Health

Stories and discussions of the challenges of infertility are common throughout the Jewish textual tradition. Each of the four biblical matriarchs, as well as other biblical characters, struggle with infertility; their stories provide windows into the multi-faceted emotional aspects of the experience and different ways of reacting to it. Texts throughout the centuries address halakhic questions related to infertility – and, more recently, reproductive technology – as well as religious and ethical perspectives on these topics.

Translated according to Ibn Ezra.

Midwives feature in a variety of contexts in the Jewish textual tradition. In the Book of Exodus, the midwives Shifra and Puah defy Pharaoh’s orders to kill all Israelite baby boys, instead keeping them alive. Rabbinic sources analyze topics like under what conditions a midwife can violate the Sabbath, and various responsa incorporate medical knowledge provided by midwives into the process of legal decision making.

Health is a value discussed throughout Jewish literature in a variety of contexts.

The Bible uses a version of the Hebrew term for laughter – tzechok or sechok – 50 times, though in some instances, the meaning of the word can be interpreted as "play," "mock," or other ways. Rabbinic texts include many stories and teachings about laughter, and often present multiple perspectives on the merit of laughter: one source, for example, considers "limitation of laughter" to be a way of acquiring the Torah, while another source calls tears of laughter "beautiful." Later Jewish writers consider and debate laughter's role in religious life, distinguishing between different types of laughter and different circumstances.