For the past two days we have been discussing the concept that we have to be careful with our health and not put ourselves in dangerous situations. We brought many proofs for this.
Rav Yerucham Levovitz, in his sefer Daat Torah on Shemot, gives us a deeper understanding of this concept. He explains why very righteous people are so careful with minor details of their health. The answer, in his words, is that
כי האבות וכל הגדולים שמרו טבע, ןיראו מאוד לעבור עליה
Our forefathers and all the great rabbis guarded nature and were afraid to transgress it.
What does this mean?
The Kuzari discusses this. The famous king of Kuzar gathered rabbis and representatives of different religions to question them. The rabbi asked the king how he explains the wonders of trees, rain etc. the king said, “Oh it’s Mother Nature.” The rabbi then asked him what that meant. The king said it was “a force that only scientists and philosophers could understand.”
The rabbi replied that Mother Nature is actually G-d.
So Nature טבע, is really Hashem. There is no difference between miracles and nature. In fact, the Gematria of הטבע is numerically equal to that of אלוהים
So, The nature= G-d.
Therefore, we have to follow rules of nature, the חוקי הטבע, because they are really the rules of G-d.
The Chazon Ish explains this concept beautifully in a letter (vol 1, letter 35) to a young Yeshiva boy who complained that although he would like to study more, and be a Matmid, he got tired and needed to rest. The Chazon Ish responded:
Realize there is no sin and no guilt in getting tired.
רק מחוקי הטבע להתעייף
It’s from the rules of nature to get tired.
When your body is tired, it’s G-d talking.
ואין ראוי לזלזל בחוקי הטבע
It’s not proper to be negligent when it comes to the rules of nature
כי מה שאנו קוראים טבע, המכוון בזה רצון היותר מתמיד של המהוה כל הויות יתברך
Because what we call “Nature” is actually
G-d’s most constant will: The one who created the World.
G-d has Wills. When water flows, that’s nature, and that’s the most constant will of G-d. That the sea should split is a rare interest.
Getting tired after full day is G-d’s will. It’s Ratzon Hashem just like light and dark. These are G-d’s creations.
Just as a baby being born is a miracle, it’s also a constant nature that we are used to.
Nature is G-d.
And so, because nature is G-d, you have to listen to nature. You can’t just look at nature and then consider taking care of your body as some extraneous activity.
Therefore, he says, you have a responsibility to stop learning to rest, take walks, and waste time. Because that’s what your body wants and that’s what G-d wants from you.
Tevah/Nature, is G-d.
The Hovot HaLevavot’s whole point is that listening to your body is a mitzvah. Feeling sleepy is G-d talking to you, telling you to sleep.
That’s the beauty of this concept:
You can turn everything around you into a mitzvah.
And regarding Shemuel HaNavi, when Hashem told him to go anoint David, Rav Yerucham says:
שידע שאסור לסור ממצות הטבע בשום אופן
Since he knew it was forbidden to veer from the commands of nature any which way, he asked G-d what the mitzvah of teva was in that instance. He needed a natural response. And G-d said, Go get yourself a calf to cover up the fact that you’re going to anoint David.
Rav Yerucham has another Hiddush. He says this is why Moshe told Pharoah they’d be leaving only for 3 days when they were leaving Mitzrayim. People are bothered by this. Why couldn’t he have just told Pharoah they weren’t coming back? And it’s the same answer: Because we have to follow nature as much as we can. Even at Yetziat Mitzrayim. If this applies to Moshe and Shemuel, surely, we regular people have to listen as well.
So, if your teeth are telling you it’s time to see the hygienist, listen! That’s a mitzvah.
Nature is a mitzvah.
Follow the mitzvah of nature.