Health Is Not Optional—It's the Foundation of Our Avodas Hashem

I'm pretty sure everyone agrees that we're meant to take care of our health. And even if, for the sake of argument, HaShem had never explicitly told us to do so, common sense alone would tell us that good health is a prerequisite for virtually every other mitzvah. The healthier you are, the more energy you have to learn Torah, the better you can concentrate during tefillah, and the more productive you are at work, which may enable you to give more tzedakah. The more energy you have to raise children, or, for those not raising biological children, to teach Torah and positively influence others. The less stressed you are, the more patient, productive, and available you become. The list goes on and on.

So I think it's fair to say that almost everyone reading this would agree with one simple premise: the healthier you are, the greater your ability to perform mitzvos. Of course, chas v'shalom, illness can affect anyone regardless of how healthy they try to be, and that's not what I'm talking about here. I'm speaking about the ordinary choices we make every day. Once we establish that baseline, I think we can move forward.

Having worked in health and fitness for the past eight years, I've become very attuned to what people tell me and what I observe. People in their 40s tell me they're out of breath walking up stairs. They tell me it's becoming difficult to open jars, carry things, or get up from the floor. They're more tired throughout the day, their metabolism has slowed, and their waistline continues to grow while their strength declines. They simply don't have the energy they once had. And perhaps most commonly, they tell me they just can't seem to find the time to exercise. The bottom line is that these decisions have consequences.

I've also noticed how many people gain significant weight during the first few years of marriage. If we're building a bayis together and hope, BeH, to raise a healthy family dedicated to Torah and mitzvos until 120, then nutrition, exercise, and sleep should be part of that foundation from the very beginning. Another trend I've seen is people repeatedly trying fad diets, losing a tremendous amount of weight only to gain it all back, and often even more. Eventually many become discouraged and simply lose the desire to try again. They've lost not only the weight battle, they've lost the ratzon to change.

So what's the answer? As I've looked around our community, I've noticed that many outstanding organizations spend millions of dollars producing shiurim, publications, chesed opportunities, financial education, and programs devoted to our spiritual growth. When I've asked about physical health, the response has often been, "I'm sorry, that's just not our focus." So then who makes it our focus? I've reached out to shuls. Some have partnered with us and offered programming at discounted rates. Others have simply said they're too busy, or that health isn't part of their mission.

So I'm writing to you with a heartfelt tefillah. I only began exercising at age 39, after watching my father struggle with heart disease and diabetes, conditions that ran in his family and ultimately contributed to his passing at just 73 years old. Seeing that inspired me to change my own life. With tremendous siyata d'Shmaya, and with the encouragement of Rav Yaakov Neuburger, we started a small exercise class in the social hall of Congregation Beth Abraham. Today, that small class has grown into more than 55,000 classes completed and over 10 million calories burned.

Every week I receive messages from people whose health has improved (e.g. cholesterol has improved, blood pressure has dropped) and who have more energy for their spouse, children, work, learning, and daily life. People tell me they feel stronger, that they can climb stairs again, play grandchildren, dance at simchas and live with less pain and more confidence. We're not talking about building bridges or competing in bodybuilding contests. We're talking about becoming stronger for Avodas HaShem. That has always been the foundation of every program I've created.

But now I want to ask you, the reader: am I the only one seeing this? Do we, as a community, have a plan? Who wants to help lead this conversation? Who will stand up and say that excessive eating, inactivity, and neglecting our health are hurting us, not only physically, but spiritually as well? Because that's really the bottom line. The healthier we are, the more mitzvos we can perform. The healthier we are, the better we can serve Hashem. The healthier we are, the longer, BeH, we'll be here to do His will.

Yes, living a healthy lifestyle requires investment. It takes time to plan nutritious meals, effort to shop wisely, and discipline to schedule exercise and prioritize sleep. At first glance, it may seem like those things take time away from Torah, work, or family, but that's true of every worthwhile investment. We contribute to retirement accounts because we understand we're investing in the future. We bring our car in for routine maintenance so a small repair today prevents a major repair tomorrow. We brush and floss our teeth every day to avoid painful dental work years later. We service our furnace before winter so it doesn't fail on the coldest night of the year. We buy insurance hoping we'll never need it. Health is no different, taking care of your body today pays dividends for decades.

So my tefillah is that someone reading this says, "this matters," and then does something about it. It does not have to be through Jump Into Shape, there are many excellent programs available. What matters is finding a consistent program that helps you exercise regularly, eat wisely, sleep well, and take care of the incredible body HaShem entrusted to you.

My tefillah is that our community begins treating physical health with the seriousness it deserves, and that leaders with much bigger voices than mine help make this a priority. Because virtually every mitzvah we perform depends, at least in part, on the health HaShem has given us, the healthier we are, the greater our ability, physically, mentally, and emotionally, to serve Him.

If you have ideas about how we can help make physical health a greater priority within our community, I'd genuinely like to hear them. May HaShem grant all of us the health and strength to serve Him with energy, joy, and vitality for many years to come.