Shibboleths and Sun Salutations: Should Religious Jews Practice Yoga?

As it barrels out of the Holy of Holies in the ancient Temple, on the run from the rabbis, humankind’s evil impulse to worship idols presents itself in the form of a fiery lion cub. But, as the Talmud records (in tractate Yoma), the rabbis manage to capture it. Alarmed by how loudly the cub wails upon a single hair’s being plucked—the sound can be heard for a thousand miles around—they’re loath to kill it outright. Instead, they encase it in a soundproof lead box.

But the rabbis’ work is not yet done. After trapping the cub they trap its cousin, the evil inclination toward sexual promiscuity. By doing so, however, they inadvertently thwart reproduction itself, to the point where hens cease laying eggs. So they content themselves with blinding and releasing this second spirit while continuing to imprison the lust for idol worship.

Then, many centuries later, yoga comes to America.