Running Zaidy

 I just got back from Pasadena where I gave a talk about healthy eating and exercise from a Torah perspective. The event was very well organized and well attended. Many thanks to Chabad of Pasadena who hosted the event and especially to Rabbi Zushi Rivkin who arranged everything. And thank you to the Honokas who hosted me during my stay. The best feedback I got was hearing that 2 people started running after hearing my story. 

  I recently read a post where the author compared some life events to running a marathon. I’m guessing that he never ran a marathon. I’ve completed five since I started my running journey in 2016 at 59. I’m 67 now and as long as G-d gives me strength I hope to complete many more. From my perspective there really is nothing in my life experience that compares to running a marathon. I’ve planned events for 400 people, I’ve done Pesach many many times, I built a software company. Nothing I’ve done can physically and emotionally match running 26.2 miles. I would say that we should look at it the other way around from the authors perspective. That is, rather than comparing life to a marathon we should use the marathon as a model to help navigate life. Let me explain. A marathon is 26.2 miles. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. What the spectator is seeing when they watch and cheer the runners is actually the end of the marathon. The real marathon started months before race day. I

  First of all, welcome to the wonderful world of running! The only sport that has no half time, bench, seventh inning stretch etc. As we say: running is a mental sport, and we are all insane! Here is some advice I can give you. Most of this I learned the hard way. The most important thing is to get the proper shoes. You should go to a running store to get them. Not a general sports store. The salespeople in those stores are probably kids doing summer jobs and know nothing about runners. At a running store most of the people are runners so they will know what they are talking about. They will analyze your gait and suggest the best shoes. In my case I pronate which means when my foot falls it tilts inward. So, I wear a stability shoe. Some of the shoe brands are Brooks, Asics, Saucony, Mizuno, Hoka etc. I am wearing Brooks and Saucony now. I used to use Asics, but I was having some leg pain issues during long runs, so I switched, and the pain went away. When choosing a shoe make sur

Pre Disposition You are trying to convince someone to put up a Mezuzah. He is not interested. You say that the Mezuzah protects the home. He answers, “I have a friend who is religious, he has a Mezuzah on every door, yet he’s been robbed 3 times in the last 2 years; why would I put one up?”. Someone tells you “Look at so and so, he’s been working for 50 years yet doesn’t make a living, why should I work”. Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? So, why is it that when we hear about an exerciser and health buff who dies young we say “Look at him, exercising and watching what he eats all his life, and he dropped dead, and look at me, never exercised, eat what I want, and I’m fine” These arguments and rationalizations don’t really hold water. A Mitzvah is incumbent on an individual. We can’t compare ourselves to someone else. We must put up the Mezuzah because it’s a Mitzvah, we must work because it’s a Mitzvah, and we must live healthy because it’s a Mitzvah. What someone else experiences does

  Shabboss V’Nishmartem This week is Shabbos Nachamu. We also read Parshas Vo’eschanon, the highlight of which is the Aseres Hadibros (Ten Commandments). Much has been written and said about both and the fact that they occur together. So, it’s quite understandable that two pesukim (verses) in our parsha (portion) do not get as much attention. They are pesukim 4:9 and 4:15: Maybe the pesukim would be remembered better if we were to change the trop on the word V’Nishmartem to an Azla-Geireish as in the famous “Ko’eleh” that everyone loves to yell out on YomTov! All kidding aside, these pesukim are the sources for the Rambam’s statement in Hilchos Deot about exercise and healthy eating. At first glance these pesukim are not referring to guarding one’s health at all.   Yet Chazal rely on them to derive the imperative of guarding our health. (For further research see Levush Ateres Zahav, Siman 116:1). At any rate, based on Rambam Hilchos Deot we are obligated to take care of our hea

  The Yetzer Horo (The voice of I can't) Last week I was interviewed on a local radio station. One of the questions the interviewer asked me was “How do I stay motivated and what can I tell people to help motivate (and stay motivated) to take care of themselves”. I answered that in my case it’s the blood pressure pills I don’t have to take. I didn’t have much time, the interview was 9 minutes, to offer advice to the listeners so I answered that everyone is different, and motivation can come from many different places. Before we can talk about motivation let’s talk about some of the impediments to eating healthy and exercising. If we can get past these impediments, then we are on the path to being motivated and staying motivated. As I pointed out in a previous article the Rambam in Hilchot Deot mandates exercise and healthy eating. This means that you have the ability to fulfill the Mitzvah. All Mitzvohs have certain properties and requirements for fulfilling the Mitzvah. For ex