Jewish Paths toward Healing and Wholeness: A Personal Guide to Dealing with Suffering

by Kerry M. Olitzky

"Why me?" Why do we suffer? How can we heal?

"Spiritual suffering must be differentiated from physical pain, although the two are intertwined in such a way that it is nearly impossible to distinguish one from the other. We suffer spiritually when we do not grow from our illness, when we do not learn from the experience of physical and emotional pain."
--from the Introduction

Too many of us faced with bodily illness, whether our own or that of a loved one, feel lost as to what to do or how to handle it.

Grounded in the spiritual traditions of Judaism, this book provides healing rituals, psalms and prayers that help us initiate a dialogue with God, to guide us through the complicated path of healing and wholeness. Olitzky explores:
* What Judaism teaches us about healing
* Finding the meaning of illness in Jewish tradition
* How to draw on prayers, services, psalms, and other spiritual resources for healing
* How to grow by fully embracing the process of recovery

Olitzky brings together his inspiring guidance in using Jewish texts with his own experience dealing with illness in others--including those he loves--to demonstrate how the healing of the soul is an indispensable counterpart to curing the body.

Genres: Judaism, Jewish

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2000

About the author

Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky is a leader in the development of Jewish education, particularly for adults. He has shaped training programs for clergy of all faiths, especially in the area of pastoral care and counseling in the Jewish community. He is the author of over 75 books and hundreds of articles in a variety of fields. He is known for books that bring the insights of Jewish wisdom into everyday living. His opinion pieces are published in leading publications throughout North America and in Israel. Most of his recent publications are children's picture books, as well as the early reader The Adventures of Leila and Ilana

Reviews

[T]

This book is insulting, infuriating, and spiritually and medically harmful. The author is a loud proponent of “positivity” as a way to heal serious illness and blends that nightmare with a poor articulation of needing to rely on G-d who will literally heal terribly ill people if only they are in the proper spiritual condition. In fact, on page 28, Olitzy dives so far into the deep end of spiritual pop psychology as the cause and root of illness, no matter how severe or obviously genetic, to insist “A lack of spiritual light (or awareness) brings on sickness. This sickness often manifests itself physically.”

Excuse me while I scrape my jaw off the floor. This writer has the nerve, as Rabbi, to offer spiritual counsel with some degree of authority to seriously ill people and our loved ones. For him to misuse this privilege and power to completely discount science and blame illness on personal spiritual failure is not just violent and ableist, it’s outright dangerous.

I am furious and strongly encourage all fellow sick people and loved ones to stay far away from this toxic manifesto.

[Jacqueline]

Helpful. Tackles some questions I wasn't personally bothered with such as "Did I do something to deserve this?"but covers most bases. Olitzky also quotes and summarizes many prominent theologians offering more than one educated perspective on his topics.

I particularly liked the section on the mitzvah of visiting the sick. It is important to remember that our job is not always to try and "fix it." Simply being there and providing company can be enough.

Good quotes:
p. 27 "The shards of the broken tablets were carried along with the unbroken ones in the ark of the covenant because G-d allows for a shattered world and for a people who are cracked, broken, and scared."

p. 33 The Kotzker Rebbe taught:" the only whole heart is one that has been broken; one cannot draw close to G-d unless one has been broken."

p. 39 "Like many of us who face life-threatening illnesses, Jacob was strengthened by his struggle with the angel--and he emerged with a blessing. Through an illness, though broken in body like Jacob, we can emerge whole through a blessing.

p. 69 " When we visit those who are ill, we actually share the burden of their illness."