The song of the muscles MH: Bathing and swimming

Among the Jews of the Middle Ages, swimming was not accepted as a sport like ball games or fencing, however, due to the hygienic anxiety that often troubled the Jewish public, swimming was quite naturally associated with bathing.

The Christian Church in the Middle Ages had a negative attitude towards swimming, seeing it as immoral. In different periods, swimming was banned and the swimmers were persecuted, and even reformers like Molothar Zwingli condemned swimming and banned it. Despite this, swimming took an important part in the training of the knights and during the Renaissance, as expected, it was revived.

Among the Jews of the Middle Ages, swimming was not accepted as a sport like ball games or fencing, however, due to the hygienic anxiety that often troubled the Jewish public, swimming was quite naturally associated with bathing.

bathing

As already mentioned, the Jewish Halacha and its instructions grew as the successor of the Mishnah and Talmud literature, which, for various reasons, thoroughly discussed issues related to hygiene and bathing in general. Add to this the development of medical science and the environmental impact on the Jewish community and we find a factor that leverages the subject of bathing among the Jewish public. Indeed, we should not be surprised because as early as the sixth century Assaf the doctor recommended the bath, and in his words: "Because it will provide rest for the body and to relax the members stiffened by the humidity." Then the laziness of the body will be removed and (the body) will come to the hands of a healer" (Z. Montaner, introduction to the book Asaf Harofeh, section 1197).

The bath encompassed other matters, for in the bath there were also masseurs, as Rashi says in his commentary to Mishnat Shabbat (XNUMX:XNUMX) - "a knife and mashmashin, but they neither exercise nor scratch", when he says: "and mashmashin - with the hand over the whole body for pleasure... to rub with force." And not from scraping - they are scraped in a scraper (scraper), which Korin Ashtrail"a" (Babili Talmud, Shabbat Kamez p. XNUMX). That is, with a special tool for massaging and gently exfoliating the skin.

In the scroll of Achimetz of the 11th century, it is told about Rabbi Shaftia, who became famous as a doctor, as a heroic warrior and as an excellent rider on his horse. Well, after covering many distances on horseback "he came to the city before dark and went to bathe with a bath and oil (lubricating the skin, massaging and peeling it)" (Megillat Ahimaetz p. 8). Even Rashi's student, Rabbi Simcha of Vitry, the author of the "Menstruation", attached great importance to bathing and oiling.

However, as in many other cases, we find more impetus on this subject in Rambam, who flattens before us, in a systematic and scientific order almost the image of bathing.
According to him, "through bathing, a person should enter the bath from seven days to seven days, and not enter near eating, and not when he is hungry, but when the food begins to digest and bathes his whole body in broth (in hot water), in which the body is not burned and only his head is in the broth in which the body is burned. And then he shall bathe his body in a pushrin and then in a pushrin of the pushrin until he bathes in the cold, and he shall not run water over his head that is neither lukewarm nor cold, and he shall not bathe in the cold until he sweats and breaks down his whole body (performs a massage and rubbing), washes himself (washes himself) and leaves..." ( Sefer al-Hamad, Halachot De'ot, XNUMX, XNUMX). This passage is enough to let us into the secret of Rambam's special approach, which is based on scientific evidence resulting from his investigations.

In Maimonides' opinion, bathing should be preceded by tiring, and as he said - "it is appropriate that the body should be preceded and rubbed before exercise" (on the health leadership b). However, the role of the gymnast does not end there, but "after the exercises, the body will be dipped in oil (massaging the body with oil) and it will overlap evenly, and it will move and turn in an equal movement, and this is the return (relaxation and relaxation). And then (then he will come to the bath) and wash himself and will not linger (delay). And behold, after the bather he will take food" (ibid. XNUMX). Before us again is a serious measure of reference to bathing which is well connected with the whole practice of gymnastics. Maimonides did not propose a revolutionary innovation in this area, because this conduct is known to us from classical Greek and Roman letters. The Maimonides' contribution, beyond spreading his ideas among the Jewish public, is in the advanced scientific and medical order of the combined activity - exercise and bathing.

Even Rabbi Shem-Tov ben Yosef Ibn Falkira (1290-1225), who encouraged labor and the practice of body exercises in general, ruled explicitly - "And bathe and massage and rub, because there is a long (medicine) for the human body with rubbing and rubbing" The Haria, The Houses of the Leader of the Spirit, part six, p. 28). The importance of bathing and anointing stands out for him in the fact that he devoted an entire chapter in his treatise to this conduct.

Among those joining the praises of the bath is the Rashba from Spain. From Ashkenaz it was learned that in 1267 the church council in Breslau forbade Jews to use the local bathhouses, as we also found in France. These prohibitions teach about an existing reality - about the desire of Jews to bathe in those baths from many years of hygienic awareness and also from the social aspect - to integrate into the local society.
Every community had a bathhouse and the large and established communities, such as in German Augsburg, or in British London, had several luxurious and colorful bathhouses.
In the city of Narbonne in France, a Jewish bathhouse was confiscated and two years later, the Spanish King Alfonso VII gave a Jewish bathhouse to the monastery of St. Clemens in the city of Toledo. In 7, among the confiscated buildings in the city of Heidelberg in Germany were several luxurious bathhouses.

Menachem Aharon, author of "Tsida Lederech" (1350) testifies, following Maimonides' studies, that "everyone who wants to maintain health should wash his body." A person should not enter the bath when he is hungry or when he is full, unless he wants to deny his body (that is, to lose weight). When he enters the bath he will initially sweat and dry (as if he will absorb himself) in a linen garment. And then he will wash his body in hot water that he will not shiver in. His body will be deprived of the warmth of the water until it becomes lukewarm (just as the Romans instructed). And when he washes his head, the water will be completely warm. Therefore, it is a good custom to enter (enter) the bath at night, so that the natural sleep will take place, and that you will not drink cold water when you leave, and also cover your head well" (Tside to the Road, article XNUMX rule XNUMX, chapter XNUMX).

Although a certain influence from the Rambam's instructions is evident here, it is natural that over time, during the Middle Ages, sages found it necessary, in light of an existing and widespread reality, to refer in their regulations to the laws of bathing, considering the desire to make it more orderly and organized. David the Reuben, born in the 16th century, talks with admiration about the bathhouse of the Jews of Rome, and from the regulations discussing the city of Venice of that time, and from the fear of breaching moral barriers in the public bathhouses, it is possible to learn about the widespread custom of Jews to bathe in them and use the services of men and even women.

Even in Hasidism, the importance of bathing is emphasized, to the extent that it was said of him, on the Beshat, "that he received supreme enlightenment, because he was always in baptisms and mikvahs" and that a good baptism is fasting, that fasting weakens the body and takes from it the strength necessary for the service of God, for prayer with enthusiasm.

B. swimming

Already from the beginning of the Middle Ages, we find evidence of swimming in the various sources, which shows us, beyond the academic, interpretive side, that indeed Jews were exposed to this sport, mainly in rivers.
In the answers of the Ga'onim there is a reference to the Talmudic text about "freedom of a palm tree", which are used to make rosaries for babies "and string them around their waists, so that there will be water and urine on the surface of the water" (answers of the Ga'onim, Harkavi, Seman LD). Is there an allusion to a kind of buoy?
The sages found it necessary to rule that in order to save a person on Shabbat it is permissible "even to sail in the water, he must sail".
The Hargamah, Rabbi Gershom of Or the Exile (1028-960) interprets the Talmudic box "Bar Amodai" as "a craftsman who knows how to sail on the surface of the water", and the 11th-century Italian "Aruch Hashem" interprets "shet" as "swimming" (vol. 59 p. XNUMX).

Rashi also refers to the above-mentioned "Bar Amudai" as a person who knows how to "swim in the water", and regarding the evidence in the Babylonian Talmud, in the tractate Kiddoshin - "The father owes his son ... and some say even to swim (teach an animal to swim) in the water, Rashi adds - "even To sail the river", because Europe is saturated with rivers.
Rabbi Tam (1171-1100) knew how to tell about Jews who go to rivers, even if they are far from their places of residence, in order to bathe in them at night, perhaps hidden from the eyes of the locals. And Rabbi Eliezer ben Yoel Halevi of Ashkenaz (1225-1140) rules that "a person should not swim in a pool full of water (on Shabbat) and even standing in the yard (we were in the possession of the individual) ... and in the cold it is permissible to bathe, even his whole body, even in a mikvah, even a spring. He will also be careful of sailing" (Shut Rabi'a Siman 283, Part I, p. XNUMX). The "sail" box refers to swimming. This is a private pool that was owned by wealthy families. Sages forbade swimming on Shabbat, probably due to swimming accessories such as flotation belts and because of the fear of water that might spill out of the pool.

Maimonides in the 12th century likened wisdom to water, "For he who knows how to swim will take pearls from the bottom of the sea, and he who fails to swim will dive (meaning drown). And only those who are used to learning it will not enter themselves into swimming" (Morah Nabukim part XNUMX, chapter XNUMX).

Rabbi Zedekiah ben Avraham from the family of the humble, the author of "Shabli Halket" testified that it is not found in the entire Talmud that bathing in the river is forbidden on Shabbat, but only "Shita" (swimming with the help of accessories), and his words - "and not peeing on the surface of the water, a decree, lest he make a barrel of peeing" (a type of floating device made of wood) ... (therefore, anyone who wants to dip on Shabbat) has the permission in his hand, but he needs to be careful not to float or dislodge his legs, because it will be seen as a float. And he will also be careful not to hit the water with force, so that it will shower except for God, even in the river" (Shabli Halekt Siman Ki). Lest something be hinted here about the way of swimming and its style, something close to a rowing style, when the source was worried about whipping in water that would create a splash beyond four fathoms (over 2 meters).

The prohibition of swimming on Shabbat is also prominent in Sefer Hassidim. However, it is a man's duty to save a woman who is drowning in the river, even if he is forced to swim on Shabbat. The Beshat suggests performing certain movements for that swimmer who gets caught in an eddy, so that he can save himself from the danger of drowning.