Jewish Psychosomatics – The Immune System
Jewish Psychosomatics – The Immune System
The immune system in Hebrew is “ma'arechet ha-chisun” - מערכת החיסון.
The sefirah of hod is associated with the feedback mechanism of the immune system.
The word “hod” is the root of the word הודאה – “hoda'ah” - (gratitude), in the sense of acknowledging the truth or self-awareness. Self-awareness is the foundation of the immune system.
The immune system fights disease. This system is constantly “on guard”: it recognizes elements foreign to the body and distinguishes between “self” and “other.” A healthy immune system does not make mistakes and eliminates destructive invaders. An unhealthy immune system, however, begins to destroy its own body (G-d forbid).
The Torah gives us an example of what the state of the spiritual illness of galut resembles and of its connection to the sefirah of hod - the immune system - in the story of Yaakov’s struggle with the angel, the spiritual root of his brother Esav.
Despite Yaakov’s victory in this struggle, his left thigh was injured. Although the Almighty healed him (through the healing light of the sun), the Kabbalah teaches that this injury—or rather, the force by which the angel was able to wound him—left a deep impression on Yaakov’s soul.
This became the reason for his descent, together with his children, into Egyptian exile. Yaakov’s injured thigh is a symbol of the nature of the Jewish people’s exile.
Following this event, the Torah forbids us to eat the sciatic nerve—“gid ha-nasheh,” which is itself a symbol of illness and exile.
Since this was the very place where Yaakov was struck by Esav’s angel, the Kabbalah concludes that this part of the body is especially vulnerable and connected with the immune system.
This system is especially susceptible to interference, confusion, and the inability to distinguish “Esav” (foreign and diseased cells) from “Yaakov” (one’s own healthy cells). After his victory over Esav’s angel, Yaakov needed to reestablish and strengthen his own self-awareness. He insisted that the angel bless him, and the angel then called Yaakov by his true name, Yisrael.
When we rectify our ability to accept and acknowledge G-d’s truth, to thank Him for His kindness, to relate to Him beyond all logic and common sense, and to humbly return to Him, we will be able to heal from the illness of galut and personally experience a return to health and Geulah.
The sefirah of hod points to susceptibility to illness (since this was the place struck by the angel), but also to the “point” at which one can apply effort in order to overcome the illness.
Our weak points are precisely the places where we need to grow stronger: illness is the very point at which healing is possible. Every illness contains a hint of the nature of its remedy. This is one of the ways in which the Almighty prepares healing for an illness even before a person becomes ill, as the Sages teach.
The sefirah of hod corresponds to the left leg - which is connected with the immune system.
The left leg is the following leg; its role is to sustain steadfast movement in the desired direction, guiding and affirming it.
The inner aspect of the sefirah of hod is the quality of sincerity and integrity (temimut), which are necessary in order to make a clear decision concerning progress along a particular path.
The inner aspect of the sefirah of Netzach, corresponding to the right leg, is the quality of confidence (bitachon). It enables one to move forward and forcefully overcome everything that obstructs one’s efforts.
And the temimut of hod provides the soul with an additional anchor, allowing us to remain faithful to the correct path we have chosen.
The temimut of the left leg gives us the strength to stabilize ourselves and protects us from spiritual fatigue.
Bitachon of the right leg advances the soul toward the same source and enables it to defeat the enemy along the way. Regarding this stage of temimut and bitachon on the journey, it is said: “One who walks sincerely will walk securely.”
In this connection, it is interesting that “Ma'arechet ha-chisun” (the immune system) is equal in gematria to the phrase “where He directs my steps.”
Serving through hod means true humility before the Almighty, expressing gratitude to Him for all the good in life, including its smallest details. In addition, we must work on accepting everything that happens in life with joy (this is the secret of the sefirah of Binah, whose inner aspect is “simchah” - joy, which extends to hod, as the Kabbalah teaches).
We must follow a straight path and diligently fulfill the mitzvot, in accordance with the Sages’ instruction: “Hasten to perform every mitzvah.” It is also good to repeat the phrase “One who walks sincerely will walk securely” while actually moving forward, in keeping with the movement of the legs: the left leg—“one who walks sincerely,” and the right leg—“will walk securely.”
Esav’s angel struck Yaakov’s left leg—the leg of hod. According to Sefer Yetzirah, the left leg governs the sense of walking. The rectification of hod through sincerity and simplicity means walking sincerely with the Almighty, as it is said: “Be wholehearted with Hashem, your G-d,”, and as Rashi explains, “Walk with Him wholeheartedly, place your trust in Him, and do not investigate the future; rather, accept with sincerity whatever comes upon you, and then you will be with Him and share in His portion.” Walking simply with G-d also includes rejecting superstition; in general, all flaws of hod are rectified through constant progress in Torah and mitzvot.
In extreme cases, the immune system can reach a state in which it ceases to distinguish its own beneficial elements from harmful external ones.
The prophet Yeshayahu said of this: “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil; who regard darkness as light and light as darkness; who consider bitter sweet and sweet bitter.”
In all the manifestations of the nature of this illness described above, the sick person initially perceives the negative as positive, and only afterward the positive as negative.
The Mekubalim teach that the exclamation “hoy” (translated here as “woe”) in Yeshayahu’s expression describes the disappearance of spiritual light and life force from the body.
In particular, the life force that is normally distributed through the blood to every part of the body disappears from it and returns to its source in the superconscious. The mind no longer influences the organs or gives them the ability to distinguish what is beneficial to the body from what is not.
All illnesses are connected with the health of the blood and circulatory system.
The function of the blood is to “convey the understanding” of Binah to every cell of the body. The exclamation “hoy” indicates a disturbance in the functioning of the blood, expressed as an incorrect understanding by the immune system of what is happening. This “misunderstanding” manifests in the sefirah of hod as follows:
The following words derive from the root “hod”: “hoda'ah” - acknowledgment - (acknowledging the truth, even when it is beyond our intellect), as well as “hoda'ah” - gratitude - (the ability to thank G-d for His gifts to us), and the word “vidui” - confession (the strength to return to G-d humbly, acknowledging one’s shortcomings and mistakes).
To strengthen his immune system, a person must cultivate gratitude toward everyone who does him good; he must acknowledge the correctness of others and be grateful for help in correcting his mistakes.
The word hod means acknowledgment and gratitude, and it is important for a person with this problem to focus on gratitude to the Almighty at every step, throughout the day.
Another part of the sefirah hod is nullifying one’s own desires.
Our service of G-d begins with the morning blessing: “Modeh ani lefanecha” (I thank You, living and eternal King, for returning my soul to me in Your compassion; great is my faith in You), which should be recited with depth and feeling.
This should continue with washing the hands and concentrating on each blessing, in which we thank the Almighty for all the good He sends us.
We must thank the Almighty for every breath we are privileged to take. We have an infinite number of opportunities to thank the Creator every day, as well as to thank all the people around us who do us good.
Another meaning of hod - הד - (echo) is a vocal reverberation. Part of serving through gratitude is, like an echo, our vocal response—acknowledgment and thanks for all the goodness and abundance generously poured upon us.
“Ma'arechet ha-chisun” - (the immune system) = in gematria - “where He directs my steps.”
In this connection, it is interesting that if the word hod - הוד is read in reverse, it becomes the word דוה - “daveh” - (ill, weak).
The immune system - “ma'arechet ha-chisun” - מערכת החיסון = in gematria it also equals the gematria of the expression: “Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.”
Segulot for healing the immune system:
- Be grateful to the Almighty for all the goodness and abundance poured upon us;
- Be appreciative and grateful to people who do good;
- Be willing to set aside your own desires;
- Recite “Modeh ani” with greater kavanah;
- Recite the morning brachot with greater gratitude to the Almighty;
- Hasten to perform every mitzvah;
- Repeat the expression “One who walks sincerely will walk securely” (when performing mitzvot) while actually moving forward, directing one’s kavanah as follows: the left leg—“one who walks sincerely,” the right leg—“will walk securely;
- Constantly think: “Be wholehearted with Hashem, your G-d” - according to Rashi, this means “Walk with Him wholeheartedly, place your trust in Him, and do not investigate the future; rather, accept with sincerity whatever comes upon you, and then you will be with Him and share in His portion”;
- Strictly observe the mitzvot relating to kashrut: “Do not cook a kid in its mother’s milk,” and do not eat the sciatic nerve—“gid ha-nasheh.”
P.S. Many years ago, during a lesson at the Bronnaya synagogue, the chief rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Kogan (shlita), told us how one of his daughters was told at school that her immune system had “gone down.” He replied to her: “If your immunity has gone down, then raise your emunah,” and immediately explained to us that it was no coincidence that the word “immunity” has the same root as the word “emunah.” When everything is in order with emunah, the immune system is also in order.
(Based on the book by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, “Body, Mind and Soul”; based on a lesson by Marina Fain)
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Tags: Jewish Psychosomatics, Jewish Psychosomatics – The Immune System, Healing the Immune System According to the Torah, Healing According to the Torah, The Immune System According to Jewish Tradition, Segulot for Healing the Immune System
