Jewish Psychosomatics—the Connection Between Teeth and Spiritual Problems
A person has 32 teeth. There are 32 paths of wisdom—the knowledge of the entire Torah, for the Torah begins with the letter "bet," and ends with the letter "lamed" = לב = "lev" (heart). The number 32 is the gematria of the word "lev" (heart). The teeth are connected with the sefirot "Netzach" and "Hod"—the sources of prophecy. (Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, "The Stories")
The word שניימ "shinaim" (teeth) contains an allusion to שינון "shinun" (drilling, memorization) and to the word בינה "Bina" (understanding, comprehension). According to the Kabbalists, the 32 teeth allude to the 32 Paths of Wisdom that lead to Understanding (the sefirah of Binah). (M. Glazerson, "The Secret of the Passover Haggadah")
Our sages' statement, “Do not remove a tooth” (Pesachim 113a), is well known, and some Chassidim cite Rabbi Hillel of Paritch in this connection; he did not allow a single tooth to be removed. The human body has undergone many changes since Talmudic times, and the medical advice found in the Talmud is not necessarily applicable today—moreover, it is even forbidden to rely on it, as stated in Likutim (the concluding section of the Maharil).
Dental problems are often a sign of indecisiveness—the inability to make a decision. After all, teeth are what we use to chew our food. If we translate this into the realm of ideas, dental problems indicate an inability to "chew" (chewing is the beginning of processing "food"—information), and therefore an inability to properly perceive (process) ideas and events in order to make the right decision.
Segulot for preserving one's teeth:
- meticulous observance of the mitzvah of Kiddush Levanah.
- looking at the teeth of a tzadik.
A story is associated with this segula. A Chassid of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, was suffering greatly from a toothache and came to the Rebbe to ask for advice. The Tzemach Tzedek opened his mouth and showed how badly his own teeth had decayed—as if to say, “How can I help you?” However, when the Chassid left the Rebbe, he discovered that his toothache had disappeared. One knowledgeable person explained to him: the segula for a toothache is to look at the teeth of a tzadik. (LeChaim magazine)
