by Debra Rich Gettleman

Yom Kippur. The holiest day of our year. We delve deep into our own psyches to acknowledge failings, face painful truths about ourselves, and recognize where we have erred against others, ourselves, and God. Until…we have a bitter clanking in our heads that takes us away from all things spiritual and meaningful. The dreaded caffeine withdrawal headache.  Now, for those of us who didn’t begin the slow and steady decrease of caffeine over the last week, there is a solution that comes straight from the orthodox community.

Ergot alkaloids, my friends. That’s where the healing begins. Ergot alkaloids refer to a group of migraine meds with a unique delivery system.

And due to the nature of suppository insertion, there’s no eating, drinking, or ingesting that counters the Yom Kippur prohibitions.

IS THIS REALLY KOSHER?

Well, on Yom Kippur we are to avoid all physical pleasure. No eating, drinking, washing, anointing the body, or marital relations allowed. (Let’s refer to those as “The five biggies.”) And according to Chabad.org:

“These five [prohibitions] correspond to the Five Books of the Torah which we accept without allowing our physical needs to intervene. They also correspond to the five senses with which man performs mitzvot and commits transgressions; to the five times the term nefesh [soul] is mentioned in the Yom Kippur Torah reading; to the five immersions of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur when the Sanctuary stood; and to the five prayer services prescribed for the day: Ma’ariv, Shacharit, Musaf, Minchah, and Ne’ilah.”

AFFLICTING PAIN

We are supposed to afflict ourselves on Yom Kippur. So, if we mitigate pain, are we missing the bigger picture? Some say we are indeed. However, God does insist that we eat the day prior to Yom Kippur, (a seemingly suggestive clue to ameliorate the pain of fasting), and it is even encouraged in the Talmud to stay out of the sun on the holy day to avoid overheating and dehydration. So, God’s point is not to suffer needlessly. But rather, to simply avoid the five biggies.

Plus, we know that if you are going to be bedridden or suffer serious illness by fasting, you are supposed to do what you have to do to protect yourself.

So, I guess this decision, while be it a “butt awkward,” is one that only you can make for yourself.

G’mar chatima tovah.