Kidneys Cannot Talk, But the Body
Surely Hears Them
Among a list of many organs with their moral or
psychological functions, the Talmud repeatedly noted that
“the kidneys give advice,” or “kelayot yo’azot.” Dr, Samuel
Kottek elucidated this phrase to mean that the kidneys are
the “counselors of the heart.” In fact, the kidneys are the
counselors of the whole body [1]. It is learned from King
David’s Psalms about a type of advice the kidneys provide:
“My kidneys also admonish me during the night” (Psalms
16:7). Kottek explained this verse to mean that the kidneys
are active during the night while not being “influenced [by]
the outside world,” thereby providing counsel that is
unfaltering [1]. Kottek noted that Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai,
in the Midrash Rabba (Numbers 10:21), described that
Avraham learned his Torah knowledge from his G-d
inspired kidneys; in essence, the kidneys were talking to the
brain of Avraham, With the advance of science, there is an
elucidation of the mysterious counsel which the kidneys
provide on a physiological level.
Overall, kidneys maintain homeostasis in the body, thereby
serving as the top advisor not only to each person about
their health, but even more so, to the body itself. Kidneys
maintain homeostasis by controlling blood pressure, by
producing the right number of erythrocytes, and by
clearing toxins from the body; therefore, kidneys truly
maintain the whole body function.
When discussing the type of advice provided by kidneys as
referenced in ancient Jewish texts, Kottek noted that “it
was known in antiquity that kidneys were in some way
related to the formation of urine,” indicating that when
these moral and psychological statements about kidneys
were being made, there was also an understanding of the
connection between kidneys, urine, and their important
physiological role in the body [1]. Indeed, it is now
understood that kidneys do not simply exist independently,
but rather, they function as an integral part of the body,
excreting metabolic wastes generated by the individual. The
health and the ability of the kidneys to work properly
ensures that the entire process of dispelling deadly toxins is
accomplished correctly [2]. As noted by Kottek, in ancient
times urine was referred to as water, and water was a
“symbol of learning” [1]. As in a municipality the water
systems work at night, so too the kidneys work at night,
providing advice on a continuous and on an unconscious
level.
By Kelley
Tripp
through urine. Jane Brody, a science writer for the NY
Times, noted that urine “holds clues… to how well the
body is functioning.” Urine, based on its clarity, color, and
substances found in it, can indicate if a person has an
infection, cancer, diabetes or more. Urine can indicate if
one’s salt intake is too high, or based on its color, can
indicate one’s hydration level. Brody noted that, for
example, if one’s urine is pale yellow or clear, it indicates
normal hydration levels due to the decreased level of the
production of the yellow pigment urochrome. However,
dark urine can indicate either dehydration or hepatitis, a
liver disease. In another example, urine that is constantly
foamy may indicate the excretion of protein, a sign of
kidney disease. Clarity and volume of urine also are
indicative of various diseases. Escherichia coli in the urine
implies a urinary tract infection [3]. Overall, by gleaning
advice from urine, one is in essence gleaning advice from
the kidneys themselves, because urine production reflects
kidney function. In their waste products, kidneys provide
profound and detailed advice about one’s state of health.
Interestingly, not only are kidneys the source of advice
about one’s health status through their production of urine,
but also, kidneys themselves directly influence one’s
cognition. The kidneys produce erythropoietin, a hormone
involved in the synthesis of hemoglobin, the protein which
carries oxygen to the body. When not functioning properly,
the kidneys cannot produce erythropoietin, leading to
anemia and fatigue of muscles and the brain. As a result,
one cannot concentrate fully, nor remember, study, learn,
or use her brain to its fullest capacity [4]. Thus, one’s
intellectual abilities are dependent on the kidney, and in
that relationship of dependence, is another way the
“kidneys give advice.” Counsel, or one’s ability to reason
with their mind, requires a clear, functioning brain; the
kidneys, when functioning properly and providing
erythropoietin, give proper brain function, and therefore,
“give advice.”
Through the advance of scientific research, one can better
appreciate the kidney’s invaluable relationship to health
and the Torah’s genius in recognizing this relationship.
On a physiological level, urine in fact can provide
immeasurable information about the body’s status, thereby
providing advice about how to handle one’s health and
future. The kidneys filter the entire blood volume over 20
times a day and remove undesirable chemicals from export
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DERECH HATEVA
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge Dr. Levy Amar and Dr.
Harvey Babich for their dedicated guidance in exploring
both the biblical texts and the scientific data used for this
paper. I would like to express a deep hakarat hatov to my
Mother and Father for their suggestions, guidance, and
constant support in my academic career. I would like to
acknowledge Dr. Stuart Greenstein of Montefiore Medical
Center’s Transplantation Team for introducing me to the
study and importance of the kidney.
References
[1] Kottek, S.S., 1993-1994, "The Kidneys Give Advice:
Some Thoughts on Nephrology in the Talmud and
Midrash." Korot 10: 44-53,
[2] Germann, W.J., and C.L. Stanfield, 2005,. Principles of
Human Physiology. San Francisco: Pearson Benjamin
Cummings.
DERECH HATEVA
[3] Brody, J.E., 2012, "A Medical Tell-All Can Be Found
in Urine." The New York Times. Jan. 2.
[4] Eknoyan, G., 2005, 1"The Kidneys in the Bible: What
Happened?" J. Am. Soc, Nephrol., 16:3464-3471.
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