Brod, R: Healing Practices

Healing Practices: Insights from the Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah is a voyage into ancient texts and methods of addressing the many ills that have always been part of human life. Scholars and practitioners of old studied ways of eating, drinking and living that appeared to have the capacity to improve various conditions, infirmities and problems. Such healing practices may have been passed down through the ages as "folk remedies," others are surprisingly out of date. Whatever their current value, it is inspiring to learn of our forebears' methods and beliefs. In this era of "holistic" medical approaches, this book demonstrates that new age methods may not be all that new!

The book provides a history of recommended treatments for various ailments found in the Torah, the Talmud and Kabbalistic writings. Part 1, Medicine Through the Ages, is an overview of the tenets presecribed for good health and preservation of life in various writings, along with a discussion of eras and periods when Jewish thought in medicine flourished or was surpressed.

Part 2, Medical Uses of Foods and Herbs, lists, alphabetically, more than 100 plants, foods and substances that are cited in holy scripture or laws. Each citation includes the Latin and Hebrew names, a description of the particular plant, food or medicine, the text which mentions the healing practice with that citation, and whatever medical use is found in the text(s). Quotes from various rabbis and biblical/ talmudic passages add depth to the listed descriptions.

In Part 3, various healing practices and remedies, such as methods for maintaining acuity in hearing and seeing by treating eyes and ears, are described at some length. Once again, quotes from Rabbis, Physicians and other thinkers lend a sense of history and deeper meaning to the alphabetical listing. For example, a long section on pregnancy and childbirth reveals the relationship, in early thinkers, between human responses to natural events as affected by their belief systems. The importance of prayer and faith for healing is evident in these citations.

Following the three major sections are four rich additions to the text. First, an Appendix that lists the sages, in alphabetical order, leads the reader through a history of the various periods in which these individuals lived, and how they influenced scriptural and medical thought. The next section is an alphabetical glossary of Hebrew and other terms used in the text. Finally, Rabbi Brod cross-references prior citations by ailment or condition, also listed alphabetically. A reader who wishes to learn of the people, the writings, or the medical problems found in the Torah, Talmud and Kabbalah can refer to these helpful additions to the main text.

Rabbi Brod hand-wrote each entry in all the sections of the book. His writing in both English and Hebrew is evident of his artistic and purposeful nature, as the calligraphy and painstaking insistence upon accuracy and detail are evident in the original manuscript. This, the print version, contains his wisdom and knowledge, and, hopefully, the strength of his spirit also shines through the words.