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Gold, silver, copper [ nechoshet ]: some Tora thoughts and some medical and homeopathic issues .

Copper, together with silver and gold, are repeatedly mentioned in the parshiot va-yakhel-pekudei [starting at shemot 35:1]

“Take from among you a donation for G-d, let

every generous person brings it, a donation for G-d,

consisting of gold, silver, and copper”; Vayakhel: Shemot/Exodus, Chapter 35 Verse 5

” And to devise [plans] with ingenuity, to execute [those plans] in gold, in silver and in copper.” Vayakhel: Shemot/Exodus, Chapter 35 Verse 32:

  He made the Basin [ Kior ] out of copper and its base out of copper, from the mirrors of the women who had gathered at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting Vayakhel: Shemot/Exodus, Chapter 38 Verse 8:

 The Kior was the basin in which the Kohanim washed their hands and feet every day at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

And todayI will discuss some “medical issues” in connection with copper

As everybody knows, copper is an excellent conductor [the second best after silver] and is therefore used in electrical wires.

It may be less known that copper does not sustain any bacteria growth on its surface; therefore, it would be ideal to use this metal for door knobs, especially in hospitals.

Is it not remarkable that the “Healer of all flesh” commanded that the Kior in the mishkan [Tabernacle] had to be made of copper?

The kohanim had to do the ritual washing from the copper basin!

[yes, I do realize that the Tora is not a medical hand book]

In the human body, copper -even if it is present only in small amounts-has a vital function.

Copper and zinc are very dependent on each other.

Too much copper and low zinc levels can lead to serious psychiatric problems and even possibly to certain forms of schizophrenia.

Fortunately, zinc food sources also provide copper.

Especially rich in copper are nuts (brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts, pecans), seeds (especially poppy and sunflower), chickpeas, liver and [oysters].

Potatoes, legumes (beans and peas), grains (wheat and rye), fruits (peach and raisin), and even chocolate!

A shortage, on the other hand, can lead in the long run to serous blood vessel problems and even to a widening and weakening of the aorta, which may rupture and cause potentially fatal bleeding.

Copper has many more important tasks.

It helps in the production of haemoglobin, and some anaemias may only get better with adding extra copper, again a not very well-known fact.

Proper amounts of zinc, copper, selenium and other minerals/vitamins are required for proper thyroid function.

Women need more copper than men for their hormonal balance, whereas men need more zinc.

Is it again not striking that the mirrors of the women were made of copper?

[I am not relating to the midrash in the purely spiritual sense,but I am wondering -and again, only the Creator may know-if the women needed the little bit of extra copper which they possibly could have absorbed from these mirrors [micro-homoeopathic amounts?] , to gives a more “materialistic-physiological” explanation of the midrash concerning the function of the mirrors………..??

I will now discuss the use of copper in homoeopathy and just mention the most striking characteristics of this metal and this will give an idea when copper in homoeopathic form may be indicated as a remedy.

The main essence [characteristic] of copper [cuprum metallicum] in homoeopathy is:

CRAMPS, all kinds of cramps , calve cramps, spasms, twitching and even convulsions [epilepsy], crampy cough [whooping cough!],severe, violent asthma often relieved by vomiting, which may be a sign that the patient needs copper.

Language is fascinating, and to compare the root letters of cramps and cuprum with each other does give one a chizuk [strong argument] that what happened at Babel was very real!!

C…R…M…P= C… u.. P…R..M

nachash……….nechoshet ………cramping —–cuprum: wind like a snakefrench : se torder , serpenter = to wringle serpent = snake

german:sich schlängeln …….. schlange =snake

To show you that nachash and nechoshet [the wringing of the snake , the crampy movements are all found back in other languages and that cuprum [nechoshet] has as main characteristic: CRAMPS

An exceptional indication for cuprum is the so-called “breath-holding spells”.

Small children who -after a crying spell- suddenly stop breathing and turn blue for a short while and then come back to “life”. The condition is innocent except that it can cause the parents the fright of their life!

One dose of cuprum [potency 200] may clear up all future attacks!

Also mentally “cramped”[introvert], suppressed feelings, duty-bound, keep all the rules and regulations and can’t stand when others don’t do the same; fanatic, will not give up

He wants to be independent, will not ask for help.

Dictatorial, they like to keep the same pattern, the same rules, no changes, please!

Police officers!! I understood that in the States, policemen are called in “slang”: copper.

All cramps of the copper patient have a violent character [violent diarrhoea, violent vomiting, hysterical cramps, violent asthma]

He wants to be in control of everything.

He could never relax, was a hard worker, ambitious, very disciplined, never gave up, and was hard on himself and others.

Cuprum children can behave violently [kicking, biting, spitting]

They are very serious in class, afraid to get rebuked or criticized, and will do everything to please the teacher.[according to the rules]

School teachers should know this and not ask too much from children with a “copper picture”, because these children will do everything to keep up with the demands and may get sick if they can’t perform as asked.

Copper children often don’t like to be touched or to be approached.

Babies with colics may react very well on cuprum, especially when there is a clear gurgling sound when they drink/nurse.

And to end with a simple piece of advice: in ayurvedic medicine, children with severe asthma are often given to drink some water left [overnight] in a copper vessel.

May we celebrate the coming Purim with -if necessary – taking beforehand some copper water to loosen up! Purim sameach.