI CPT Shani Taub, CDC Health Advisory Board Dr. Chayala Englard Chaya Tilla Brachfeld, RN Fitness Advisory Board Syma Kranz, PFC Esther Fried, PFC Child Development Advisory Board Friedy Singer, OTR/L Roizy Guttmann, OTR/L Coordinating Editor Liba Solomon, CNWC Feature Editors Rochel Gordon • Rikki Samson Proofreaders Faige Badian • Meira Lawrence Peri Kahan

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The Wellspring Magazine is published monthly by Wellspring Magazine Inc. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part or in any form without prior written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher reserves the right to edit all articles for clarity, space and editorial sensitivities. The Wellspring Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content or kashrus of advertisements in the publication, nor for the content of books that are referred to or excerpted herein. The contents of The Wellspring Magazine, such as text, graphics and other material (content) are intended for educational purposes only. The content is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your health care provider with any questions you have regarding your medical condition.

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WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

EDITOR'S NOTE

We Know Something

hat are the chances that you get an entire row of seats to yourself on an overbooked post-bein-hazmanim flight? But it happened to us on our recent trip back to Eretz Yisrael. When I summoned the stewardess to ask if she had some infant Tylenol for my teething baby who felt warm to the touch, she was quick to inform me of the newly updated protocol. As a COVID-related precaution, a passenger who exhibits any symptom—even just one—of illness is rendered a threat and is thus politely requested to relocate to the back rows of the plane that are relegated especially for this purpose. And so, feverish baby in hand, I made my way over to the cleared-out row, feeling very much like a punished little girl but still secretly appreciative of the much-needed legroom on this transatlantic journey. While I felt sorry for my daughter, I was grateful that she’d have more room to rest comfortably for the duration of the flight. Still, these precautions seemed a bit over the top. What were the chances for a baby with a high antibody count who had tested negative for coronavirus less than 72 hours prior to have been reinfected just then? When the stewardess took my baby’s temperature before handing me the Tylenol, I asked her about this. She looked at me, discomfort wrought from confusion in her eyes, and said, “I really don’t understand this either, but we’re just following the protocol. No one knows anything these days.”

o one knows anything these days. So much about health, in particular, is uncertain. In this issue’s informative cover feature, among the eight health practitioners on our panel— spoiler alert!— the verdict on dairy isn’t unanimous. And emerging research isn’t doing much to help solve age-old enigmas about various food groups we wonder about. Are eggs good for us or not? What about potatoes? In these pages, we attempt to bring you as much solid information as we can get our hands

WELL-PUT

on, but we’re still limited in terms of absolute clarity. Plus, what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for others. If someone’s lactose intolerant or allergic to dairy, what’s touted as the magic potion for white teeth and robust bones can be toxic.

ut not so with Torah. As Torah Yidden, we know something. We know clarity. True, there are various perspectives in Yiddishkeit, shivim panim laTorah, all of which are legitimate and solid, but the crux of Yiddishkeit is based on absolute truths we are privileged to live by. How comforting, how relieving. As this issue’s Torah Wellspring explores, the Torah is a gift that preceded our creation, a gift that provided the blueprint for every detail of our makeup. Because we are programmed to live our best life when we live a certain way, that certain way was outlined for us in the Torah. And those absolute truths haven’t changed one iota over the centuries, not even one. How’s that for providing our nefesh with the sense of security it craves? Included in the dictates of how we should live a most ideal existence, the Torah encourages us to be mindful of our health, venishmartem me’od lenafshoseichem, as well as to engage in kind deeds. In this issue’s Ten Questions, Esther Retek interviews two selfless individuals who’ve dedicated their lives to doing just that. Devoiry Neiman and Gitty Klein, co-founders of Aid L’Shalom, extend themselves to cancer patients and their families, with a particular focus on guiding them through integrative treatment. When we read a piece like that, we come away feeling not only awed, but also with a deep sense of pride at being a member of the Am Hanivchar, the Chosen Nation that stood together as one at Har Sinai. May we be zocheh to come together again as a nation very soon, to the day when the sick will be forever healed, the broken hearts will be mended, and crystal-clear clarity will reign over the entire universe.

n a m d e i r F Shiffy

Wishing you a beautiful, joyous Yom Tov,

Every good endeavor requires effort on our part.

- Shani Taub, CDC WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

WELLBEING FEATURE

MAY 2021 SIVAN 5781 ISSUE 64 Our next issue will appear on Wednesday, June 9th iy"H.

WELL INFORMED 14

Springboard

Spiritual Eating

Torah Wellspring

Health Updates

FYI

LIVING WELL

141

Fitness

Ask the Nutritionist

Dedicated to Health

Mindset Switch

Sample

Cup of Tea

At the Dietitian

DAY BY DAY

WELLBEING

By Charnie Kohn This is a great twist on the traditional lox and cream cheese bagel. All the flavors and a fraction of the calories.

Emotional Eating

100 Feature Reprint 122 Intuitive Eating Growth Log 126 Inner Parenting

129 SEASONED 10

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

FAREWELL 163 Random Dear readers, This magazine was going to print when the heartrending Meron calamity befell Klal Yisrael. Thus, there is no mention of it in this issue. Besoros Tovos, The Wellspring Team

86 CUP OF TEA By Libby Silberman Then a friend of hers recommended something she hadn’t heard of before: craniosacral therapy. Desperate to help her child, Zelda followed this advice, admittedly blindly.

DAIRY: DO OR DON'T? By Miram Goldstein Milk, we were raised to think, is a potent source of all things magic, like white teeth and robust bones. But is the truth really what we were milked to believe?

62 114

PLANTING THE SEEDS, NURTURING THE SELF. By Libby Kasten The first spring I decided to plant, it was just an inner voice urging me to try my hand at it. To do something, to make something happen.

WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

‫שמאלציג‪ .‬געשמאק‪ .‬בא'טעמ'ט‪ .‬א גוטן טאג‪.‬‬

SPRINGBOARD

On Fermenting, Hay Fever, Root Canals, and More

Hay Fever Solutions Issue #63: Wellspring Community

I’d like to offer three more suggestions to the reader who suffers from springtime allergies. I don’t have personal experience with acupuncture, but I’ve heard of many individuals whose symptoms were reduced thanks to this intervention. From personal experience, I’ve found that an air purifier works really well. A good one will clean the air in the house so there are less allergens floating around, at least at home. 14

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

A friend of mine has seen great results from allergy shots. Her daughter’s life was severely impacted by seasonal allergies until she started with this intervention. Shaina K.

Important Conversation

Issue #63: Mental Health Panel

All I can say is just, “Wow.” It’s Motzaei Pesach as I write this, but I

feel it would be inappropriate of me not to let you know how inspired I was by the gorgeous mental health panel in your Pesach issue. It was truly one of a kind, addressing topics that are so close to our hearts with such wisdom and Torah’dig values. Each of the handpicked panelists offered such valuable advice on matters that make up the fabric of our lives. If only all of us Yidden would have access to such material, and if only all mental health practitioners would treat the people they work with with such clarity and chochmah, our world would be a better place. As someone who does klal work, it

WIN-W IN RAFFLE

Savor. Scratch. Win. A C H A N C E I N E V E RY H E R R I N G

ALL HERRIN G COMES W ITH A SCRATC H-OFF CARD

WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

Quick Question

SPRINGBOARD

Question: Quite a lot of my friends and family members recently experienced frightening episodes of RSV with their babies. The symptoms appear to be similar to those of COVID-19. As a mother of young children, I’m concerned. I’d like to know more about the condition and to understand the basic protocol for treatment.

Answer: RSV, respiratory syncytial virus, generally affects children under two years of age, though it can affect older children and adults as well. However, symptoms are most serious in infants under six months of age, babies who were born premature, and babies with lung disease, heart disease, and weakened immune systems. According to the most recent research, both COVID-19 and RSV are spread the same way—through droplets in the air and shared surfaces. RSV can cause bronchiolitis, which causes swelling in the air sacs in the lungs and may lead to pneumonia. The symptoms of RSV are: • a whistling or wheezing noise when the child breathes • cough • difficulty breathing • loss of appetite or refusing to eat • signs of dehydration Currently, there is no medication or vaccine available to treat or prevent RSV. There is also no known cause as to why RSV is rampant and spreading. In the case that your child contracts the virus, chas veshalom, and you’d like to prevent a hospital visit, try following these simple do-it-yourself techniques. • Do not give your child dairy; if you’re nursing the child, do not eat dairy. • Use a vaporizer or humidifier to make breathing easier (you can add essential oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus). • Have the child sleep or rest in an upright position to facilitate breathing. • With the guidance of a professional, use essential oil to massage the chest and upper back every three hours. • Boost your child’s immune system with vitamin D, and massage Thieves Oil into the soles of their feet. • Hydrate adequately by giving fluid in small amounts throughout the day. Babies with more serious cases may need to go to the hospital where they will receive oxygen, IV fluids, and medication to open their airways. Never hesitate to call emergency services when needed. Stay well, Miriam Schweid health coach and kinesiologist

saddens me to see how many Yidden get carried away by the untruths of psychology and perspectives that have infiltrated into our world from not pure sources. Thank you, Wellspring; for starting a conversation that will hopefully bring much good to our society. Much continued hatzlachah, Mrs. Perel Singer 16

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

Food for Thought Issue #63: Wellbeing Feature

Thank you so much for a beautiful, content-rich publication that I read from cover to cover. When I read the beautiful article in which daughters shared the lessons they learned from their mothers, it gave me pause. Like one of the contributors, it’s not easy for me to just rattle off the nice

things I learned from my mother, with whom I have a complicated relationship. But reading the moving introduction and all of those contributions, I was inspired to think of the positive interactions we do enjoy. With much appreciation and tizku l’mitzvos, Name withheld

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WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

Question: My child isn’t eating enough at meals. What can I do?

Answer: First off, let’s define “enough.” Is your child full and satisfied? The only way to know is to ask. When we decide for our kids whether they are full or need to eat more, we cross a line. The parent’s job at the table is to provide the food and set the mood. The parent is in charge of the where, when, and what of the meal. The child is in charge of whether they will eat and how much. So the child decides when they have had enough. At certain points in a child’s growth, usually around big milestones, they will finish eating before being full simply because they have more exciting things to do. That’s okay. Offer food every 2–3 hours and your child will learn to regulate on their own. That independence is essential in the feeding relationship.

Pediatric Nutrition

SPRINGBOARD

Health & happiness, Yaffi Lvova, RDN Yaffi Lvova, RDN, is a dietitian and food enjoyment activist who encourages positive nutrition through writing, speaking, and Nap Time Nutrition, her video blog and podcast. Find out more at babybloomnutrition.com.

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

How Fermentation Reduces Carb Content

What’s the Root Canal Alternative?

I really enjoyed the new Sample column in the Pesach issue. It tempted me to try fermenting some of those vegetables! I would like to understand why carbs are reduced by 80 percent by fermenting potatoes or sweet potatoes. Please explain.

Faigy Schonfeld writes that root canals should be avoided and removed, but she does not give an alternative. Is it better to be toothless? Get expensive implants? I would greatly appreciate more information.

Issue #63: Sample

Thanks, F.W. Dear F. W., Thanks for your feedback. We actually received this question several times over from curious ferment wannabes. Fermented foods have a lower carb count than their non-fermented counterparts because fermentation occurs when bacteria feasts off the carbohydrates found in a food, thus lowering the carb count in potatoes by 80 percent (according to PicklIt, up to 88 percent). By fermenting potatoes, you’re removing the simple carbs (that break down to sugar), and leaving behind the complex carbs, which, when consumed, are able to penetrate the large intestines, creating powerful probiotics that are said to protect the colon and uterus. As a side note, it is important not to exceed 24 hours of ferment time as the potatoes will harden. Happy fermenting, Libby

Issue #63: FYI

S. H. Dear S.H., Thanks for your letter! There aren’t that many options out there when you need a root canal done, but there are some methods that can sometimes be employed. Working with a competent biological dentist is always a good idea. An experienced dentist can help you try to save the tooth and will know what options are available to you, based on the state of the tooth, its location, and other factors. All the best, Faigy

Lifesaving Content Issue #63: Special Theme Section

When I sat down to read your mega Pesach edition, I was looking forward to a leisure read. I got that—and more. Until I read Aliza Paskesz’s article about her baby Meir’s frightening episode with RSV, I hadn’t really known what the virus was all about. It was thanks to her detailed description of her ordeal that, only a few days later,

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WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

SPRINGBOARD

Gratefully yours, M.N.

information in the Pesach issue, but I particularly enjoyed the Wellbeing survey on how COVID impacted the subjects’ emotional health. In my own life, I found that it did me well to have time for myself and my family, but I appreciated reading the various perspectives from the 150+ participants. When I went out between people afterward, it strengthened for me the concept of “You never know what’s going on in other people’s lives.” Thanks for this renewed awareness. Hindy K.

The Truth of the Matter Issue #63: Wellbeing Survey

Thanks for a fabulous magazine that I look forward to every month. Every time I pick up my new copy, I wonder if there are still topics to write about, but it only gets better and better. There was so much eye-opening

Lucky Daughter Issue #63: Wellbeing Feature

I really enjoyed your Pesach issue. Having lost my mother last year, the article titled “Her Legacy” made me think about what I would have

written. Baruch Hashem, quite a lot of lessons came up for me. Thanks for the opportunity to appreciate how lucky I was. M.G.

Touched by the Approach Issue #63

As a first-time reader, I read your magazine over Pesach and was very impressed by the gorgeous publication you put out. What touched me most was the spiritual, Torah’dig approach, especially on health and weight loss, which is often associated with vanity and mistaken priorities. As a new subscriber, I look forward to enjoying many future issues.

Get in touch! Wellspring invites readers to submit letters and comments via regular mail or email to info@wellspringmagazine.com. We reserve the right to edit all submissions and will withhold your name upon request. We will honor requests for anonymity, but we cannot consider letters that arrive without contact information.

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

F. Rottenstien

Any health information, advice, or suggestions published here are the opinion of the letter writer and are not independently investigated, endorsed, or validated by Wellspring. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional or medical practitioner regarding any medical advice, condition, or treatment.

I immediately chalked up my child’s similar symptoms to this issue. When I came running into the emergency room with my sluggish toddler, I urged them to check for this virus first. Indeed, that was his diagnosis. Thank you, Aliza, and thank you, Wellspring, for saving me much agmas nefesh and enabling my child to get the help he needed to get better, baruch Hashem.

Mendy ‘s Bar Mitzvah P’shetel Turn the page for the bigger picture WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

Meet Mendy: The long awaited day is ﬁnally here. The hall is decked in beautiful flowers, the dessert buffet is top notch, but everyone’s attention is focused on Mendy. He takes a deep breath and Totty, standing behind him, holds his breath too. And then it happens. Mendy recites his Bar Mitzvah P’shetel like a pro. He knows the psukim by heart, pauses in just the right places, and even cracks a well placed joke to the delight of his proud audience.

You see Mendy standing tall. Behind it is a bigger picture. Nine years ago, Mendy’s mother got in touch with Hamaspik’s Guidance team. They helped him get full access to Hamaspik’s phenomenal all-encompassing services, honing his verbal, technical, and social skills over the years. Mendy had it in him all along. Hamaspik just gave him that little push.

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SPIRITUAL EATING By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS

Ready to Embrace the Change, Whatever It Takes This is where our greatness lies “When Hashem was ready to give the Torah, He first went to all the nations of the world and offered it to them. One after another, the nations all asked, ‘What’s written in the Torah?’ Finally, Hashem went and offered the Torah to the Jewish people. They accepted it sight unseen, as the Torah says (Shemos 24:7): ‘We will first do the Torah, and then we will understand it’” (Midrash Sifri, Devarim 33).

A common misconception is that the Yidden accepted the Torah on blind faith: “Na’aseh venishma — We will do and [then] we will understand.” However, shortly before Klal Yisrael uttered these awe-inspiring words, Hashem began His proposal by saying, “You have seen what I did to Egypt, and that I have borne you on the wings of eagles and brought you to Me. And now, if you listen well to Me and observe My covenant, you shall be to Me the most beloved treasure of all people, for Mine is the entire world” (Shemos 19:4–5). In their recent past, the Yidden had clearly grasped the omnipotence of Hashem as He overturned every aspect of the natural world, demonstrat-

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

ing His sole control of the universe while executing the ten plagues on the Mitzriyim. There was absolutely no doubt that the Almighty was the Infinite Creator and Sustainer of the universe, who put all things into being, wrote the rules of nature, and had constant supervision over the biggest and smallest elements of creation. The Yidden’s acceptance of the Torah was based on firsthand experience and immutable evidence that Hashem is their Creator. Therefore, anything He told them to do was, by definition, in their best interest. They did not have to investigate the Torah’s contents in order to validate its worthiness. There was no blind faith involved whatsoever. The information

they were lacking, however, was how—not if—a particular mitzvah would be a tool for growth in this world and connection to Hakadosh Baruch Hu; this was something they could understand only by experiencing it. Hence, the second half of the phrase, “We will do and [then] we will understand.” But what aspect of this acceptance really distinguished the Yidden from the other nations of the world? For, in fact, didn’t everyone on the planet witness Hashem’s sole supremacy? The events in Mitzrayim were played out on “center stage” for the whole world to see. Every body of water—even in a person’s cup—split as Klal Yisrael traversed the Yam Suf. Granted, the Yidden’s connection was more personal and perhaps more intense. But the other nations had more than sufficient evidence. They saw with their own eyes. So, how could they rationalize to themselves that Hashem’s Torah was true only upon their inspection? Why did they need to know the contents before making a decision? The answer to that is cognitive dissonance: being confronted with uncomfortable information and ignoring its reality for fear of having to change behavior. The Torah was dismissed because one nation rejected the prohibition against immoral conduct, while another nation wasn’t ready to stop stealing. They simply didn’t want to change their behavior, so they rationalized an excuse—even in the face of absolute truth. They feared changing more than they feared rejecting what was right. But not so with Klal Yisrael—and therein lies our true greatness. We are willing to change behaviors if we have to. We are willing to grow, no matter how hard it might be. Because, at our core, we value truth and a meaningful relationship with Hashem more than our own desires. Clinging to truth gives us true joy and pleasure that no immediate gratification can match—and therefore, nothing tastes as good as doing the right thing feels.

Rabbi Eli Glaser is the founder and Director of Soveya. He is certified as a Nutrition/Wellness Consultant and Weight Management Specialist, with 25 years of coaching and counseling experience, and is maintaining a 130-pound weight loss for more than 16 years. Soveya has offices in Lakewood and Brooklyn, and works with clients via phone and Skype around the world. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Soveya at 732-578-8800, info@soveya.com, or www.soveya.com.

TORAH WELLSPRING By Rabbi Ezra Friedman

The Gift of Connection

Living life to the full, and being rewarded for it too

In these exalted days, we prepare to celebrate the historic milestone of kabbalas haTorah. On that day, we—and essentially all of mankind—received the greatest, most precious gift in the world. Even the bombastic miracle of Pesach, says Sefer Hachinuch, when we went from slavery to freedom, does not compare to our excitement on this day due to the sheer value of this incredible present. 26

WELLSPRING / MAY 2021

For this reason, explains the Chinuch, Shavuos is the only Yom Tov we count toward. In his words, we count down “to show how excited our nefesh is for the day on which we received the Torah.” After all, this was the entire purpose of our exodus from Mitzrayim, the entire purpose of Creation. Just as we count the days in joyous anticipation of a happy occasion, we do likewise in our great excitement of receiving the Torah. Of course, the Torah was already given to

us at ma’amad Har Sinai. But, as we discussed in this space last month, we get to re-experience the ko’ach of the Yom Tov every single year. On Shavuos of this year, 5781, we have the ability experience the excitement and desire for the Torah that our ancestors felt centuries ago, standing at the foot of the mountain. It’s at this time of year that the little ones sing with great fervor, “Tov li Toras picha me’alfei zahav vachesef.” Passages highlighting the beauty and sweetness of Torah abound: “Ki lekach tov nasati lachem… a good teaching I’ve given to you…” (Mishlei 4:2) “Mah ahavti Torasecha, kol hayom hi sichasi…” “Lulei Torascha sha’ashu’ei az avadeti be’anyi…” Ample passages remind us how incredible is the gift we were granted at Har Sinai, how the Torah is the light of our lives, our most precious asset. Still, there may be times when we have that niggling thought in our mind, “Wouldn’t life be so much simpler without all of these commandments, all these boundaries that restrict us?” We may have a moment when we start to wonder, “What am I really counting down to? Am I seriously excited for matan Torah? Would it be so bad if we simply knew we’re Hashem’s chosen nation—that He lovingly took us out of Mitzrayim, and that He’s our Father who cares about us—and that was enough? Why all the commandments and constraints?” Where do all these questions emanate from? Is it possible that the Tov U’Meitiv, the G-d who only wants to do good for us, would place a noose over our heads and force us to live such constricted lives? When we look at the Torah as a set of rituals— as a book of constraints whose purpose is to suffocate our freedom— then, yes, of course we feel restricted. Of course we ask questions like “What’s the point?” because such an

existence goes against every fiber of our being. Hakadosh Baruch Hu was the One who created us with a natural desire to feel that we’re acting from our own will. We want to feel that we’re the ones choosing. This is perfectly in line with our hashkafah. Indeed, the Ribbono Shel Olam wants us to choose, hence the phenomenon of bechirah. Therefore, if we feel the Torah is restricting us from making our choices, we’re seeing it from an incorrect perspective. You’re Tying Those Shoes Anyway So what is the essential reason for all of the mitzvos? This is a question a young child asked Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in the following anecdote. Rav Shlomo Zalman was once walking on the street in Yerushalayim when he stopped at a traffic light. In his characteristic humility, Rav Shlomo Zalman bent down to the child standing next to him and asked, “How are you? What are you learning these days? Do you have any questions?” “Yes,” replied the child. “I have a question for you. Yesterday we learned the Gemara in Makkos: Ratzah Hakadosh Baruch Hu lezakos es Yisrael—Hashem wanted to confer merit on Yisrael, so He increased Torah and mitzvos, [as it says: “Hashem chafetz lema’an tzidko…”].” The boy asked, “How is Hashem being mezakeh us? What if I don’t want to do a mitzvah? I lose out. Wouldn’t it be better if we didn’t have all these commandments? Then we wouldn’t be transgressing if we don’t do them!” The Rav looked the child in the eye and answered warmly, “Tzaddik’l, there’s a halachah in the Shulchan Aruch that when a Yid puts on his shoes in the morning, he should tie

his left shoelace before the right.” He turned to the boy and asked, “Do you ever not put on your shoes?” “Of course not,” said the boy. “Do you ever leave your house with the laces untied?” “Of course not.” “See what Hashem does for you,” the Rav pointed out. “Hashem could have said, ‘Do what you want, just mind your own business. I’m not looking at you at all.’ But what did He do instead? He said, ‘You’re anyway putting your shoes on and tying the laces. Since I want to be you mezakeh, I’ll turn this deed into a mitzvah. I want to elevate this for you so that every time you do something so simple, which you’re anyway doing, you’ll be able to reap untold reward, as well as connect with Me, to let My love enter your heart.” By “getting involved” in our everyday lives, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is giving us more and more opportunities to receive schar and to connect to Him. He’s telling us, “Look, My dear child. You’re going to live in this world for eighty or ninety or a hundred years. You will need to eat, so let me tell you what to choose, what’s best for you, and at the same time you’ll be reaping rewards and connect to Me. You’ll need to live with others, so let Me tell you how to conduct yourself so you can live in peace. You’ll get married, so let Me tell you how to do so in the most ideal way, so you can enjoy a fulfilling, deep relationship. You’ll need to make a livelihood…” Who, if not the Creator of the Universe, understands the depths of our nature and what is best for us? And so, He granted us the Yamim Tovim, times to rejoice. As Sefer Hachinuch explains, this is the reason for our chagim. Because we have a natural need to be happy, He implemented

WELLSPRING / SIVAN 5781

TORAH WELLSPRING

joyous occasions into our lifestyle. The mitzvos are not here to diminish our quality of life. On the contrary, Hashem gave us the ability to choose and He wants us to choose, from our own free will, what is truly best for us. In order for us to know what is good for us, He granted us the Torah. In essence, the Torah is our guidebook, from the lashon of “horeh,” instructions, enabling us to figure out our lives and operate them in the best way possible. Wouldn’t a pilot or driver rejoice if he was given a book that detailed every single function of his vehicle and how to operate it to the maximum? Not Only For the Next World Olam Haba aside, the Torah enables us to lead a life in this world that is rich, fulfilling, and beautiful. When we realize this and we lead our lives accordingly, it’s hard for us to understand how we could live without it. Just looking at a tzaddik, talmid chacham, or any Yid who lives by the dictates of Torah, we see the joy radiating from their countenance. Besides for the schar they accrue for the Next World, they truly and thoroughly enjoy every moment of this life. They are able to relate well to others and feel at peace with themselves. And, of course, they bask in the greatest blessing—of having a deep connection to Hashem. The yesod of the entire Torah is to believe that there’s a G-d who created the world and that we’re His Chosen Nation. In fact, the first dibur that the Ribbono shel Olam proclaimed at Har Sinai was “Anochi Hashem Elokecha,” the mitzvah of emunah. What could be greater than that? To know that we’re not alone, that we have a Father who created us and looks after us, that everything that happens to every Yid is with a cheshbon, with hashgachah pratis—is there a more comforting reality than that? The sefarim tell us that in every mitzvah we do with the proper

Is it possible that Hashem would place a noose over our heads and force us to live such constricted lives?

kavanah, we merit feeling this sense of connection. With every mitzvah we do, we allow Hashem’s love for us to enter our hearts. When we experience this, we feel better, we feel more at peace. When we eat, when we work, when we do what we anyway do as human beings—with the right mindset—we’re being constantly showered with opportunities to connect to Hashem and feel His presence. “Bechol derachecha da’eihu,” the Torah commands us. When we con-

duct ourselves righteously in business, when we don’t slander others, when we lead good, clean lives, we’re “knowing” Hashem. We become more and more connected to Him through our everyday actions, all the while doing what is anyway for our best, and living proper, meaningful lives. This Shavuos—and all year round—may we be zocheh to rejoice with the Torah, to appreciate its sweetness and greatness, and to reap the benefits of leading Torah-true lives.

Rabbi Ezra Friedman welcomes questions and comments on this column. Please write to rabbiefriedman@wellspringmagazine.com.

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Get tired while saying Tikkun?

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UPDATES By Bracha Kolman

Back to Square One? Studies show hand washing has returned to pre-pandemic levels During the COVID-19 days, we got used to the “wash your hands” mantra—and to washing our hands too. A June 2020 study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Americans said they were lathering up twice as often as they did in 2019. But what’s happening now? It seems we’ve all quickly reverted to our old habits. It only took four months for doctors, nurses, techs, and cleaning staff at hospitals to drop back to a 51.5% daily handwashing compliance rate, according to a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. And a nationally representative survey done in January 30

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found that only 57% of Americans said they were washing their hands six or more times a day—such as after using the bathroom, before eating, or after returning from a trip outside the home. That’s a significant drop from the 78% of people who said they were washing hands frequently when the survey was conducted in the early days of the pandemic. With our own handwashing guidelines in place as frum Yidden, we’ll be maintaining our 100% compliance even when this pandemic becomes a distant memory, but it seems the antibacterial soaps are taking a backseat sooner than we could have imagined.

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More Hours for Better Cognition Sleeping too little in middle age may increase dementia risk The research, published in Nature Communications, followed nearly 8,000 people in Britain for about 25 years, beginning when they were 50 years old. It found that those who consistently reported sleeping six hours or less on an average weeknight were about 30% more likely than people who regularly got seven hours sleep (defined as “normal” sleep in the study) to be diagnosed with dementia nearly three decades later. Drawing on medical records and other data from a prominent study of British civil servants called Whitehall II, which began in the mid-1980s, the researchers tracked how many hours 7,959 participants said they slept in re32

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ports filed six times between 1985 and 2016. By the end of the study, 521 people had been diagnosed with dementia at an average age of 77. “The study found a modest, but I would say somewhat important association of short sleep and dementia risk,” says Pamela Lutsey, an associate professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota, who was not involved in the research. “Short sleep is very common and because of that, even if it’s modestly associated with dementia risk, it can be important at a societal level. Short sleep is something that we have control over, something that you can change.”

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UPDATES

Ice for Sore Muscles? That’s a No-No Icing alters the molecular environment inside injured muscles in detrimental ways, slowing healing. Nearly as common as water bottles at the gym, ice packs are routinely strapped onto aching limbs after grueling exercise or possible injuries. When we reach for that ice pack, the reasoning makes sense: ice numbs the affected area, dulling pain, and keeps swelling and inflammation at bay, which many athletes believe helps their aching muscles heal more rapidly. But, in recent years, exercise scientists have started throwing cold water on the supposed benefits of icing. In a 2011 study, for example, people who iced a torn calf muscle felt just as much leg pain later as those who left their sore leg alone, and they were unable to return to work or other activities any sooner. And a sobering 2015 study of weight training found that men who regularly applied ice packs after workouts developed less muscular strength, size, and endurance than those who recovered without ice. But little has been known about how icing really affects sore, damaged muscles at a microscopic level. What happens deep within those tissues when we ice them, and how do any molecular changes there affect and possibly impede the muscles’ recovery? So, for the new study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers at Kobe University in Japan and other institutions, who long had been interested in muscle physiology, gathered 40 young, healthy male mice. Then, using electrical stimulation of the animals’ lower legs to contract their calf muscles repeatedly, they simulated, in effect, a prolonged, exhausting, and ultimately muscle-ripping leg day at the gym. Rodents’ muscles, like ours, are made up of fibers that stretch and contract with any movement. Overload those fibers during unfamiliar or exceptionally strenuous activities and you damage them. After healing, the affected muscles and their fibers should grow stronger and be better able to withstand those same forces the next time you work out. But it was the healing process itself that interested the 34

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researchers, and whether icing would affect it. So they gathered muscle samples from some animals immediately after their simulated exertions and then strapped tiny ice packs onto the legs of about half of the mice, while leaving the rest unchilled. Looking at the mouse leg muscles, the researchers saw clear evidence of damage to many of the muscles’ fibers. They also noted, in the tissue that had not been iced, a rapid muster of pro-inflammatory cells. Within hours, these cells began busily removing cellular debris, until, by the third day after the contractions, most of the damaged fibers had been cleared away. At that point, anti-inflammatory cells showed up, together with specialized muscle cells that rebuild tissue, and by the end of two weeks, these muscles appeared fully healed. Not so in the iced muscles, where recovery seemed markedly delayed. It took seven days in these tissues to reach the same levels of pro-inflammatory cells as on day three in the unchilled muscle, with both the clearance of debris and arrival of anti-inflammatory cells similarly slowed. Even after two weeks, the iced muscles showed lingering molecular signs of tissue damage and incomplete healing. “In our experimental situation, icing retards healthy inflammatory responses,” said Dr. Takamitsu Arakawa, a professor of medicine at Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, who oversaw the new study. But, as Dr. Arakawa pointed out, the experimental model simulated serious muscle damage, such as a strain or tear, and not simple soreness or fatigue. In future studies, Dr. Arakawa and his colleagues plan to study gentler muscle damage in animals and people. But for now, Dr. Arakawa said, his study’s findings suggest that damaged, aching muscles know how to heal themselves, and our best response is to chill out and leave the ice packs in the cooler.

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UPDATES

Tip

10 Well Spent in a series

Living Healthy on a Budget Wilting summer fruits in your produce drawer? Don’t get rid of them just yet. Here are three ways to repurpose those plums and peaches for maximum usage of these delicious little treats. 1. Throw them into a blender with other fruits, milk, and a dash of honey for a refreshing breakfast or snack. 2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice fruits and drizzle with 36

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honey. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. Enjoy warm or cold. 3. Grill them at your next barbecue!

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ALTERNATIVE VIEW

BY FAIGY SCHONFELD

LEAKY GUT SYNDROME HEAR THE TERM LEAKY GUT AND YOU START CONJURING UP IMAGES OF HOLES POKED INTO THE INTESTINES. SADLY, THAT PICTURE IS PRETTY MUCH SPOT ON. THE GUT IS WHERE EVERYTHING BEGINS; DISEASE PROCESSES START OR END HERE. SO THE HEALTH OF YOUR GUT IS NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT. IT’S OFTEN THE KEY FACTOR BEHIND SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ALL SORTS OF ILLNESS AND INFECTION. AND THAT MAKES LEAKY GUT SYNDROME, OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED OR IGNORED, THE ULTIMATE SILENT ENEMY.

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