JEWISH WELLNESS I HER TRIBE 5786
Between Elul and Tishrei, when the light begins to shift, the heart attunes itself anew, and the earth breathes in the long, golden afternoons—I turn to the Seven Species. Not only as spiritual symbols, but as a healing space that is tangible, humble, and deeply noble.
The pomegranate, olive, fig, wheat, barley, honey, and date—each holds within it an ancient quality of healing, a tradition of deep connection between body, soul, and creation.
The pomegranate—a fruit of wholeness and promise—symbolizes abundant blessing. It’s also one of the most powerful secrets for skin nourishment and care. As it says in Tehilim (Psalms), “Your temple is like a split pomegranate”—our skin, too, can be alive, glowing, and full of vitality—if only we listen to what nature offers.
Three Healing & Beauty Recipes Inspired by the Seven Species
1. Brightening Pomegranate Face Mask – A Gift for Your Skin
This mask cleanses, nourishes, and renews—just as the new year invites renewal:
1 tsp fresh pomegranate juice (from the fruit itself)
1 tsp raw honey (date honey or wildflower)
1 tsp oat flour or ground almonds
Mix together and apply to clean skin for 10–15 minutes. Rinse with warm water. The scent is intoxicating, and the skin feels alive and soft.
2. Seven Species Body Oil – For Soul and Skin
Soak raisins, dried figs, and etrog peel in extra virgin olive oil for two weeks in a warm, dark place. Then strain. The result is a fragrant, warming, and nourishing oil—perfect for evening massage, feminine holiness, and a deep sense of rootedness.
3. Barley and Date Infusion – For Resilience and Wholeness
During Tishrei, the nervous system craves comfort. Dates bring sweetness, barley cools and soothes:
1 tsp roasted barley
2 pieces dried dates (preferably natural Medjool)
A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom
Boil in water for 5 minutes, strain, and drink warm. This calming infusion strengthens the womb, supports digestion, and brings inner peace.
Photo: Courtesy of Esther Lachman
A Personal Conversation with Esther Lachman
Esther, you live in Moshav Zimrat, just 4 km from the Gaza border. How do you continue creating and teaching from such a sensitive place?
First of all—it’s a real challenge. Over the past two years, after we were evacuated to the Dead Sea as a community that experienced the worst, we returned—but we live on a battlefield. The nights are filled with explosions, gunfire, and the sounds of war.
It’s an extremely difficult atmosphere for a business like mine, which focuses on women’s wellness and healing.
But the land here speaks. Even when there are sirens—there’s the scent of hyssop after the rain, and there’s a morning when the light hits the sage leaves just so. I’m not disconnected from the pain, but I choose—again and again—life, growth, and women.
Every workshop and retreat I hold here at our medicinal herb farm begins and ends with a prayer and a sending of strength to our friends suffering in the tunnels of Gaza. That’s very powerful.
What is one of Rebbe Nachman’s teachings that especially guided you this year?
"There is no despair in the world at all."
That’s not just a phrase.
When you go through night after night in a shelter with six children, and the next day you have to run a business that employs mostly mothers, and provides their livelihood—you go out to gather hyssop, and you realize: this is a statement of action.
Step by step, day by day—even when the light isn’t yet visible—the root is alive. And our simple feminine task is to nourish it.
What’s the best advice you’ve received as a businesswoman?
Not to be afraid to be authentic. Not to shrink my truth to fit in.
When I chose to sell organic skincare, to employ single mothers, and to blend Jewish learning with herbal wisdom—it was a strange combination. No one really knew what would come of it. No one called it a business plan.
I feel like my grandmothers are my inner compass far more than any advisor… and they’ve proven themselves :)
This business grows from feminine strength and faith—because when a woman stands in her rightful place, blessing flows.
And for a business living just 4 km from Gaza, that’s a real miracle.
What’s your wish for our readers—Jewish women around the world—for the coming year?
That we all return to our inner home. I believe the power of redemption truly depends on us. That’s how it was in Egypt, and that’s how it is today.
The more we connect to our roots, the better we can withstand life’s challenges.
May you care for yourselves out of love—not out of struggle.
May you use the pomegranate and the date not only on your table, but also for your body, your spirit, and the way you greet each new day.
And may we remember—together:
We are part of a living Jewish tradition of women who know how to heal ourselves—and the world—with Hashem’s help.
Esther Lachman is a Clinical Herbalist, Founder of Arugot – Israeli Organic Skincare, and Director of the Israeli School of Medicinal Herbs. Researcher of traditional women’s healing practices in Jewish communities.
🌿 www.habosem.com
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This article originally appeared in Her Tribe Magazine Elu/Tishrei 5786.
Continue reading inspiring stories, Jewish wisdom, personal journeys and meaningful conversations in the complete edition.
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