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Death by Overwork  #824

04/12/2024 04:46:00 PM

Apr12

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Parashat Tazria

Death By Overwork

About 12 years ago, Miwa Sado, a 31-year-old Japanese journalist, died suddenly.

That month, Sado—covering the Tokyo elections and the Japanese parliament—worked an estimated 159 overtime hours, an average seven overtime hours per day, as she pushed herself to become one of Japan’s top reporters.

According to a study conducted by the Japanese government, her case was not unique. Her death—and that of hundreds of other young people—was caused by karoshi, death by overwork.

When her body was found, Mira Sado was still clutching her cell phone.

Anthropologist James Suzman talks about karoshi in his 2017 book – Work: A History of How We Spend Our Time. In part, he discusses what happens when we drive ourselves too hard – when we push our minds and bodies over the edge – in order to be the best at our jobs and earn more.

Suzman writes, “Ever since some of our ancestors substituted their bows and arrows and digging sticks for plows and hoes, death by overwork has a reality.

“The tragedy is—that their deaths are not linked to hardship or poverty – but to their own ambitions bent through the expectations of their employers.” What an interesting commentary on the nature of work itself – and an inspiring link to this week’s Torah portion, Tazria (childbirth).

The parashah explores various uncomfortable issues, including afterbirth, skin diseases, mold and even how to protect a community from a pandemic.

And while last week’s Torah portion spoke about the food that goes into our bodies, this week’s section addresses “what comes out.”

As a result, Tazria is rarely anyone’s favorite parashah. But, as one of my teachers once taught, “If you ever think that a Torah portion is boring and irrelevant, go back and reread it; you will find a deeper meaning.

When we do so this week, behind the fluid details, the Torah sends us a deeper message: There is a connection between how we live our lives and how our bodies react.

For example, if we gossip or use words to hurt others or to self-aggrandize, a balance is broken between our “insides and our outsides.”

If we work too hard—like Moses—not only do we sacrifice our relationships, but at times, we can become troubled, short tempered and testy.

If we work hours that are too long, if we don’t take care of our bodies, if we fail to spend time with our family and friends, if we forget to have fun or don’t watch what we eat – our bodies will push back, and our lives will become shorter.

That is not what God wants. In recent years, I’ve seen many young people become obsessed about getting higher grades so that they can be admitted to a prestigious college.

But over time, I’ve observed that a school’s pedigree doesn’t necessarily lead to a successful career. It is the student’s inner balance—guided by parents and teachers – that helps achieve a meaningful life.

I’ve also concluded that prospective employers don’t necessarily look for the logo on a school transcript, but care more about determining how constructively and creatively the job applicant will interact with fellow employees.

Several years ago, the McMaster University School of Medicine radically changed its admissions process, announcing that not only would it be considering applicants with good grades, but, more importantly, it would seek those with “a well-balanced personality.”

The university prioritized those who also engaged in sports, volunteer work and even a connection with spirituality – whether it be a love of nature or through more formal religious connections.

Now, years later, McMaster University boasts a reputation for producing well-rounded physicians with the best bedside skills, and less prone to stress and burnout.

This past Shabbat, we invited three accomplished physicians – a cancer researcher, a cardiologist and a gastrologist to speak not only about their fields, but also about how we all can live happier, healthier lives.

Their messages were similar: Recent breakthroughs have enabled physicians to help detect most cancers before they develop.

We can live longer with healthier hearts if we watch our diets and exercise.

And when we consistently book colonoscopies or other diagnostic tests, we can significantly avoid cancer.

How interesting that following these three brief lectures, a number of congregants contacted doctors—even without having symptoms – to book diagnostic appointments.

Can there be any higher “outcome” for any religious service? And there is more. A new generation is telling parents and grandparents that perhaps money, position and educational status are not the most important life outcomes.

How many young people upon graduating university, are choosing to work four-day weeks, eating better, and taking more vacation time earlier in their careers? They pull back on what has been called the “hustle culture,” and encourage us to do the same.

While on the surface, this week’s Torah portion addresses the gory details of blood, diseases, rashes and leprosy, upon second glance, it teaches us something more profound:

There is a spiritual balance to what goes into and out of our bodies. That concept was so central to Jewish life, that the Kohanim—Israel's leadership tribe—occupied itself with advice, testing, quarantine—and both spiritual and physical healing

The case of Mida Sado reminds us that we live in a world where there is enough food, opportunity and happiness for everyone, and that an unbridled obsession with work can literally destroy us.

God does not determine the length of our lives or how happily we live. Rather, we often control our days through the choices we make.

The Book of Proverbs reminds us that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” But there is more.

This week’s Torah portion inspires us to consider that we need to take better care of ourselves to achieve a better balance between body and soul.

The rest of life will take care of itself

Shabbat shalom. v’kol tuv

Rabbi Irwin Huberman

Tue, February 18 2025 20 Shevat 5785