“All of our t’shuva will only succeed if it will be, along with its spiritual splendor, also a physical t’shuva which produces healthy blood, healthy flesh, firm, mighty bodies, and a flaming spirit spreading over powerful muscles." Rabbi Kook
Rabbi Kook writes that an initial stage of t’shuva is what he terms “physical t’shuva” – getting one’s body in shape.
Rabbi Kook was condemned by certain ultra-Orthodox groups who belonged to the Old Settlement in Jerusalem when he extolled the virtues of exercise and a healthy physique. In his classic work, “Orot,” Rabbi Kook writes that the exercise of young Jews in Eretz Yisrael, in order to strengthen their bodies to become mighty sons to the nation, adds overall strength to the Jewish People, which enables the righteous to bring more Divine light into the world.
“When young people engage in sport to strengthen their physical capabilities and morale for the sake of increasing the overall strength of the nation, this holy endeavor raises the Divine Presence ever higher, just as it is exalted by the songs and praises sung by David, King of Israel, in the Book of Psalms.”