Community Magazine June 2016

70 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE IN RECENT YEARS, SCIENCE HAS BEGUN TO RECOGNIZE WHAT OUR SAGES ALREADY KNEW FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS… of epinephrine from the animal in the process. High levels of this hormone being ingested by humans can cause difficulty procreating – directly interfering with our mitzvah of peru urvu. Not only do meats slaughtered in the kosher fashion help ensure the continuation of the Jewish nation, they also reduce the possibility of the contraction of mad cow disease. Halacha demands that we eliminate the use of cows with broken bones and cows that are visibly sick. Additionally, kosher slaughterhouses have a policy of only killing cattle that are under 30-months old – young enough that mad cow hasn’t had a chance to set in. Jews are thereby spared exposure from viruses, bacteria and other communicable diseases. This is very different from the situation gentiles find themselves in. Their slaughterhouses routinely scrape areas “near the brain and spinal column, where [mad cow] could reside.” Inevitably, some of these scraps end up in packaged meat, a frightening outcome to non-Jewish consumers. So much so that a recent Los Angeles Times article entitled “Turning to Kosher Cuts” reported that non-Jews are turning to kosher meat as “a safer choice.” There are still other scenarios in which our wellbeing is protected by Jewish law. The Shulhan Arukh brings down that eating a combination of meat and fish is a danger to one’s health. Because meat and fish are two highly salted proteins, they should not be eaten together in one sitting. Here is the story of how that got to be the case: In Biblical times, since the main bodies of water conducive to fishing were the Jordan River, the Mediterranean coast, the Sea of Galilee and the waterways in Egypt, many miles would have to be traveled and a span of many days passed to bring fish to a city. To last the long journey, the fish would have to be preserved by heavy salting. Since meat was already heavily salted during the koshering process, and the fish was heavily salted before being transported to market, the effect of their mixing in the stomach was chaotic. Science substantiates this: Consuming highly salty foods may impair the functioning of blood vessels within thirty minutes, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. “The high protein load along with the high sodium load would put stress on the kidneys and heart. If severe enough, the person could experience a heart attack,” says medical dietician Adrienne Raimo. Morton Tavel, a Cardiologist in Indianapolis, concurs, adding that the maximum amount of salt one should consume per day is about 1.5 teaspoons. That would assuredly be exceeded if salted fish and meat were to be combined! We’re all well aware of the prohibition of mixing meat and milk – “You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” Indeed, there is scientific validity in avoiding milk products after consuming meat. Nadya Adreeva, a certified wellness coach, recently wrote that combining the twoproteins of cheese andmeat can tax the digestive tract, given that they both require significant energy to digest. It’s also been noted that meat products form acid in the stomach, while milk products form alkaline. Their direct combination causes potential problems for digestion. All of us wash our hands before eating, a practice exhorted in the Mishna Berura. Did you know that, at any one time, there are 5,000 germs on your hands? According to the Center for Disease Control, a twenty-second hand washing scrubs the majority of germs off the skin. This ritual, so quick and simple, is something we’ve always performed – for the sake of cleanliness and to remain holy. Who knows how many germs we’ve eliminated and sicknesses we’ve prevented in the process! Various gemarot advocate sleeping on the left side – and the medical industry substantiates this as best practice. Doctors say that sleeping on the left side helps with circulation to the heart and is better for digestion, whereas sleeping on the right side can cause acid reflux and even heart failure. In recent years, science has begun to recognize what our Sages already knew for thousands of years: The Torah laws benefit our health aswell as our souls. How luckywe are that Hashemestablished his dictates with the longevity of His people in mind! May the fields of science and medicine continue to reify His greatness and bring more people to appreciate the Wisdom of our Creator.