Gesundheit
Encyclopedia
Gesundheit may refer to:
There are different theories regarding the origin of this phrase. One idea is that the expression stems from the Middle Ages when the bubonic plague was threatening European health. In this case the person saying gesundheit was actually wishing good health upon themselves, since they may have been infected by the one who sneezed. During this time it was also commonly believed that sneezing made the body vulnerable to evil spirits. Thus another plausible explanation is that gesundheit was a blessing to ward off demons while the sneezer's body was defenseless.
Superstitions date back as early as ancient Greece (ref. Herodotus, History 440 BC). The soul was thought to leave the body through the nose upon death, so a powerful sneeze was thus considered an ominous event.
The following is a Jewish perspective on the custom: Although not technically part of Jewish law (Halacha), the custom of saying gesundheit, tzu gezunt, labreeyut, or God bless you is considered a mannerly custom. It is written in the Talmud that the Patriarch Jacob was the first person to become ill before passing on. Before that, people would sneeze and die. When God infused the soul into man, He "blew it" into Adam's nostrils. Thus, when it came time for the soul to be returned to its maker, it would leave through the same portal it arrived
- A response to sneezingResponses to sneezingIn English-speaking countries, the common verbal response to another person's sneeze is " bless you" or the much less common "Gesundheit" . There are several proposed origins for the use "Bless you" in the context of sneezing....
in German which is sometimes used in the United States (see below) - Gesundheit! InstituteGesundheit! InstituteThe Gesundheit! Institute is a project founded by Dr. Hunter "Patch" Adams in 1971, located outside of Hillsboro in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The Institute states its vision as being dedicated to revolutionizing health care delivery by replacing what the Institute sees as greed and...
, American health project - Focus GesundheitFocus GesundheitFocus Gesundheit is a German television channel about health, nutrition, medicine and workout. It is connected to Focus TV Produktions GmbH, which is also behind the current affairs programme Focus TV which airs on ProSieben....
, German tv channel - Yaakov GesundheitYaakov GesundheitRabbi Yaakov Gesundheit was the chief rabbi of Warsaw from 1870 to ca. 1874.He conducted a yeshivah for forty-two years; some of his many pupils becoming well-known rabbis...
(1815-1878), Polish rabbi
There are different theories regarding the origin of this phrase. One idea is that the expression stems from the Middle Ages when the bubonic plague was threatening European health. In this case the person saying gesundheit was actually wishing good health upon themselves, since they may have been infected by the one who sneezed. During this time it was also commonly believed that sneezing made the body vulnerable to evil spirits. Thus another plausible explanation is that gesundheit was a blessing to ward off demons while the sneezer's body was defenseless.
Superstitions date back as early as ancient Greece (ref. Herodotus, History 440 BC). The soul was thought to leave the body through the nose upon death, so a powerful sneeze was thus considered an ominous event.
The following is a Jewish perspective on the custom: Although not technically part of Jewish law (Halacha), the custom of saying gesundheit, tzu gezunt, labreeyut, or God bless you is considered a mannerly custom. It is written in the Talmud that the Patriarch Jacob was the first person to become ill before passing on. Before that, people would sneeze and die. When God infused the soul into man, He "blew it" into Adam's nostrils. Thus, when it came time for the soul to be returned to its maker, it would leave through the same portal it arrived