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I saw this on a dvar torah blog
If you’re fat, it’s not because you’re a slovenly and undisciplined bum. It’s fate. Regarding the passuk in Devarim 30:15 that says ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???, the Medrash Tanchuma in Pekudei says : ????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????? ?? ??? ?????, ?? ??? ?? ????, ?? ??? ?????, ?? ??? ?? ????, ?? ??? ?? ????, ?? ????? ?? ???, “”?? ??? ?? ??””, ?? ???? ?? ??. ??? ???? ?? ?? ???????. ??? ?? ???? ?? ???, ??, ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ????, ?????: ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ??? ????, ??? ???? ??? ??? (??’ ? ??). Basically, fat is fate. Relax and enjoy it.
Actually, I’m quite fat… and I know why. It’s not because I’m slovenly or an undisciplined bum. It’s because I eat too much and don’t exercise enough.
The Wolf
Nah, it’s because you didn’t keep popa updated on daf yomi.
I’m morbidly obese, i have tried constantly to lose weight. all i ask is this: Parents, if your children are teasing a morbidly obese person please put a stop to it and not ignore it.
Miriam377, I like obese people.
it’s not that i’m fat, it’s that i’m so smart that my brain has no more room and all the intelligence has nowhere to go but down into my body.
Bet I’m smarter than you.
++++
interesting midrash. I wonder though about the cases where obesity actually leads to bad health problems, heart attacks, etc. In those instances, it would seem to me that a person does have bechirah. Ironically, sometimes weight is a choice, in the literal sense of “uvacharta bachaim.” Dying prematurely because of poor eating/exercise choices is due to a person’s own choice *not* to live a healthy life (something that rambam in hilchos deios says is really really important). So since weight affects life expectancy, it does fall under the category of kol maasecha l’sheim shomayim, since hashem expects us to make choices to maximize life.
nisht mekabel! nisht mekabel !!!
im not fat im just filling in the wrinkles as they appear
Note that translations of Hebrew or Aramaic isn’t always a simple matter.
While “?? ??? ?? ??” could refer to obesity, it could instead refer to skeletal structure, musculature or be merely a matter of personal observation and measure.
On the other hand, notice the word “????”. That could change the whole message of the medrash to mean that HaShem will help a person overcome just about any of those traits. But, ultimately one’s reputation is earned, not divinely granted.
stop ruining my excuse!
i’m in shape. round is a shape
i’m not overweight….I am under height!
a round shape is called a sphere
interesting midrash. I wonder though about the cases where obesity actually leads to bad health problems, heart attacks, etc. In those instances, it would seem to me that a person does have bechirah.
Tzinim u’pachim. (Also, R’ Naftali Ropshitzer used to say that he
didn’t see why people had to go so far in fulfilling Hashem’s
decree that they be foolish…)
On the other hand, notice the word “????”. That could change the whole message of the medrash to mean that HaShem will help a person overcome just about any of those traits.
The statement is “that matter (yir’as shomayim) is given into the hands of man alone (????).” Had the previous matters been stated to be under Hashem’s control, and then something was said to be in His control ????, you could infer that humans could possibly mix into the others. As it stands, I don’t see this message of yours anywhere.
Besides, being short or ugly is not something people were
meant to overcome (although they have been trying recently).
But, ultimately one’s reputation is earned, not divinely granted.
Reputation isn’t mentioned at all in that quotation.
Not all of it can be blamed on fate, some cases are yetzer hara as well. My case is a combination of both. I have strict parents who would call me anorexic if they found out I skipped a meal (I use to believe this as a child- anorexia however is a disorder only for the underweight), but most times they haven’t found out and I had to opportunity to skip these meals. Of course fasting is one of the great solutions to lose the weight off, which some of our great sages and prophets did for a prolonged period of time, for spiritual and health reasons.
Regular fasting is not a great solution to lose weight. When your body is deprived of food, your metabolism slows and burns fewer calories so you really won’t lose weight. Of course if you starve yourself day after day, you’ll lose weight but as a matter of normal practice, you won’t lose weight by merely fasting.
And fasting is also dangerous to the health unless you are a great wise sage. I suggest a healthy lifestyle.
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