Rabbi Yehuda {Leonard} Blank MS, BC
Vice President of Professional Development and External Affairs
Chair of the Chaplaincy Commission
Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim
917-446-2126 rablenblank@gmail.com
<><><>August 27, 2026, 14 Elul<><><>
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The importance of caring for our body and soul, the physical and the spiritual.
The importance of uplifting the spirits of a person anticipating or going through challenging medical, physical or emotional stages in his or her life.
House of the sick, House of the doctors or House of the healing.
What did the Lubavitcher Rebbe have to say about the difference between a hospital called House of the Sick or House of the Healing.
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From: Toward A Meaningful Life, The Wisdom Of The Rebbe. Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Adapted by Simon Jacobson. William Morrow and Company, Inc. NY, NY. Pages 3-7, How do we achieve fitness of body and soul. One Person, Two Worlds.
“The human spirit ascends on high, the spirit of the beast descends down into the earth” (Ecclesiastes 3:21)
“Man can never be happy if he does not nourish his soul as he does his body.” (The Rebbe)
“Why is it important to know that I have a soul?
Because your sensory tools are so predominant, you almost need to turn them down in order to experience that which is within. If you were to suspend your senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch, what would you be left with? But you are not left with nothing you are left with yourself. We only need our senses to interact with the world outside ourselves. You don’t need eyes to see yourself or ears to hear yourself. You know you are there, without using any sensory tools; it is simply an awareness, a totally separate sense.
So we are fully alive without our senses. Without the soul, though, there is no life. Yes, there is the bodily struggle to survive, but life as we understand it is all about the pursuit of meaning, the search for our soul, the quest for G. When a scientist explores the laws of nature, he feels compelled to lift the curtain and see what is going on beyond the limits of our external senses. When a young child pulls apart a toy, he is looking for the same thing: the secret that makes it work. This curiosity is a staple of human nature.
It is the same with our own beings. If we don’t acknowledge all the forces that drive us, including the soul, we will never understand ourselves. And if we are not aware of how the soul works, we will be unable to nourish it. Fortunately, when the soul is starved for nourishment, it lets us know. No matter how much one may try to silence the soul, distracting it through material bliss, it will always cry out, letting you know that a part of your life is missing. This may take the guise of anxiety, aimlessness, an emptiness. A yearning for something more.
Without experiencing the soul, there can be no personal growth, because it is that expresses dissatisfaction, which is the motivation for growth. The body, as long as its own selfish needs are being met, has no desire for transcendence, The soul gives your life direction and unity. The material world- that is, the world of the body- is fragmented, the soul is the hub around which all our physical activities unite. If you were to observe your body’s material drives during the course of a day, you would see it going around in circles or in jagged bursts of desire, randomly picking the stimuli that attract it at that given moment. The soul connects all these fragments, it connects the trivial to the paramount, and the material to the spiritual.
The soul also teaches humility. Whereas the body is selfish, the soul is humble. It provides us with the capacity to rise above ourselves, to see others’ needs and to respond with sensitivity. Without a soul, the body’s selfish desires can enslave and ultimately destroy us. The soul is our transcendent side, always reaching upward like the candle flame, always trying to reconnect us with G. The body may try to keep us earthbound, but the soul has the power to lift us above and beyond.”
(ibid) “A beloved rabbi, when he was yet a young child, was playing with a group of other children who were climbing a ladder. All his friends were afraid to climb to the top, but he had no fear. Later, his grandfather asked him, “Why were you not afraid to climb and the others were?”
“Because as they climbed, they kept looking down,” he replied. “They saw how high they were, and they were frightened. As I climbed, I kept looking upward. I saw how low I was, and it motivated me to climb higher.”
(ibid pages 90-92) How Do We Achieve Fitness Of Body And Soul?
“Although G in His kindness has given us doctors, the responsibility to care for our body and soul lies primarily withing ourselves. Initially, of course, preventive medicine is the best option; this includes acknowledging the root of a problem and not just its symptoms. Identifying and attacking the root of a problem and explaining it to a person can help avoid the problem or heal it at is source.
However, when we are struck with illness or by an accident, we must be in no way reluctant to use medicine. G has created certain substances with healing and regenerative powers. He has also given man the ability to mix these substances and to manipulate chemical structures for what they are: a means by which G enables us to care for our bodies and souls. To use such substances recklessly or needlessly is to violate the very reason for their existence.
Initially, the body and the soul are adversaries, each struggling for dominance. Eventually, though they must learn to appreciate each other. The soul needs a sound body to express itself. The body needs to recognize the soul’s authority. This recognition is a key to good health, for a strong soul lessens the body’s selfish demands. That is not to say that the body should be denied its material needs, the intention is not to weaken the body, but to discipline and refine is so it can serve as a proper vehicle for the soul’s expression.
(ibid) So the next time you exercise and feel reenergized, realize that you have just reenergized a precious piece of G’s property. As you breath in deeply, or eat a healthy meal, realize that you are investing in a valuable commodity. But also remember that a healthy body is not an end in itself, only a means to achieve a healthy soul and spirit. Furthermore, the health of your body is dependent on the health of your soul. And it is your responsibility to nourish them both. When your body or soul cries out, recognize the symptoms for what they are: an urgent request for you to address their needs, be they spiritual or physical.
As much as we have learned about medicine and the influence of the spirit on our physical well – being, we must continue to explore this influence and recognize it in our daily lives. We stand poised at the threshold of a new medicine – when body and spirit will live in complete harmony, eliminating illness and disease. Take advantage of this opportunity. Your health and well-being, your very life, depend on it.”
(ibid) “A hospital administrator once came to the Rebbe for a blessing. When he mentioned that he worked in a beit cholim – Hebrew for “house of the sick” the Rebbe suggested that hospitals should instead be called beit rofeim, “house of doctors” or “house of healing.” When a patient enters a hospital, the Rebbe explained, and feels that he is entering a house of healing as opposed to a house of sickness, it lifts his morale and contributes to the healing process.
Another time, a woman came to the Rebbe for a blessing for her father, who was depressed that he had to spend the High Holidays in a hospital. The Rebbe smiled and said, “Tell your father that he should finish the mission he was sent to the hospital for, to inspire the others there to intensify their spiritual commitments. Then he will be released.”
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As rabbis and chaplains, we often minister to individuals with complex insecurities, worries and concerns about who and what they are. They might have concerns about their spiritual, physical and often emotional challenges they are enduring or situations they are anticipating might happen to them. We also come across people who are very lax in taking care of themselves or even being proactive to see a doctor or therapist whatever the need might be. There are those who have a fear of what their condition might be or perhaps they may think it is too late to find a solution to something that has been troubling them. There are also people who are non-compliant taking their medications as prescribed. It is vital to know how important it is to care for our souls and our bodies. It is also imperative to encourage and to inspire those with concerns as mentioned above that they are capable to enhance their lives both physically and spiritually should they desire to do so. Our bodies and our souls are gifts from G and He wants us to take care of ourselves and be successful in our lives as best as we can.
Regarding taking care of oneself, it is important to eat healthy foods and low sugar beverages plus incorporating exercise.
Throughout the year, especially now during the month of Elul, the days of Aseres Yemei Teshuvah and before and during the Chal HaMoeid Sukkos, there are many inspirational and halacha classes for men and women from all backgrounds one can listen to, watch in person or online. These, of course, are in addition to listening to Rabbis and Rebbetzins giving classes in their respective shuls. Many of our chaplains are also involved in offering inspirational and halacha classes as well.
The Lubavich Rebbe was a Gadol who shared many insights with the multitude of Jews from all backgrounds. We are also blessed to have many other Gedolim, Rabbonim and yes, even Rebbetzins from past and present generations who inspire us to Walk In The Ways of H our Holy G.
We are also blessed to have phenomenal chaplains who are learned in Torah and are extremely helpful guiding and assisting all those who they minister to from diverse backgrounds.
May we continue to be able to climb the ladder of goodness, and kindness, always seeking opportunities of bringing achdus/ togetherness amongst our brothers and sisters and helping to bring peace and tranquility to this world of ours. We should climb the ladder of a meaningful life and not look down with trepidation but to look up with security and happiness going higher and higher in our lives with positive motivation. As I share once again the example of that young boy in the story above “A beloved rabbi, when he was yet a young child, was playing with a group of other children who were climbing a ladder. All his friends were afraid to climb to the top, but he had no fear. Later, his grandfather asked him, “Why were you not afraid to climb and the others were?”
“Because as they climbed, they kept looking down,” he replied. “They saw how high they were, and they were frightened. As I climbed, I kept looking upward. I saw how low I was, and it motivated me to climb higher.”
May we all be zoche with our desire to care for everyone with sincerity in order that we will see the coming of Mashiach. May our teshuva be accepted and we should be zoche to have a Kesiva Vechasima Tova and a year filled with Maysim Tovim and sweetness.
Respectfully, Rabbi Yehuda (Leonard) Blank