The Deep Connection Between Chinese Medicine and Tefillin
If we examine where the knots and wrappings are placed from a TCM point of view, it appears that the tefillin and wraps form a potent acupuncture point formula aimed at elevating the spirit and clearing the mind.
For many years, I have been fascinated with, and deeply influenced by the studies of natural and ancient healing traditions. My great-grandmother was a holistic healer and lived a long time with a high quality of life. As a child, I remember walking through her garden as she pointed out the various plants and herbs she had grown.
Today, I find it ironic that what is referred to as CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) by modern Doctors, often predates the Western medical system by thousands of years. You might even elicit an eye-roll when mentioning these traditions to medical professionals.
Unfortunately, the abandonment of ancient wisdom has had negative consequences on human health in the West.
Over the years, I was particularly intrigued by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as I found many parallels in its metaphors and stories with the Rabbinic tradition.. Further, there are some surprising anatomical connections to the Torah tradition, one of which we will look at below.
First, What are Meridians?
Meridians are energy pathways that flow through the body, connecting various organs and systems.
In the book, "The Spark in the Machine"¹, author Dr. Daniel Keown teaches that the meridians are related to the fascia that helps to protect and stabilize the various organ systems. Essentially, the Chinese system recognizes fascia as a part of the equation whereas the Western medical system generally does not.
The fascia also serves as a vast conductive network for electrical information that must freely pass throughout the body for optimal health.
By applying pressure to specific points along these meridians, practitioners can restore the natural flow of Qi, promoting health and well-being. If we are aware of the specific acupoints on the body, we will find that there are repeatable outcomes that can restore us physically, cognitively, emotionally, and even spiritually!
We should be aware though, that these are not theoretical - this ancient wisdom of the Taoist tradition is still used today as the basis of acupuncture. While acupuncture has made its foray into the Western system, the theories and knowledge behind this practice are still relatively unexplored.
According to Taoist philosophy, the body is a microcosm of the universe, and the flow of vital energy, or Qi, along these meridians, is essential for maintaining balance and harmony. Likewise, the Rabbinic tradition refers to humans as an Olam Katan - "a small universe."
The concept of meridians also reflects the belief in the interconnectedness of all things and the dynamic interplay of opposing forces, known as Yin and Yang. In many ways, these bear a striking parallel to the idea of Chesed and Gevurah², also represented in the Kabbalah as masculine and feminine, respectively.
Others have noticed these connections as well, some of which I wrote about in my book³.
A Deeper Connection
A few years ago, my studies led me to speak with a Rabbi in Jerusalem who himself is a Doctor of Chinese Medicine. Speaking on the similarities between Jewish and Chinese traditions, he told me; "There was definitely some knowledge transferred somewhere along the way."
The Zohar speaks of ancient wisdom that has made its way to the East through Abraham and Sarah as they journeyed, "making souls".
Some kabbalistic sources indicate that this knowledge will ultimately make its way back full circle in the latter part of time, in our time.
During our discussion, he explained how the Taoist tradition itself is not considered Avodah Zara (Idol Worship), as it was not, and is not inherently religious.
We discussed the passages in the Talmud Shabbat 67 that speak of how to co-opt various healing modalities and the precautions we can take to benefit from these without damaging ourselves spiritually in the process.
Tefillin and Acupoints
In the Journal of Chinese Medicine, October 2002⁴, Steven Schram sought to investigate the intersection of the Torah commandment⁵ to wrap Tefillin⁶ and how these contact points might interact with the Meridians and acupoints for spiritual awareness.
He makes the following statement.
"The acknowledged purpose of the tefillin is to raise spiritual consciousness of the men who wear it. If we examine where the knots and wrappings are placed from a TCM point of view, it appears that the tefillin and wraps form a potent acupuncture point formula focused on the Governing vessel (Du Mai) and aimed at elevating the spirit and clearing the mind."
He concludes with:
""Regardless of the belief system behind the procedure, it seems clear that putting on tefillin is a unique way of stimulating a very precise set of acupuncture points that appears designed to clear the mind and harmonise the spirit."
All in all, it makes you wonder how many additional unseen benefits lay behind the commandments.
👇 View the full Journal Article here 👇
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Notes:
² https://www.thehiddenorchard.com/understanding-the-sefirot/
⁵ Deuteronomy 6:8; 11:18
