Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea
does the Tanakh explicitly talk about drugs?
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
--- Quote from: Zenith on February 21, 2011, 07:28:29 AM ---muman613,
Quote from: Deut4.9
But beware and watch yourself very well, lest you forget the things that your eyes saw, and lest these things depart from your heart, all the days of your life, and you shall make them known to your children and to your children's children
Quote from: Deut 4.15
And you shall watch yourselves very well, for you did not see any image on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire.
Deut 4.9 and 4.15 don't talk about injures, but instead, if they are not picked out from their context, and their meaning is clear: - it's a "take heed not to make yourself idols" thing. It's not about health.
while Deuteronomy 25:3 speaks about punishing another, not self-infliction. and the tattoo is too different than smoking and drinking alcohol.
So perhaps it is not biblical the commandment not to harm yourself (e.g. by means of smoking, alcohol, etc.)
--- End quote ---
Look, if you insist on the notion that the Tanakh does not say to guard health and you wish to force that interpretation into the text, you are able to do that, as you can do with just about anything. But that doesn't make it a believable interpretation. And why you have that conviction, I don't know. But to me, your position is contrived and forced.
Many of the Jewish sages have interpreted this verse to be dealing with physical health, and it's a very sensible and reasonable interpretation given what I'm about to explain to you.
On the other hand, it appears to me that you are misinterpreting Devarim 4:9.
You can't even pinpoint what exactly the prohibition is. Look what you wrote: "it's a "take heed not to make yourself idols" thing. It's not about health."
First of all, it's not a prohibition because it commands to do something. (Ie, it's a positive commandment, not a negative commandment - Look at the language).
It's not a "'take heed" not to make idols thing' because that's not "a thing." Is it take heed of something? Or is it don't make idols? Refraining from making idols is an actual action. What do you mean take heed? We already have the prohibition against idol worship, and every time it is said, it is said very much UNLIKE this current expression in Devarim 4:9. It is said as behavioral prohibition, Do Not Make Idols. Saying "Guard yourself," (or guard your life/guard your soul) is not the same thing!
BTW, the translation is beware and guard your soul excessively, not "watch yourself." "Watch yourself" is an imprecise butchering of the Hebrew with English.
Rabbis understood that we know we're not supposed to sin, and we have prohibitions elsewhere dealing with specific behaviors including idol worship which are forbidden. We also have instructions on specific behaviors we're supposed to do. This phrase at the beginning of this set of verses is clearly something else, but it is commanding something. So what action is it commanding when G-d says Guard your Souls. And how does one guard his soul (which is contained by his body) ? So these rabbis sensibly interpreted that guarding your soul refers to maintaining your physical health and the physical health of your body which is the container of the soul. Btw, the translation of 'your soul' as 'your life' or 'your self' I think can all fit here because nafshecha refers also to those things in other contexts, so that adds to this interpretation. It's not a simple word even though it is commonly translated as "soul" it also includes the concept of life and self.
Hence in the shema we have bkol levavcha, ubkol nafshicha, uvkol meodecha. Bkol nafshicha was considered fulfilled when someone gave up his life al Kiddush Hashem and even when dying and having his life taken from him he is saying the shema's affirmation of God's oneness: Shema Yisrael Hashem Elokeynu Hashem Echad.
muman613:
--- Quote from: It's Just Mo on February 21, 2011, 10:28:36 AM ---It's quite clear from some of your posts that you smoke the occasional joint, LOL! :::D :::D :::D :::D :::D :::D
--- End quote ---
Really, Like which ones?
Dr. Dan:
--- Quote from: Chai on February 20, 2011, 03:56:51 PM ---Genesis, of all the herbs you shall eat.
Though the stimulant and hunger-suppressant properties of coca had been known for many centuries, the isolation of the cocaine alkaloid was not achieved until 1855.thus cocaine heroin lsd etc is man made poison the effects are alot more potent then the coca plant.
Now with weed , it can lead to abuse, but it wont kill. however, the prohibition not to worship foreign gods may apply because all you want to do when really high is eat and self gratification. Its a medicine for those that need it.
--- End quote ---
1. It is written you can "eat"...never mention about smoking and inhaling.
2. Mushrooms and LSD are not herbs.
Kahane-Was-Right BT:
Btw I will add to zenith, I'm sure not every single person interprets that verse the same so even if you don't agree that its speaking about health, I still think it is common sense even if the Torag does not say it explicitly. We all agree that suicide is forbidden right? By the same logic to harm oneself is a wicked thing to do.
A person has to use common sense because not everything is written explicitly, we are expected to use our minds, not be robots. And to be overly literalist misses the whole point of living a life dedicated to the Torah.
Zenith:
--- Quote from: Kahane-Was-Right BT on February 21, 2011, 11:29:17 AM ---If you think all foods damage people you are being too paranoid and/or you can also grow your own food. If you're talking about all food (even which is not processed) then you're definitely being too paranoid - there is no comparison with the affects of drugs or poison.
--- End quote ---
It's not me with that problem. I hear all around people saying "this food is unhealthy!", "this drink causes harm!", etc. and some people eat only meals according to their sanguine group (there are meals that are said to do harm for certain sanguine groups and that are said to be appropriate for other sanguine group). Also, I've heard many times that the juices (like Pepsi, Fanta, etc.) are doing harm and there are people whom even say that the Mineral Water is unhealthy. Now of course you cannot know for sure which is healthy and which is not, because there are many different opinions. Anyway, the idea is: if Pepsi is unhealthy, I do not believe it is a sin against God to drink Pepsi. And if it is not a sin against God to do harm to yourself by drinking Pepsi, that makes me believe that smoking cigarettes is also not a sin against God. Also about other forms of harming yourself. And I believe masochism is actually a psychical problem, rather than a sin forbidden to the 'normal' man (I believe a psychically normal man cannot feel pleasure and cannot enjoy injuring himself).
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version