: The Jewish Energy

Julia Regina Segal

offee is more than a drink. Coffee is a beverage recognized With a proper diet, can have a tremendously positive globally as an energizer due to its powerful caffeine content. influence in Jewish life. Caffeine’s potential to enhance one’s CFrom the time coffee was discovered, people in various religious performance is noted in the Halakha regarding the cultures, including the Jewish population, have taken advantage of prohibition of eating and drinking before the Shacharit morning coffee’s awakening effects and made it a staple food in their lives. prayer. The Mishna Berurah specifies that it is prohibited to In fact, Jews have utilized coffee as a to allow better consume food or drink before Amidah prayer. In fact, it is focus and greater involvement in religious practices. Thus, Rabbis prohibited to even taste food before one prays [4]. The Shulcan regarded this caffeinated drink differently than other beverages. To Aruch cites this prohibition from, “Don’t eat on the blood” best comprehend coffee’s tremendous influence in religious life, one (Va-Yikra 19:26). The Sages explain that it is inappropriate for must be aware of its biological and psychological effects. With this one to eat before one has prayed for one’s “blood,” self-being. understanding, one can perceive its influence in Halakha in regards Furthermore, the Kitzur Shulcan Aruch cites this prohibition from, to its consumption before the morning prayers of Shacharit. “You have cast Me behind your back” (I Melachim 14:9). Since the word “gabecha - back” is very similar to “geyecha - arrogance,” Coffee contains caffeine, a ‘psychoactive drug’ that induces changes the words are interchangeable; therefore, it can be derived from in functioning of the nervous system leading to alteration in mood, the verse that one is haughty when one takes care of one’s physical perception, or consciousness [1]. Caffeine begins to express itself needs prior to acknowledgement of the Source for one’s sustenance [5]. within one hour of consumption, and its effects last between three and four hours. Upon consumption, caffeine first stimulates the However, there are two exceptions to this prohibition. One may central nervous system (CNS) at the cerebral cortex and medulla eat or drink for medical reasons or if one feels weak. Under such level and, if taken in higher doses, then stimulates the spinal cord. circumstances, one should try to recite the first passage of Shema Chemically, caffeine is a methylxanthine, a compound that contains before eating. The second exception is that one may drink water, a chemical group that stimulates the CNS and cardiac muscles, , or coffee without sugar. The Mishnah Berurah explained relaxes smooth muscles, and acts as a diuretic. Most importantly, that it is not haughty for one to drink caffeinated tea or coffee, caffeine’s main effect is to reduce fatigue and improve mental especially in places where it is customary to drink such beverages, performance [2]. since they make one better able to focus on prayer and allow mental relaxation. The Acharonim explain that these permitted caffeinated The psychological effects of caffeine consumption are dependent beverages cannot include sugar and/or milk, perhaps to maintain on its dosage. When taken in low doses, caffeine can make a discrepancy between its intent as a stimulant versus as a tasty one more alert, less tired, and in a better mood. An average drink. Yet other Acharonim, such as the Radvaz, are lenient in this consumption of caffeine allows one to perform better on alert- regard by allowing one to put a small amount of sugar into the dependent tasks. Although it is unclear whether caffeine can mouth as one the coffee. Furthermore, one should not drink improve one’s performance on complicated cognitive tasks, studies caffeinated beverages in a social gathering, lest the performance of in older people have shown that coffee consumption is related to the time bound mitzvah of Shacharit get pushed off and thus not better activity performance [2]. performed appropriately [4].

Despite caffeine’s beneficial features, one must be wary of its Coffee is not the typical beverage. As noted in the above Halakhic adverse effects. A high level of caffeine consumption leads to an discussion, caffeine’s biological and psychological effects elevate intoxication state called caffeinism. Symptoms of caffeinism include its status to a stimulant that can be useful in religious life. Since agitation, excitement, restlessness, insomnia, and rambling speech the sixteenth century, coffee was perceived as a medicinal item that and thought. According to the American Psychiatric Association, decreases the required amount of sleep and better enhances focus four caffeine-related syndromes include caffeine intoxication, and concentration in prayer. Interestingly, some scholars argue caffeine induced anxiety disorder, caffeine induced sleep disorder that more people attended nocturnal religious rituals during the and a nonspecific caffeine disorder [2]. seventeenth and eighteenth centuries because they drank coffee and therefore had the energy to attend such events. For example, Thus, like with all foods, it is important to be wary of one’s coffee the Safet practice of Tikkun Hatzot, a religious custom where one intake. As noted by the Rambam, overeating is the cause of most mourns the Temple’s destruction and prays out of spiritual piety illnesses, despite whether or not the food is healthy [3]. Therefore, late at night, used to be practiced by just a few people before coffee it is advisable to maintain a “middle path” caffeine diet, so that one was popularized. However, during the Lurianic Kabbalah influence can avoid the adverse effects of caffeine consumption but still enjoy in the late sixteenth century, more people attended the prayer caffeine’s cognitively helpful features. service as noted by the increased number of publications about

Derech Hateva the event [6]. Yet, one does not need to look so far into the past to up late learning Torah. After all, what would a Shavout all-night perceive coffee’s great influence in Judaism. Coffee has helped Jews learning program be without coffee? all over the world to focus on their prayers and studies and to stay

Acknowledgements:

Thank you to my parents and siblings for their love and support in all my endeavors. Thank you Dr. Babich, for your guidance, encouragement, and assistance in writing this article.

References:

[1] http://www.nt.gov.au/health/healthdev/health_promotion/bushbook/volume2/chap1/sect1.htm. (Retrieved February 2, 2014). [2] Winston, A. P., Hardwick, E., Jaberi, N. Neuropsychiatric Effects of Caffeine. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. http://apt.rcpsych.org/ content/11/6/432.full (Retreived February 2, 2014). [3] Hulkower, R (2010). Can Eating an Unhealthy Diet be Halachically Forbidden? Is Trans Fat the New Smoking? Assia. 7:48-49 [4] Mishnah Berurah. Vol. 1 Simm 89, note 22 [5] R. Ari Jacobson. “Eating Before Davening.” Naaleh, http://naalehupdate.wordpress.com/tag/eating-before-praying/. (Retrieved February 2, 2014). [6] Liberles, R. (2012). Jews Welcome Coffee: Tradition and Innovation in Early Modern Germany. Brandeis Univ. Press, Waltham, MA.

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