Wellspring Issue #104 by The Wellspring

OCTOBER 2024 // TISHREI 5785 // ISSUE 104

It’s All ConneCted The magnetic Medical Saga you need to know

Hope BrIngs HeAlIng A Cup of Tea with Henny Isaacs and Zissel Silver of Project Hope

AlwAys depended on And now depleted Well Asked-Well Answered

CHol HAmoed CroCk-pot dInners Lots of Ideas Discussed at My Table

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WELLSPRING MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2024 | TISHREI 5785

ARBA MINIM by Draizy Israel On Sukkos, there are layers upon layers of symbolism and meaning in all we do. The arba minim are not merely a cute set of different species to wave around. They are replete with concepts to appreciate and lessons to learn.

SEEING STARS by Tziri Hershkovitz On Sukkos, we allow the spiritual warmth of the symbolic ananei hakavod to envelop us. There are other times when the night is dark and long, and we're blessed to experience it—the Heavenly Hug that lets us know we are not alone.

CUP OF TEA by Devorah Levitz Join us for a Cup of Tea with the two indomitable women behind Project Hope—the organization that supports families facing cancer, by giving them the strength and resources to make it through the challenging times.

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| ISSUE #104

CENTER OF HEALTH. CENTER OF CARE.

Primary care Pediatric OBGYN Endocrinology Gastroenterology Optometry & Ophthalmology Nephrology Dermatology Podiatry Lyme Mental Health Pain Management Physical Therapy Occupational Therapy Speech Therapy

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WELLSPRING MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2024 | TISHREI 5785

| ISSUE #104

WELL INFORMED 30 Springboard 36 Spiritual Eating 38 Torah Wellspring 44 Health News

LIVING WELL

WELLBEING

52 Arba Minim

96 Hakol Beseder

64 Cover Feature

98 Seasonal Stumpers

72 Second Opinion

100 Well Answered

74 Community

102 Marital Health

76 Fitness

104 Let's Grow

78 Ask the Nutritionist

106 Wallet Wellness

80 Cup of Tea

108 Mind and You

86 Medical Saga 90 Intuitive Eating 92 Gut Reaction

SEASONED FAREWELL 146 Holistic

Health Advisory Board Dr. Rachael Schindler, Laura Shammah, MS, RDN, Tamar Feldman, RDN, CDE, Bashy Halberstam, INHC, Shaindy Oberlander, INHC, Dr. Adina Mintz, PA-C Esti Asher, MS, RDN, LD

EDITORIAL Editor In Chief Tziri Hershkovitz Deputy Editor Libby Silberman Feature Editors Vichna Belsky, Devorah Levitz Copy Editors Gitti Feldinger, Meira Lawrence

Nutrition Contributors Tanya Rosen, MS CAI CPT, Shani Taub, CDC

Fitness Advisory Board Syma Kranz, PFC, Esther Fried, PFC Health Advisory Board Dr. Chayala Englard, Chaya Tilla Brachfeld, RN

WELLSPRING MAGAZINE

Editorial Contributors Rabbi Yehoshua Belsky LMSW, Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS, Rabbi Y.Y. Rubinstein, Baruch Niebloom, Rabbanit Orit Esther Riter

FOOD & CONTENT Food Editor Aviva Emek Recipe CreatorsYossi & Malky Levine Food Styling Malky Levine

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one—we are family—and on Sukkos we come together. We don’t merely pay lip service; in our hearts, where it matters, and in our souls, all the way to our roots, we are one. And we all just want to be together, be family, and come home.

As we settle into the close quarters of our charmingly decorated temporary abodes, the concept of family is at the forefront of our minds. If we are lucky, the gratitude is instantaneous as we look at the people surrounding us, the family we are blessed with. Who we are, for better or for worse, is intrinsically linked to where we come from. The message of family as an integral part of Sukkos is not that subtle. The ushpizin who mark each day of Yom Tov remind us of our forebears, our “roots,” if you will. They remind us of the heights we can attain, just by virtue of being descended from such holiness and gadlus. Inasmuch as the ushpizin remind us to give credit to our roots, it is the inclusion of all the species in the arba minim that reminds us we’re all connected. Each of the species represents a different type of Yid: the pleasant-scented esrog is the Yid full of Torah and mitzvos, the tall lulav has Torah knowledge only, the sweet hadassim are rich in ma’asim tovim but lacking in trained thought, and the poor, scentless, tasteless aravos are representative of the Yid who has little to show for himself in any arena. On Sukkos, though, we bring them all together to symbolize not only the totality of the Jewish people, but also our inherent bond, even with our weakest links. Because we are

This year, Klal Yisrael doesn’t need a reminder. As the situation in Eretz Yisrael remains precarious, our tefillos take on an unusual intensity for acheinu B’nei Yisrael. We daven for our brothers and sisters in an active war zone, and we don’t forget about the more than one hundred hostages, Yiddishe kinder, still lost in the wilderness, hoping to come home. Suddenly, stepping into the sukkah feels different. Without a roof over our heads, we are ever more aware of how every passing cloud and each breeze has the potential to affect our wellbeing. If we opt to, it’s easier to understand and recognize just how dependent we are on the Divine, on His blessings and protection, and how lucky we are to be alive today, healthy and safe. But sometimes we forget. We’re so blessed with the illusion of comfort, so lulled by this false sense of security, that the awareness isn’t permanently front and center. Of course, we can consciously choose to take note every day, but in the day-to-day grind—in our sturdy homes with solid locks, our modern amenities far from untamed nature, and with the illusion of a devoted police force and reassuring meteorological reporting—we believe we’re in a “safe zone.” We can even choose not to hear the stories or follow the news and thereby fancy ourselves secure. We forget that this brick and mortar “home” isn’t the goal. We forget that there’s a destination we should

be heading to, yearning for. We forget that it’s not just about us and our immediate families. We forget that it’s not just about our next trip, next purchase, next meal. We forget that our next moment is not guaranteed. And then we exit the walls of our home and sit beneath the stars, and suddenly we realize how exposed we are to the elements. If we allow it to— and we need to allow it to—this temporary residence can remind us that we can’t rely on our material possessions for our happiness. Their value is transient at best. Elegant decor is not what makes a sukkah safe. Hurricanes don’t discriminate between childish papier-mâché and designer gold-and-cream decor. True contentment can only be present when we immerse ourselves in the experience and allow ourselves to feel protected in the sanctuary of the Divine presence. Therein lies genuine security— when we realize that nothing we’ve left indoors truly matters in the grand scheme of things, because everything that counts in life is right here, in our sukkah beneath the open sky. Our families, our history, our identity—all within the walls of this temporary hut. The sukkah allows us to transmit this transformative belief to the next generation. Because if we chas ve’shalom forget, then the past was for naught and the present will just fade away…And what will we have tomorrow? Lest we forget, moving outside for a week to spend time in a temporary sukkah helps us remember that our past matters, because our present matters. Because we matter and the future matters. Wishing you a chag sameach,

Tziri Hershkovitz

tziri@wellspringmagazine.com

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SPRINGBOARD

the paper didn’t just minimize their rage—it was eliminated entirely. But those who held on to their hard copy felt only a small decrease in their anger.

On Folic Acid and Frenulum Issue #103: Fit to Be Tied I greatly enjoyed the medical saga in your last issue. My kids also had tongue-ties, as does their father (still). I thought it was just a matter of genetics, but recently, at my youngest’s bris, his mohel shared something interesting. He said that whenever it was necessary, he would snip tongue-ties at the brisim. But he had to stop because they became far too common and too complicated. Tongue-ties toward the front part under the tongue used to be soft and mild. Many tore on their own, or a doctor’s or mohel’s snip were all that was needed. Recently there’s been a drastic rise in cases, and in intensity of the ties, and the mohel stopped offering this service. There is some evidence that the folic acid supplements mothers take during pregnancy are associated with the increased incidence of tongue-tie, but even though the studies indicate a correlation, scientists haven’t figured out why. My doctor hypothesized that too much folic acid early on in pregnancy

may lead to excessive tissue synthesis, which may cause the frenulum in the mouth to close more tightly. But there are other indications that excessive stress during pregnancy may increase the likelihood of tongue-tie and increased tissue tone, so maybe it’s that. In any case, I found it fascinating and thought I’d share.

I believe that when we discover something that can help us work on our middos, and especially something that can potentially have us forgive others, irrespective of their source, it is worthwhile to apply the ideas and also to share it with others who might appreciate it. Avigail A. Lawrence, New York

Blimie E. Brooklyn, New York

Gratitude, Multiplied Disposing of Anger Issue #102: Let It Go I was very inspired by Tziri Hershkovitz’s feature on forgiveness, and I wanted to share an amazing study I read about. Apparently, if we write down our angry or hurt emotions after a negative interaction, and then toss the paper with our scribbles in the trash, our hurt feelings are eliminated—sometimes entirely! Japanese researchers worked with university students who received demeaning comments on their papers. Those who wrote down their thoughts about the feedback and then destroyed

I am grateful for all the new features Wellspring has added. In absolute random order, I want to express my appreciation for some columns. Wallet Wellness by Baruch Niebloom has been an eye-opener and has started a serious conversation in our home about our spending habits. Leah Richeimer’s Marriage Secrets always gets me excited to try her suggested approach. And I appreciate Vichna Belsky’s keen insights in Well Answered. Even without relating to the question, the answer always speaks to me too. There’s more, of course. That’s what I love about Wellspring. There’s always

GET IN TOUCH Wellspring invites readers to submit letters and comments via email to info@wellspringmagazine.com. We reserve the right to edit all submissions and will withhold your name upon request. We will honor requests for anonymity, but we cannot consider letters that arrive without contact information.

WELLSPRING / OCTOBER 2024

Any health information, advice, or suggestions published here are the opinion of the letter writer and are not independently investigated, endorsed, or validated by Wellspring. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional or medical practitioner regarding any medical advice, condition, or treatment.

An Honored Guest.

‫והיית אך שמח‬

SPRINGBOARD

Quick Question Question: My five-year-old son has been limping and complaining of joint pain. Our pediatrician tested him for strep—instant and overnight—and both were negative. Meanwhile, my son has been crying and refusing to go to cheder, saying he’s really in pain. I tried tempting him with a visit to his grandparents or to the toy store but had to wheel him in a carriage. At that point I realized he wasn’t faking it. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: You may want to test him for Lyme or a co-host of Lyme—especially if you were in the mountains for the summer. In the interim, massage his joints, especially behind his knees, with thieves oil three times a day to fight the virus. Thieves oil is a proprietary blend of essential oils that has a lot of healing properties. You should also give your son a small dose of magnesium along with an immune support supplement, twice daily. Miriam Schweid, Health Consultant

more. Please keep the good stuff coming! G.G. Brooklyn, New York

It Takes Guts Issue #103: Health News Roundup, The Gut and the Brain I read with fascination about the gut and brain connection and was hoping you’d draw the conclusion too many are afraid to broach. I was frustrated when you didn’t. For the longest time, the medical community denied that there could possibly be a correlation between childhood vaccines and autism spectrum disorder. But they have readily admitted that many of the vaccines do damage the gut biomes, often beyond repair. Furthermore, anyone with a child on the spectrum has either come across or been forced to read some latest study on how improving the kid’s diet and possibly soothing their gut will likely impact their mood, concentration, and general behavior.

WELLSPRING / OCTOBER 2024

Your news report shares that there have been studies documenting how “the trillions of bacteria in the gut interact with…the central nervous system…and affect mood, cognition, and behavior.” Why then can no one connect the dots between the rise in autism (and other behavioral disorders) and the ever-increasing number of vaccines our children receive? A frustrated and dismissed mother, Name Withheld

Back on Track Issue #102: Dance; Step Two Three I haven’t picked up Wellspring for some time and am so glad I listened to my friend and subscribed. I had followed Hakol Beseder 16 years ago when my kids were little and slowly forgot about it along the way. I loved the way Tziri explained the simplicity and ingenuity of “choreographed” routines. I realized that

many of the “steps” I’d picked up years ago are still part of my life. There are also too many I need to reinstate. I’m now once again committed to Tziri Hershkovitz’s Hakol Beseder program—and I’m as excited about it now as I was then. Gila Horowitz Lakewood, New Jersey

Still Learning Issue #103: Too Much to Carry I absolutely loved Tamar Feldman’s article on assisting a woman through successful pregnancy. As “a woman of a certain age,” I found her explanations fascinating and incredibly enlightening. I appreciated the protocol she discussed but am looking forward to learning more. In general, I am fascinated by Tamar Feldman’s new column. It’s a science lesson in a story, enjoyable and entertaining. Hatzlachah on this endeavor! H. Werzberger Airmont, New York

Take a Break Issue #101: Live Life I greatly enjoyed reading Tziri Hershkovitz’s take on the restorative powers of vacation. It might interest Wellspring readers to know that it is not only the medical community that has recognized the importance and impact of taking a break. Recently, the corporate world has stood up and taken notice. So much so, that there is talk about vacation days becoming mandatory. At present, less than ten percent of workers nationally are required to take a minimum amount of vacation days. There is no law or regulation that demands it. Perhaps because of that, a recent Harris Poll survey found that

78 percent of Americans do not use the maximum amount of paid time off allowed by their employer. With employee stress and burnout running high, more companies are considering mandatory vacation, even to the point of a full office shutdown to make it happen. It’s not necessarily a win, especially for those who get paid by the hour, or even those who know they will simply return to a major backlog at the office. There’s another contingent: Those for whom the office is the only respite from life and its struggles. Sure, forced vacation sounds nice theoretically, but in practice, if family life is more stressful, the idea of being forcibly demanded to stay out of the office is not necessarily a positive. And then there is the Yiddishe per-

spective which forms my personal opinion: I believe we don’t need a mandate—we already do it. With our calendar replete with Yomim Tovim and the heilige Shabbos, we have plenty of time to disconnect from the workforce and reconnect with the things and people who truly matter. There is an upside to the potential regulation, however. For those working in non-Jewish businesses, more mandatory off-days may allow them to take off for the Jewish holidays without having those “eat up” their too-few vacation days. Like this Sukkos, it may ensure that taking Chol Hamoed off doesn’t make a dent in our salaried paychecks. Yehuda Chaim Klein, Brooklyn, New York

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SPIRITUAL EATING

By Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS

Human Dignity: Eat Like a Mensch

Chavah listened to the snake. Adam listened to Chavah. They ate from the tree. They were punished that the snake would crawl on the ground, Chavah would have pain during childbirth, and Adam would have to sweat out a livelihood. This seminal sequence of events seems simple and straightforward. But with everything in Chumash, there’s a ton more than just what meets the eye—especially in Bereishis. The Gemara tells of the incredible travail that goes into providing a person’s physical sustenance in this world (Pesachim 118a, see also Bereishis Rabbah 20:10). It’s twice as difficult as the suffering of a woman in labor, says the Gemara, more of a struggle than redeeming a person from their individual exile and anguish, and as challenging as k’rias Yam Suf. But did it have to be that way, even after the sin? Hashem said to Adam, “Thorns and thistles will sprout for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field” (Bereishis 3:18). The Gemara says that upon hearing this, Adam’s eyes flowed with tears. “Master of the Universe,” Adam plead-

ed. “Shall I and my donkey eat from one trough?”

have much choice but to earn a living and toil through the tribulations of making ends meet. Tuition, weddings, bar mitzvahs, tuition, mortgages, groceries, insurance (did I mention tuition?), etc., all take a toll and can test the bitachon of the finest bnei Torah. For this, we have no alternative. Adam locked us in 5,700 years ago.

But once the Ribbono Shel Olam said to him, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread,” Adam was greatly relieved. Why were his fears assuaged? What made him feel so much better? The “zei’as apecha—sweat of your brow,” which connotes the hardship of earning a livelihood, was associated with bread, the food unique to man—unlike the thorns, thistles, and grass that would “tatzmiach lach—sprout for you” effortlessly.

And what’s the payoff? What’s the benefit of absorbing such a colossal cost that Adam saw fit to adopt? Human dignity—especially when it comes to our eating habits and relationship with food. And for that, all of us certainly have a choice.

If Adam needed only thorns, thistles, and grass to survive, he could have lived without any exertion or anxiety. Still, this was no solace; Adam was disconsolate about having to eat like an animal, even with the fact that his sustenance would come worry-free. He was willing to pay the price of the profound pains of parnassah to eat like a mensch, to have a relationship with food befitting his noble standing of a tzelem Elokim—a unique creature created in the image of G-d. Our standard has been set. For the rest of eternity, few of us

But did it have to be that way, even after the sin?

We can stuff ourselves and run after our animalistic desires for immediate gratification and indulgence—even in the name of a simchah, mitzvah, or Yom Tov meal. Or we can welcome appropriate boundaries and guidelines around our eating, exercising control and treating our bodies with the sanctity and kedushah deserving of descendants of Adam, not the primitive progenies of primates. We pay the price whether we like it or not. Let’s make sure we reap the reward—especially during this Zeman Simchaseinu.

Rabbi Eli Glaser, CNWC, CWMS, is the founder and director of Soveya and the author of the best-selling book Enough Is Enough—How the Soveya Solution Is Revolutionizing the Diet and Weight-Loss World, available on Amazon and at Barnes & Nobles and Judaica Plaza in Lakewood. He has worked with thousands of clients around the world and has maintained a 130-pound weight loss for the last 19 years. For more information about Soveya’s programs call 732-578-8800, email info@soveya.com, or visit www.soveya.com.

WELLSPRING / OCTOBER 2024

TORAH WELLSPRING

By Rabbi YY Rubinstein

Surrounded by Lies, Surrounded by Chessed

The Gemara in Avodah Zarah (3a) provides a well-known account about events that will occur when Moshiach comes. The nations of the world will all come together in Yerushalayim. They will demand a reward for having done so much to help Klal Yisrael keep Torah and mitzvos. Hashem will not give them the response they hoped for. He will tell them they are lying and that they never tried to help Klal Yisrael’s shemiras ha’mitzvos. The truth is, they tried their very best to stop Klal Yisrael from doing the ratzon Hashem. I have always struggled to picture what this confrontation will actually look like. My first difficulty is the scale and the chutzpah of the peoples of the world. They will be united, and when they speak, it will be with one voice, brazenly lying and claiming that they have always behaved toward us with kindness and compassion. Their arrogance is baffling, and their attempt to lie to Hakadosh Baruch Hu is surely madness. Hashem’s response to their chutzpah is also puzzling. He certainly forces them to admit that their treatment of Klal Yisrael was anything but kind and compassionate, but then He gives them a second chance. That second chance is the mitzvah of Sukkos.

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Rav Elimelech Biderman shlita, in his sefer Be’er Hachaim, makes a brilliant observation that allows all the pieces of this puzzling story to fall into place. He points out that Gemara says the nations of the world will build their sukkahs on the roofs of their houses, and he wonders why that should be. Why not do the easy thing and build them on the ground, as most of us do? Before I share his answer, it is worthwhile stating the obvious: the world has been speaking with one voice and lying about us for the last two thousand years. In fact, if anyone ever wrote a book called The Lies People Say about Jews, it would require very many volumes. The world has always sung— in perfect harmony—different but similar songs that describe us Jews as uniquely evil and bad. In the Middle Ages, when the bubonic plague wiped out half the European population, the world claimed it was the Jews who had poisoned the wells of Europe, causing the Black Death. They repeated this lie many more times, whenever another outbreak of the disease occurred. The irony is that it was a Jew from Ukraine, Sir Waldemar Mordechai Wolff Haffkine, who developed a vaccine against bubonic plague and saved count-

less millions of lives. The world then lied and said that we only look after ourselves and ignore the suffering of others. In truth, as the Mishnah in Gittin 5:8 makes clear, in order to promote shalom between Klal Yisrael and the nations of the world, we look after and care for the non-Jewish poor and sick as we do for our fellow Jews. The donations of Jews to non-Jewish schools, hospitals, and a host of other institutions make up a very long list indeed.

Their arrogance is baffling, and their attempt to lie to Hakadosh Baruch Hu is surely madness.

America’s greatest man of letters, Mark Twain, addressed the world’s hypocrisy in claiming that we are unconcerned about the suffering of the poor in an essay entitled, “Concerning the Jews”: The Jew has been staged in many uncomplimentary forms [for example in Shakespeare’s play, “The Merchant of Venice”], but so far as I know, no dramatist

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