[Avodah] kinetic healing and halacha

[Micha Berger]

On Wed, Jan 09, 2008 at 05:24:32AM +0200, Gila Atwood wrote:
: Some of them claim to be 'manipulating bodily energies'. (hints of co'hos 
: hatumah? reiki comes to mind... ) ...

[From an email I once wrote... Thus the quick response from moderation
to reply.]

AK makes no such claims. It's simply a physical claim of questionable
truth.


Reiki is more complicated.

Hardest is to define ki -- is it a physical claim, that there is an
"energy" (for want of a better word; we're not speaking of E = 1/2 mv^2
here) pervading the universe that people can manipulate? Or, is ki a
metaphysical concept?

The former returns to my general skepticism about such claims about nature
at odds with the set of conclusions currently reached through scientific
method. If it works, it would not only be permissible but laudable --
you're helping your patients. And therefore if your determination of the
facts is that it's real, I would think a halachic decisor would permit.

But if ki is taken to be a metaphysical concept, then we're getting close
to pantheism (the belief that the universe is god) or panentheism (the
universe is of G-d, but G-d is greater than the universe. Pantheism
is prohibited. Panentheism is permitted, and key to many Orthodox
philosophies (particular within Chassidus). But to try to get results
through manipulating the godliness inherent in the universe would be
prohibited as theurgy; ie magic. The Talmud's case is reciting verse
over the sick in an attempt to force Hashem to heal them.

The "rei" of "reiki" I think pretty much translates to "metaphysical"
-- it's Japanese for "hidden / unseen". IMHO, beliefs about Ki /
Ch'i / Chakras vary by teacher. The more Buddhist influenced seem more
problematic to me. While I am not comfortable with any of them, I could
see room to permit the less religiously-oriented teacher.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 Life is complex.
micha at aishdas.org                Decisions are complex.
http://www.aishdas.org               The Torah is complex.
Fax: (270) 514-1507                                - R' Binyamin Hecht