Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig was initially looking for answers to several questions asked about Jewish law and mental health. It soon became a book, then a center that he helped run and had already trained dozens of rabbis.
“This topic chose me. I told myself that if this is so important to people, then maybe I should do this.
Although Rosensweig focuses primarily on the connection between mental health and Jewish law, he wears many hats. Ordained by Orthodox Yeshivat Birkat Moshe in the settlement of Maare Adumim, he led the community of Netzach Menashe in Beit Shemesh, taught at the progressive Orthodox Midreshet Lindenbaum in Jerusalem, and published several books. wrote a book on PosekA rabbi who renders practical rulings on , Jewish law, or Halacha. For example, don’t miss his Inquiry session before the Passover. (Full disclosure: he also officiated this reporter’s wedding in 2019.)
Rosensweig’s foray into the mental health field began about five years ago when she received a few questions from the community. To better understand this topic, Rosensweig spoke to Dr. Shmuel Harris, a psychiatrist and director of Machon Dvir, a behavioral health clinic in Jerusalem.
“My goal was just to answer a few questions. I got
The book they wrote together, Nafshi B’She’elati, will be published in Hebrew by Koren Publishers in 2022. An English translation is due out later this year, but his work is already making waves in English. Speaking communities in Israel and around the world.
“There are many topics in halacha that I could have chosen to explore. But this affects hundreds and thousands of people every day. No book like this has ever been written. It’s really unbelievable that I’ve never had one before, because it’s so important to people and it’s directly related to their quality of life, sometimes life itself,” he said.
“Nafshi B’She’elati” on page 512 is aimed at rabbis and other professionals, with detailed explanations of terminology (both psychology and rabbis) and footnotes that are often longer than the text. It contains. But even for the casual layman, it’s a fascinating read that addresses topics like schizophrenia, depression, eating disorders, phobias, autism, and dementia.
Along with the publication of this book, Rosensweig also founded Ma’aglei Nefesh: The Center for Mental Health, Community, and Halacha. The center helps connect people with mental health problems with therapists and rabbis, produces literature on mental health and haracha, and performs 50. A one-hour training session for rabbis on mental health topics.
We know how to talk about cancer, not depression
He is not the only rabbi to consider the link between mental health and haracha, but Rosensweig has emerged as a prominent speaker on the topic, often within religious communities such as synagogues and seminaries, or within medical institutions and I’ve been talking about this issue for at least a week at a medical institution. to mental health professionals, hospitals, or groups of social workers.
Rosensweig held such an event on Sunday evening, speaking about his work at the Neve Habaron Synagogue in the northern town of Zyklon Yaakov. So he took the stage with a religious woman who shared her experiences dealing with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts.
The talk addressed the need for communities to expand their thinking about mental health and what considerations were included in his ruling on Halacha.
Rosensweig said she hopes through events like this, the community learns the vocabulary they need for open discussion about mental health, just as they already have about physical health.
Or discuss her struggles with mental health at the Neve Habaron Synagogue in the northern town of Zichron Yaakov on January 22, 2023. (Judah Ari Gross/Times of Israel)
“Even if you don’t have professional medical training, you can still make small talk about your physical health. Have you ever seen an oncologist?” Have you started chemotherapy? I don’t know what chemo is, but I can talk about chemo. If you run into them on the street, you can ask them how they’re doing and how they’re feeling,” Rosensweig said.
“But when I’m depressed, I don’t know what to say. That’s the problem. Five years ago, I didn’t know how to make that kind of chit-chat about mental health.” If you find that you are, you often don’t know what happens next.Will you see a psychologist?Psychiatrist?Worker?How long will it last?What is the process?And its When you meet someone, what do you ask, “How is your depression?” What is a sensitive and correct statement? ” He said.
Halacha and Mental Health
For religious Jews, halacha governs most aspects of life, including how and what meals are eaten, how family members are involved, and how Shabbat is celebrated. These religious laws can be challenging and even dangerous for those with certain mental health issues. For example, Yom Kippur fasting can cause significant relapses for those who have dealt with eating disorders.
Copy of Nafshi B’She’elati by Rabbi Yoni Rosensweig and Dr. Shmuel Harris. (Judas Ali Grosz/Times of Israel)
“Nafshi B’She’elati” and many of Rosensweig’s works delve deeply into the source material to see which aspects of the halacha are flexible, where exceptions can be made, and which aspects can be superseded. It focuses on finding out what is clearly God’s prohibition that cannot be done. Some of this is based on the nature of the commandment — whether it came directly from the Bible or was it later developed by the rabbis — and some on the effect it has on people — such as it saves lives. or just easing?
But while much of “Nafshi B’She’elati” deals with giving generous tolerance to people with various mental health conditions, Rosensweig argues that rabbis should not be blindly tolerant. and make sure the person still feels compliant. It is a Jewish law and is still part of a religious organization.
He said no one was forced to obey Jewish law. Those who come to him do not want to escape from their religious obligations. they want to follow them.
“People want to fast on Yom Kippur. If they say they can’t, they feel rejected by their group or community. That’s not good news for them when you say it — it’s hard news.
Rosensweig gave a relatively common example of people with depression and anxiety being helped by listening to music. What can such a person do on the Sabbath when the use of electricity is restricted?
Theoretically, Rosensweig said, the rabbi could simply allow such a person to listen to music on the Shabbat using a phone or computer. However, doing so does not necessarily make them feel that they are keeping the law of the Sabbath.
“We are trying to fight stigma. Every time an exception is made for mental health reasons, the person is not keeping the Sabbath, is not as strong as others, etc. I feel like,” he said.
Instead, I recommend putting a playlist on loop before Shabbat so that when you need to listen to music, you don’t actually turn anything on and just put on your headphones.
“You have to balance how you rule the haracha,” he said.
