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ever they approach psychiatrists they receive the same answer, namely
that they are unable to help because their hands are tied. What is the
correct course in such cases?

Dr. Sody Namier, Neveh Dekalim,
Gaza Coast

ɳ Response

The gemara says in maseches Yoma (83a), “If one physician says that
the patient needs to eat on Yom Kippur and the patient says that he
does not need to eat, we listen to the physician. Why? Because the
patient is in the grip of tunva.” Rashi explains: “Tunva means idiocy
– ashtordishon in Old French – owing to his illness.” I do not know
what tunva means and to what folly Rashi is referring but perhaps it
refers to the disease that we know as Anorexia. Now, Chazal do not
provide us with any remedy for this illness, as they often do when
mentioning some kind of disease; they simply write that the patient
should be fed.

Now, a man once came with his daughter to our master, Rav Shach
zt”l, seeking a blessing that she should find a match. The Rav found
out that this girl was afflicting herself by not eating, and was suffering
from anorexia. Rav Shach told her,“I won’t bless you until you’ve eat-
en something in front of me.” She refused and cried and said,“I can’t.”
“If you refuse,” Rav Shach told her,“I will also refuse and I won’t bless
you.” The Rav gave instructions to set a table for her with delicacies
and ordered her to eat immediately. Through her tears she gave in
and ate and she received Rav Shach’s heartfelt blessing. After blessing
her he filled a bag with food and told her,“This is for tonight’s supper,
and I shall wait for a letter from you every week reporting that your
weight has gone up and when I am informed that your weight has
increased, my blessing to you will also increase.” The young woman
set out on the road to recovery and she healed completely from her
disease. This is what happened.

This account can serve us as a guide [in treating this condition],

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