Pinchas was zealous in defending the honor of HASHEM; therefore, he was
granted a Bris of Shalom. The Siforno explains that because of this covenant
of peace, Pinchas lived to an extraordinary age -- far longer than was
expected in his times. However, the Siforno points out, the reason for his
longevity wasn’t supernatural, but rather because he was granted this Bris.
Since he was given Shalom, he was at peace with himself, and as a result, he
didn’t suffer the normal internal conflict that causes damage to our bodies.
He therefore lived to an extremely old age.
The Siforno explains: all degeneration happens to the body because of
conflict of the opposites. In other words, all disease, infirmity, and
weakening with age, only occurs because of internal conflicts. Since Pinchas
was granted peace, he had no internal battles; therefore, his body didn’t
age, and so he lived hundreds of years.
The body was made to last only so
long…
The difficulty with this understanding of the Siforno is that it negates our
basic understanding of health. The reality is that humans age. The heart,
the liver, the pancreas were designed to function only for a given length of
time, and then they break down. Infirmities and weakness come naturally with
old age; arthritis, high blood pressure, and the thickening of the arteries
are a part of life. While the heart may be a remarkable living pump, the
valves start to weaken with time, the muscle tissue begins to break down,
and the health of the heart deteriorates with age. The body was made to last
only so long; then it just wears out.
Mind / body relationship
The answer to this question is based on 20th century medical findings.
Herbert Benson, MD, PHD, was professor of medicine in Harvard University in
the 1960’s when he stumbled upon an unusual phenomenon. He found that when a
patient’s blood pressure was taken in his office, invariably it was higher
than then when taken at home. His patients would regularly report blood
pressure levels significantly lower than what was found in his office.
After careful study, he concluded that anxiety contributes to high blood
pressure. Being examined by a doctor was causing his patients to be nervous,
and that was contributing to the rise in their blood pressure.
While it may seem obvious to us today, at the time it wasn’t clear at all
that there was a correlation between stress and high blood pressure. For
decades, it was assumed that a person’s mental condition had no affect on
his physical condition. Any reported affects of stress and anxiety on health
were taken as psychosomatic or imagined.
His discovery led him to firmly establish the correlation between stress and
high blood pressure, and he became a pioneer in a new field of medicine: the
relationship between mind and body. Since those times, it has now become
accepted in the medical community that stress causes a marked deterioration
to a person’s health. Stress can bring about heart disease, gastrointestinal
disorders, pain, insomnia, asthma, allergies… It is now accepted medical
opinion that along with diet and exercise, the lowering of stress levels is
a major contributor to a person’s overall health.
This is something that the Siforno taught us over 500 years ago. What he was
saying was the Pinchas naturally lived for hundreds of years because the
normal cause of deteriorating health didn’t apply to him. He wasn’t in
conflict; he was at peace with himself, and as such, his body was healthier
and able to live to a remarkably advanced age.
The ultimate cause of distress – the
voice inside
This concept has major ramifications in our lives. When HASHEM created man,
He implanted into each of us an inner sense of right and wrong, a Voice
Inside that allows us to know the correct course of behavior for each
situation. More than simply a moral compass, this Voice Inside acts as our
guide to self-perfection.
When a person listens to that voice, he lives a fulfilling, meaningful life
-- as his Creator intended -- and he is at peace with himself. If he chooses
to ignore that voice, not only doesn’t he grow to the heights for which he
was destined, he lives in discord and conflict because the voice doesn’t
give him any rest.
“Why did you do that? That was selfish. I am ashamed of you,” rags on that
Voice Inside.
He didn’t ask for or choose that voice. He may no longer want it, but the
voice is there, and speak it does -- often times against his wishes:
“Why are you living your life that way? Why aren’t you learning more? Why
aren’t you davening like a mench? What do you think you were put on this
planet for?
Many times, the person may even want to scream at that voice; “Leave me
alone!” “What are you my Rebbe or something?!” But the voice doesn’t stop.
He may ignore it for a while. He may squelch it down, but it returns over
and over, and gives him no rest. If a person decides not to listen to that
voice, one of the prices he pays is discord and inner conflict. He at war
with himself, and he suffers.
HASHEM created the human to be healthy, happy, and to live a fulfilling
life. If a person lives in accordance with the wishes of his Creator, not
only does he grow as a person, he lives a peaceful, happy life. However, if
he chooses to ignore that path, not only doesn’t he accomplish the purpose
for which he was created, he suffers greatly in this world as well. He lives
in discord with his inner sense and finds no peace, joy, or happiness in his
existence.
For more
on this topic please listen to Shmuz
#31- The Voice Inside
