Post-Pesach Musings
Who doesn’t have a few post-Pesach pounds to shed? With all the food being served over Yom Tov, and with the types of food being so different from what we normally eat, it’s natural that our bodies need some time to correct and get back to their norm.
Just as an aside, as I consumed sweet, potato starch confetti cookies, savory, potato starch “everything” crackers, plus potato starch egg noodles in my soup, I noted that potato starch seems to be the new “mon,” which can taste like anything you want. But with all that eating, it’s quite normal to put on a little extra padding, which is why when I spoke to a neighbor, I heard that the family was all on diets.
A Real Workout
Certainly, a diet can help jumpstart your return to normal, or improvement to better, but if you really want to see results, you need to work out. That’s right, you need to push yourself to build muscle and stamina if you plan to shape up. Let me tell you what I did recently to pump myself up.
There I was, standing in shul. It wasn’t my usual place to daven, but I needed to be done earlier to help my wife that day, so I attended a different minyan. It started at seven o’clock in the morning. I was unfamiliar with the location so I ended up arriving several minutes late, but with enough time to put on my talis and tefillin and catch up to the tzibur before Barchu.
A few minutes later, at about 7:19, something happened. The door to the shul, which was in my periphery, opened, and a figure entered. This was my chance. I was very curious to see who was coming in so late. I was about to turn his way, but then I told myself, “Shape up!” I specifically kept my gaze downward until the person had enough time to get to a seat and I would be unable to tell who had come in even if my willpower gave way.
Let me tell you, that was a workout!
I had to stretch my stamina and willpower to the max in order to make sure I wouldn’t succumb to the temptation of my curiosity. It would only hurt the other person in my eyes were I to witness this late arrival, and besides, who’s to say he didn’t have a valid reason for coming so late? In fact, maybe he wasn’t coming to daven at all, but to get something he’d left there! However, in that moment, I was able to focus my energy and withstand the desire to peek. Right then and there, I bulked up my willpower muscles.
The Strength to Resist
In an amazing bout of Hashgacha Pratis (Divine Providence), that selfsame day I read a story about R’ Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin. He wrote that when he was in “a place called prison,” his cell was near the telephone booth. He was able to hear one of the inmates speaking loudly on the phone, using language that was far from appropriate for Jewish ears. He told someone that though he could have looked to see who was speaking, he chose not to, lest those words be burned further into his psyche.
It was amazing to consider that had I looked, I would have been seeking out something negative in someone else, and it would likely have remained with me for some time. I was grateful that Hashem gave me the strength to overcome that challenge, and hoped He would give me more. I’m certain that all of you can relate to wanting to look at something you probably shouldn’t, and how you feel when you manage to look away and deny yourself that desire. It’s truly empowering.
The Jewish “Diet Plan”
The excesses of Yom Tov are real, and there’s even a Jewish “diet plan” to go with them. After Pesach and Sukkos, there’s a custom for people to fast on Monday, Thursday, and Monday (colloquially known as BaHaB, for the 2nd (bais) 5th (hai) and 2nd (bais) days of the week.) It’s done because we’re afraid that perhaps we enjoyed a little TOO much over Yom Tov. Maybe we indulged in things we ought not to have, so we fast and repent as we try to get ourselves into our best shape not just physically, but spiritually.
Shape Up Spiritually
Yes, slimming down is a nice thing, but we must realize that sometimes the baggage we gain is more than just from extra calories. We can take in sights and sounds and messages that aren’t healthy for us. That’s when it’s time to redouble our efforts to shed the unwanted bloat and expel the unwanted waste of fulfilling our desires. Sefirah is a perfect time for the reflection and workouts that will last well beyond the next piece of rainbow cake, and I can tell you that shaping up doesn’t just feel good, it’s good for you, too.
By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
Rabbi Gewirtz (Operation Inspiration) welcomes comments and feedback. Write to him at info@JewishSpeechWriter.com to share your thoughts. You never know when you may be the lamp that enlightens someone else.
