Published April 9, 2006
 
 
Ask Rabbi Dan
by Rabbi Dan S. Wiko PhD
 
  Issue: 7.04
 
e-mail me
 

I live in Germany. I have a serious health problem and no doctor can help me. I have been to 10 hospitals with strong abdominal pain, in the lower right area. Now I am on Morphine and the doctor wants to take it away from me, because they have not found a tumor in my colon or anywhere. I have one problem and that is smoking. Is smoking a sin and do you think G-d is punishing me for it.
I would appreciate your advice.


You are really asking two separate questions:
1) Is smoking a sin
2) Is G-D punishing you for smoking

The answer to smoking is that it is NOT a sin...unwise, maybe but not a sin. I, too, am a smoker and have no fear that G-D will punish me for it. I enjoy it and I harm no one in the process.

G-D isn't vindictive or vengeful against us, his children, unless we do something so terrible that divine retribution is called for...this is rare for most people.

G-D has granted us free will...when we believe that we have done something "wrong", we tend to punish ourselves far more than G-D would ever dream of.

If you believe that smoking is causing or contributing to you pains, find a substitute for it. If it isn't, enjoy it and try to be moderate in the quantity you do smoke.

I wish you the Blessing of Good Health.

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