מיאמוטו מוסאשי מגיש כליה בריאה לקיסר יפן – אלגוריה של ירון מרגולין על ההכרה ביכולת ההחלמה של הכליות ועל השינוי בגישה הנפרולוגית ביפן. צוייר בעזרת תוכנת ChatGPT. 宮本武蔵が日本の天皇に健康な腎臓を捧げる ― ヤロン・マルגוליןによる寓話であり、腎臓の回復能力の認識と日本における腎臓学的アプローチの変化を示す。ChatGPT によって描かれた。
פתיחה
במשך עשרות שנים חולי כליה במערב נאלצו לשמוע את אותו משפט נוקשה: "מחלות כליה הן בלתי הפיכות, הדרך היחידה היא דיאליזה או השתלה." מסר זה, שנישא מפי נפרולוגים רבים, הותיר תחושה של ייאוש וניכור [מקור]. ההצלחות המרשימות – אותם מקרים שבהם הכליה התאוששה, תפקוד חזר ושגרת חיים נבנתה מחדש – נותרו מוסתרות ואינן זוכות להכרה או למחקר מערכתי [מקור1, מקור2, מקור3, מקור4, מקור5].
בשלב זה, אני – ירון מרגולין – נותרתי יחיד במערב שמעמיד את ההחלמה במרכז, ומראה בפועל כיצד אפשר לשקם את הכליה על בסיס עקרונות ביולוגיים ברורים:
מתילציה, סינתזת גלוטתיון, הפעלת Klotho ו-PGC-1α. גישה זו אינה חלום אלא מציאות – בתנאים נכונים
לעומת זאת, ביפן חל שינוי מדהים: שם ההחלמה מוכרת, מוערכת וזוכה להדהוד גדול בקהילה הנפרולוגית, ובעיקר – היא מביאה להצלחות רבות בהחלמת חולים [מקור].
דיסציפלינה חדשה – שיקום כלייתי – נולדה ומתפתחת במהירות, ומציבה את ההחלמה כיעד חשוב יותר מההישרדות בלבד [מקור1, מקור2].
“מדריך טיפול לחולי CKD – למטופלים ולבני משפחותיהם (2024)” – פורסם באתר האגודה היפנית לנפרולוגיה.
“הנחיות לשיקום כלייתי” / “ידיעוןשיקום הכליה לחולי CKD בשלב השמירה” – האגודה היפנית לשיקום כליות.
חומר למטופלים על פעילות גופנית, תזמון ועצימות, עם רוח מאוד פרקטית של “אפשר להרוויח חזרה תפקוד”.
אוניברסיטת טוקיו הצטרפה למרחב זה מדיקל–דנטל בה: מסביר שהפחתת תפקוד אחרי כריתת חלק מהכליה לרוב קטנה, ושימור תפקוד עדיף לעומת כריתה .מלאה [מקור]
שיקום כלייתי ביפן הוא תוכנית רב-תחומית מקיפה לחולי מחלת כליות כרונית (CKD), המובלת על ידי רופאים, מטפלים שיקומיים, תזונאים, מומחי סיעוד, עובדים סוציאליים, רוקחים ומטפלים [מקור].
מחקרים תצפיתיים רבים הראו תוצאות טובות יותר בחולי CKD עם פעילות גופנית רבה יותר [מקור].
ירון מרגולין מהדהד את המלצת מאמרו "אילוף הכליות הסוררות" כדי לקדם החלמה.
תמיכה תזונתית היא אחד הבסיסים לשיקום כלייתי.
ישנם גורמים שונים לאובדן שרירי שלד בחולי CKD. כדי למנוע קטבוליזם של חלבון שריר, בנוסף לפעילות גופנית, יש צורך באספקה מספקת של אנרגיה, כולל פחמימות, חלבון, סלניום, ברזל וויטמינים [מקור]. עקב ירידה בפקודה של הנפרונים, יש לבחון מתן תוספי ברזל ברוב המקרים הם אסורים [מקור] בשל ירידה בתפקודה של מערכת העיכול חשובה במיוחד איכותה של התזונה, למשל חלבון ממקור איכותי, נבטי ברוקולי , סיבי תזונה מדויקים [מקור].
חיוני שנכיר בחשיבות שיקום הכליות כדי למקסם את איכות החיים ואורכם [מקור].
אפשר להחלים מאי ספיקת כליות
שיקום כלייתי (RR) הוא התערבות מתואמת ורב-גונית שנועדה לייעל את התפקוד הפיזי, הפסיכולוגי והחברתי של המטופל, כמו גם לייצב, להאט או אפילו להפוך את התקדמות ההידרדרות הכלייתית, לשפר את הסבילות לפעילות גופנית ולמנוע את הופעתה והחמרה של אי ספיקת לב, ובכך להפחית תחלואה ותמותה [מקור1, מקור2].
החלמה מאי־ספיקת כליות – אפשרית
באי־ספיקת כליות חריפה (AKI) תועדו מקרים רבים של התאוששות מלאה, כאשר הגורם – זיהום, התייבשות, תרופה פוגעת – הוסר. הגוף מסוגל לחדש רקמה ולהחזיר GFR תקין [מקור1, מקור2, מקור3, מקור4].
גם במחלת כליות כרונית (CKD) יש אפשרות לשיפור ואף רגרסיה חלקית של הנזק, באמצעות תזונה מותאמת ושיקום כלייתי [מקור]. המדריכים היפניים מדגישים: "המטרה אינה רק עצירת המחלה אלא שיקום תפקודי ממשי" [מקור1, מקור2].
הערהשלי (ירון): כאן נכנסים עקרונות הליבה – מתילציה, סינתזת גלוטתיון, הפעלת PGC-1α וקלוטו – שהם למעשה מפתחות ביולוגיים להפעלת מערכת התיקון הפנימית של הכליה [מקור]. נושא עליו פרסמתי – כאן
החידוש היפני דומה לישראלי, תהליכי ההחלמה שרואים בקרב מחלימי הכליה בשיטת "אילוף הכליות הסוררות''. ההתייחסות לכליה כחלק ממערכתשלמה, ולארקכאיבר סובל.
במחקר רטרוספקטיבי שנערך בבית הספר לרפואה של ניפון, טוקיו, נמצא שהירידה השנתית ב-eGFR אצל מטופלים שקיבלו שיקום ביתי הייתה מתונה משמעותית לעומת קבוצה עם טיפול שגרתי: -1.1 % לעומת -11.8 % לשנה (p = 0.037 [מקור]
פעילות גופנית מותאמת: תנועה אירובית קלה–בינונית (הליכה, רכיבה קלה) משפרת זרימת דם כלייתית, מאזנת לחץ דם ומקטינה דלקת [מקור1, מקור2, מקור3, מקור4].
אימוני התנגדות קלים: משמרים מסת שריר, ובכך מונעים פירוק שריר שעלול להעמיס חנקן על הכליה [מקור1, מקור2].
נשימה והרפיה: מתורגלות כחלק מהתהליך, כי סטרס כרוני פוגע בכליה דרך אדרנלין וקורטיזול [מקור1, מקור2].
כריתת כליה אחת אינה גזירת גורל. הכליה הנותרת עוברת תהליך הסתגלות – גדילה (היפרטרופיה) ושיפור בתפקוד המסונן.
הירידה ב-GFR שנמדדת מיד אחרי הניתוח לרוב מתאזנת תוך חודשים ספורים.
חולים רבים חיים חיים מלאים ובריאים עם כליה אחת בלבד.
הערה שלי: חשוב לשמור על הכליה הנותרת, לא רק בהימנעות מתרופות מזיקות אלא גם בעידוד תהליכי חיזוק – למשל בעזרת Q10 במינון גבוה לשימור מיטוכונדריה, או סולפורפאן לנטרול TGF-β שמוביל לפיברוזיס (צילוק) [מקור1, מקור2].
כריתה חלקית – עדיפה כאשר אפשר
ביפן קיימת מדיניות ניתוחים משמרי פרנכימה – במקום לכרות את הכליה כולה, מסירים רק את החלק החולה. כך שומרים על יותר רקמה מתפקדת. השיטות כוללות גם ניתוחים ללא חסימת עורק כליה, כדי להפחית סיכון לנזק איסכמי [מקור].
תזונה מותאמת אישית – מפתח ההחלמה
המדריכים היפניים לחולים מדגישים שאין “דיאטה אחידה” לחולי כליה. כל חולה מקבל התאמה אישית בהתאם לשלב המחלה.
שליטה בנתרן, אשלגן וזרחן בהתאם למצב.
חלבון לא מופחת אוטומטית – אלא מותאם. במצבים מסוימים דווקא תוספת חלבון איכותי נדרשת [מקור1, מקור2].
הערהשלי: כאן אני מוסיף את עקרון הרגישות התזונתית – תזונה ככלי הפעלה ביולוגי של תהליכי ריפוי, לא רק כמשהו להימנע ממנו.
ניהול כוללני – גישה הוליסטית יפנית
המדריכים כוללים לא רק הוראות רפואיות, אלא גם:
שיחות עם מטופלים ובני משפחה על פחדים וחששות.
הדרכות לניהול מצבי בדידות [מקור] רגשות, חרדה ודיכאון [מקור]. ראוי להוסיף כי לחולי כליה מצוקות ייחודיות וחלקן משותפות לתאבי תזונה [מקור1, מקור2]
הדגשה של אופטימיות ותחושת שליטה – החולהלוקחחלקפעילבהחלמתו.
הערהשלי: נושא החזרת הכבוד האבוד והפעלת החולה שלוקח חלק פעיל בהחלמתו, גורלי גם בשיטה שלי. זהו המפגש בין תרבות לרפואה, בין שיקום נפשי לשיקום אבר הכליה – ביפן נהוג להדגיש “חיים עם הכליה”, לא “מחלה בכליה”. זהו שינוי גישה עצום.
מזון כתרופה ועיצוב תפריט מדוייק מונע מחסור בצרכי ההזמה המיוחדים. כך למשל מתן מדוייק של סלניום (אגוז ברזיל), מונע את חולשת השרירים [מקור1, מקור2].
ויטמין E הוא נוגד חמצון חזק המסייע בהגנה על התאים מפני נזק חמצוני.
מחסור ב ויטמיןE ואפילו מתן בצורת האלפא טוקופרול, ולא d-alpha tocopherol יכולים לשנות את התמונה, לכן עדיף – שימוש במזונות עתירים ב-אלפא טוקופרול: דגנים מלאים: שיפון, שעורה, אורז, נבטי חיטה, תירס, כותנה, חריע, קמח מלא כדי לשמור על השרירים. קטניות: שעועית, סויה. מזון לשיקום הכליה מונע מחסור ב- ויטמיןD שמחליש את השרירים. מחסור בוויטמין D מעודד פגיעה בדופן המעי, איבוד שמיעה הדרגתי, ירידה במדדי קלוטו נושא שמוביל לפגיעה ומניעת החלמה ממחלת הכליות [מקור]. החשיבות של תפריט ההחלמה המדוייק גורלית לתהליך. וכשהתפריט מדוייק אנו עדים לתהליכי החלמה מדהימים.
תודה ירון מרגולין – שלום ירון , מצרף לעיונך את הבדיקות האחרונות שביצעתי לפני יומיים. מה דעתך? כמובן שאני מאוד מרוצה לראות את השינויים לטובה בכל המדדים שתוקנו: קריאטינין, אוראה, גלוקוז GFR. תודה מקרב לב. רופאת המשפחה התקשרה אלי היום ונשארה פעורת פה וזה עודד אותי מאוד. הילדים עוד לא יודעים כי כולם עסוקים , נחכה לסוף שבוע למפגש המשפחתי… הגיע מחלים כליה הוואטסאפ.
לאחר כריתת כליה, תועד שיקום חלקי של תפקוד תוך חודשים, עד כדי 70–80% מהיכולת המקורית [מקור1, מקור2].
ההנחיות הרשמית של האגודה היפנית לנפרולוגיה כוללות פרקים לחולה עצמו, בשפה פשוטה, מתוך אמונה שידע = כוח = החלמה.
סיכום – התקווה חוזרת לכליות
המדריך היפני מלמד אותנו שיעור חשוב: גם במצבים שנתפסו בעבר כבלתי הפיכים, קיימת אפשרות לשיקום, לשיפור ולחיים מלאים [מקור].
אפשר להחלים באי־ספיקת כליות חריפה.
אפשר לשפר במחלות כרוניות.
אפשר לחיות בריא אחרי כריתת כליה.
Japanese Journal of Renal Rehabilitation (2025):
כתב עת ייחודי שיצא לאור ע"י החברה היפנית לשיקום כלייתי, כולל חוברות עם מאמרים כמו "Practice, Management, and Operation of Exercise (Guide) during Hemodialysis" (Ooyama, 2024) ו"Knowledge of outpatient exercise guidance necessary for preventing dialysis in diabetic kidney disease" (Tamiya, 2025).
Abe et al. (2023): מחקר מגוון ממכללות יפניות הראה כי טיפול רב־תחומי (multidisciplinary care) בחולי CKD מנע הידרדרות בתפקוד הכלייתי באופן משמעותי.
Matsuzawa (2022): מאמר ב־Renal Replacement Therapy מציג את שיקום הכליה ככלי למניעת חולשה פיזית בקרב חולי CKD—בהתאם למחקרים מיפן המראים ששיקום יכול להשיב מסת שריר ושיפור התפקוד הגופני.
治療 עם תאי CD34⁺ (Sato et al., 2024) משקף פוטנציאל לחדש תפקוד כלייתי באמצעות רגנרציה—קו טיפולי חדש, שלא הוכח עד תום דורש איתור ובחינה נוספים.
Temporal study (2007–2016): ניתוח מסד נתונים יפני מצא ירידה משמעותית בתמותת בית־חולים בקרב מטופלי AKI שקיבלו טיפול תחליפי כלייתי (RRT), מה שמצביע על שיפור בזיהוי מוקדם ובפרוטוקולי טיפול.
Inpatient multidisciplinary care (PMC 2024): מחקר מיפן מראה ששילוב של טיפול רב־תחומי אצל חולי CKD בבית החולים מנע הידרדרות בתפקוד הכלייתי.
הערה מסכמת שלי: תוסיפו לכך את עקרונות הריפוי שאני מפתח – מתילציה, גלוטתיון, שימוש בקרני שמש, Q10, Klotho ו-PGC-1α – והתמונה נעשית שלמה: הכליה איננה איבר נידון. היא איבר חי, פועל, ומשתקם, כשנותנים לו את התנאים הנכונים.
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אפשר להחלים מאי ספיקת כליות, אם משנים לגמרי את צורת המחשבה.
למאמרים על מחלות כליתיות מאת ירון מרגולין מאסטר בהחלמת הכליות
Fourteen kings, emperors, national leaders, and one official — and even those who did not lose their self-respect drowned in various illnesses rooted in what they ate. Painting by Yaron Margolin
By Yaron Margolin
History loves to praise. But sometimes, through the stomach, it reveals a painful and instructive truth.
Take Louis XIV, for example — an absolute ruler, a dancer in the royal ballet, a builder of palaces, the founder of the Academy of Dance and the royal dance troupe in which he starred. But also: a man who died with failing kidneys, a diseased bladder, and a stomach three times its normal size. Why hide it? Whipped creams, butter cookies, fatty meats, pheasants, deer, veal, frogs, and wine — and an insatiable appetite for refined food and the courtly ceremonies surrounding it.
Louis XIV died from acidic urine and excess sugar, secluded in the grandeur of Versailles, accompanied by a bowl of foie gras pâté.
Once again, the king’s doctor was summoned to his chamber.
The king jolted upright with a cry.
His right leg had swollen so much he could no longer step on it.
A sharp pain pierced through his body — from his toe to his stomach.
It began to turn black.
The king tried to rise for the third time — and fell.
He lay on the velvet carpets like a wounded animal, screaming in pain.
In the background, the silver tables still stood set — a pot roast, thick wine, roasted poultry arranged in a heap, and butter cakes.
The king looked at the table.
He trembled.
The doctor knelt beside him: the urine was acidic.
The blood, heavy.
The heart was found weary, and the mouth had no teeth.
At the door stood the servants, asking whether the king desired a breakfast of sausages and buttered potatoes.
And outside, through the window, the stableman could be heard. One could see the stable master — the king’s age — who had just finished cleaning the stables with his son.
Lentil leftovers from last night’s dinner were thrown away. Old bread was kept — later they would soak it in cold water.
The doctor turned his gaze so the tear in his eye would not be seen; the stableman ran and worked like a young man, and his king stood just minutes away from death.
The famous portrait of Louis XIV by Rigaud, painted in 1701 (age 63). Notice the hollow cheeks, indicating that by that time Louis XIV no longer had any teeth [source]. Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis XIV. Image source: Wikipedia.
This time, we turn to a different kind of history: kings, abundance, and the secret of survival.
"How can it be that the truth is known – yet never learned?"
If a seventh-grade student hears that King Louis XIV — a man of immense power and influence — died from acidic urine and the suffocation of fat, and that the most powerful pope on earth perished with edema and swollen kidneys from too much butter, cookies, and fine meats — while a stable boy, the son of a farmer who planted lentils, survived without a doctor — perhaps he might choose to live differently.
That child might go on to live without diabetes, gout, high cholesterol, or kidney failure.
Ancient Chinese emperors were poisoned by their visions of eternity and “immortality” potions.
Popes wasted away from excessive drinking, while the Queen of England remained alone, behind walls of ceremony and silence, connected to machines, detached…
“They ruled nations, continents, and religions – yet lost the real battle: the one between themselves and the plate.”
The people we speak of here were idols of the masses.
Admired for their power, their wealth, or their holiness.
Yet they fell in disgrace, in humiliation and loss of self-respect — not by the spear, but by a copper bowl overflowing with animal fat.
They did not fall on the battlefield, but beside the banquet table, before a roasted piglet hunted for them in the royal forests.
From Louis XIV, who collapsed into his sablé cakes, to a pope who dipped his faith into zabaglione, to an emperor who never knew satiety — we will also meet little Akaki, who broke in spirit because he had no overcoat.
This is a story of inner collapse, of eating without listening, and of a world of glittering delicacies that lost their worth once it became clear they could kill those who had forgotten the essential truth: what a person truly needs in order to live.
And finally, in the last chapter, we will examine the psychological dimension — the inner crisis that remained hidden for many years from renowned scholars of the human soul, a crisis that led them to surrender — not only physically, but ultimately also mentally.
What led them then — and leads us today — to such a fate? We will discuss the loss of dignity, the death of self-respect, the impoverishment of spirit in these once-revered giants.
And here it comes, Chapter One — 🍷 “The Deaths of Fourteen Sated Souls.”
1️⃣ Louis XIV — The King Who Ate Until He Could No Longer Stand
The absolute ruler of France — a stomach three times the normal size, acidic urine, gout attacks that burned through his leg.
He tried to rise from the table — and fell into his sablé cakes.
"The crown fell last. The body surrendered first."
2️⃣. Leo X — The Pope Who Dipped His Faith in Butter
A spiritual ruler. A Medici child.
He ruled with taste, not with breath.
Thirty-six egg yolks in a zabaglione —
and his leg swelled like a holy balloon.
"He ruled in Rome. Directed, instructed, commanded, legislated — but never learned to listen to the quality of his sleep or the flow of his own blood."
3️⃣ To Die for a Swedish Semla
Stockholm, February 12, 1771 — Adolf Frederick, the king who loved semla cakes.
The evening began like any imperial feast: lobster, caviar, pickled kippers, sauerkraut, champagne — and for dessert, 14 servings of semla — a sweet yeast bun filled with almond paste, served in hot milk. At 55, he collapsed with his last bite [source1, source2].
It is said that this heavy meal, particularly the rich semla with whipped cream, triggered a stroke (or heart attack) and sealed his fate as “the king who ate himself to death.”[source1, source2].
He died that very night from severe digestive complications.
Official cause of death: catastrophic digestive failure.
The body gave out. The heart stopped. The sinking king fell to the floor.
No cough was heard. The royal hearth went silent. The palace lay still.
“The man was merely seeking a final taste, only to find his grave already served at the Sabbath table.”
But the consequences did not end with his death. His son, Gustav III, ascended to the throne, ended Sweden’s Age of Liberty, ushered in an absolutist monarchy, and launched a ruinous war with Russia. A reminder of just how dangerous a well-crafted cream pastry can be.
4️⃣ Charles V — The Iron Emperor Who Fell to Brown Sauce
King of Germany, Spain, Austria, and the Holy Roman Empire.
After his abdication became a fact, and he withdrew to a monastery, Saint Ignatius of Loyola remarked:
“The Emperor has set a rare example for his successors… proving himself a true Christian prince… May God in His goodness grant the Emperor liberty.”
And perhaps that liberty came, for the revered retiree took with him his roasted ducks, colonial delicacies, and swollen limbs.
He did not lose the crown — he lost his toes.
Charles V was one of the most powerful men of the 16th century, ruling an empire that spanned most of Western and Central Europe. His reign lasted over 40 years. He is remembered chiefly as King of Spain (1516–1556, under the name CarlosI) and as Holy Roman Emperor (1519–1556), inheriting vast realms from his parents, Philip the Handsome (King of Castile) and Joanna the Mad (Queen of Castile), so extensive that his realm was called “the empire on which the sun never sets.”
In 1556, CharlesV abdicated both the imperial and Spanish thrones, retiring to the Monastery of Yuste, His final years, according to court publicists, were devoted to contemplation and religious devotion — but judging by his cause of death, much of his reflection was on meat and wine.
The emperor dined six times a day, consuming liver, poultry, cheeses, pastries, fresh animal blood, and honey. He drank enormous quantities of hot spiced wine.
Charles V suffered from severe digestive issues, chronic bloating, and likely gout — the so-called “disease of kings,” caused by an excess of uric acid from a rich meat-based diet.
“He had the strength to rule half the world and even to abdicate, but not to set down his knife and fork,” remarked his court physician.
The gout attacks became so severe that he had to be carried on chairs or litters. His declining health was one of the factors pushing him to relinquish his crowns, though historians preferred to attribute it to his longing for peace in a world he could not pacify. He remained at Yuste for several years in poor health, dying of malaria in 1558. [Source1, Source2, Source3,Source4].
Sausage recipes from the time of João III, pictured above, included ingredients such as pork, salt, and pepper, while egg-and-sugar cakes resembled ovos moles, a traditional Portuguese dessert still beloved by sweet-toothed locals today.
5️⃣. João III of Portugal (1502–1557) — King from 1521 to 1557, a central figure in the Age of Discovery and the great colonial expansion that shaped the Portuguese Empire.
White bread — as in Biscoitos, made with fine wheat flour, sugar, orange blossom water, white wine, and butter or sweet olive oil [source].
Sausages — Morcelas, blending pork, salt, black pepper, and sometimes flour, nuts, egg yolks, and lard.
Rich cheeses — found in Almojávenas de D. Isabel de Vilhena [Source], made with aged cheese, wheat flour, and eggs, fried in butter or lard, then soaked in light syrup.
Egg-and-sugar confections — Canudos de ovos mexidos, scrambled yolks with thin syrup, piped into fried pastry tubes, dipped in thick sugar syrup, and dusted with sugar and cinnamon. This recipe closely resembles the traditional Portuguese dessert ovos moles.
A reign of ships, spices, and maps — but also of butter, lard, and sugar [וSource].
During the nearly three centuries of the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), the Chinese empire was vast, stretching from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia to the northern border of Vietnam, and from the Pacific coast to the Tibetan frontier. At that time, no other Asian state possessed a greater variety of edible goods, all of which found their way to the imperial table.
In Tang China, both eating and drinking were symbols of power and wealth. The elite knew a remarkable range of beverages — including several types of water, fermented mare’s milk known as kumis, and both fermented and unfermented plant-based milks made from legumes and nuts. Tea was classified into cultivated and wild varieties, and wines were made not only from grapes but also from pears, plums, jujubes, and other fruits. Beer was common, with at least one variety brewed with black pepper.
They consumed turnips, taro, sweet potatoes, lotus root, water chestnut, ginger, and many other tubers and rhizomes, along with leafy greens, bamboo shoots, rhubarb, scallions, leeks, and other alliums. Legumes — especially soybeans, peas, and broad beans — were staples. Meat, while fresh and domesticated, was eaten in moderation except at formal banquets — which in the palace occurred daily. Pork and lamb’s liver were common, as were beef, chicken, pheasant, and partridge.
The imperial menu also extended to marmots, reptiles, unusual mammals such as elephant and monkey, unborn mice preserved in honey, insects including wasps and ant eggs, and delicacies like deer tongue, duck tongue, and rare dried meats and fish. Apples in honey were celebrated conversation pieces. From the sea came shrimp, crab, clams, snails, eel, jellyfish, squid, and turtles; exotic fish were especially prized and often appeared at every feast.
To supply this abundance, over two thousand palace staff members procured and prepared food. Alongside cooks were dieticians and physicians who studied food as medicine and designed menus for health.
Others organized elaborate feasts for festivals, birthdays, weddings, honored guests, military victories, and promotions.
Tang kitchens excelled in preservation — the emperors had icehouses, and cooks could keep produce out of season.
They salted fish and meat, pickled in vinegar, honey, or oil, dried beef and fish, candied fruits, and fermented vegetables and sauces, especially from soybeans.
Spices included garlic, scallions, various alliums, ginger, tangerine peel, mustard seed, cinnamon, cardamom, Fagara (Sichuan pepper), different peppers, and flavorings like vinegar, sugar, honey, maltose, chestnut and almond flours, beers, wines, and fermented sauces.
A surviving recipe details a soup or stew made with goose, mutton, and pork, sticky rice, salt, ginger, vinegar, soy paste, ginseng root, fruits, and assorted vegetables.
Everything was available to help the emperors live long — everything except restraint.
Many died young from overindulgence.
Meanwhile, peasants, laborers, servants, and slaves had no access to such foods; famine was common, and mass starvation occurred while the palace dined on fifty-eight-course banquets or five-day feasts. Droughts struck every four or five years, and in the worst times cannibalism was reported, sometimes enforced by authorities. Before resorting to eating human flesh, people consumed horses, any bird they could catch, rats, and other vermin — even animals considered unsafe.
Emperor Taizong of Tang (28 January 598 – 10 July 649). קיסר טאי-זונג מטאנג (28 בינואר 598 – 10 ביולי 649), לשעבר נסיך צ'ין, שנולד תחת השם לי שימין, היה הקיסר השני של שושלת טאנג בסין, ושלט בין השנים 626 ל-649. הוא נחשב לאחד ממייסדי השושלת ואחד השליטים החכמים והגדולים בתבל. בעידודו אביו לי יואן (הקיסר גאוזו) יצא למרוד נגד שושלת סוי בג'יניאנג בשנת 617. לאחר מכן, טאי-זונג מילא תפקיד מרכזי בהבסת כמה מיריביה המסוכנים ביותר של השושלת ובביסוס שלטונה בסין עצמה. תבונתו המדינית וחוכמתו לא עמדו לרשותו הוא מת מיתר בגיל 51[מקור].
Emperor Taizong of Tang (28 January 598 – 10 July 649) [source], formerly the Prince of Qin and born Li Shimin, was the second emperor of the Tangdynasty, reigning from 626 to 649. Regarded as one of the dynasty’s founders and among the most capable rulers in history, he had risen to power after joining his father LiYuan (Emperor Gaozu) in the revolt against the Sui dynasty in Jinyang in 617. Taizong’s leadership was decisive in defeating the dynasty’s fiercest rivals and consolidating Tang rule. Yet his political brilliance did not protect him from the perils of the imperial table — he died at the age of 51 from overindulgence.
6️⃣. Emperor of China — Heaven on the Plate, Hell in the Liver Hundreds of dishes at every meal. The Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) rose and fell on its stomach.
Weakness, edema, and death at 35 — the price of too much honey and boiled snake [Source1. Source2].
Some historians attribute early deaths among the Tang elite to heavy, unusual foods such as vast quantities of honey and boiled snake, culinary luxuries that weighed heavily on the body.
Archaeological finds, including tableware and food remains from Tang dynastytombs, indicate that the nobility enjoyed dumplings, sweet pastries, roasted meats, and dairy products. However, there is no detailed record of the personal diet of Emperor Taizong (r. 626–649), the second emperor of the Tang dynasty and a central figure in its golden age [מקור1, מקור2, מקור3, מקור4, מקור5].What is known is that he died at the age of 51 in 649, and it is widely assumed his diet was “unbalanced.” [מקור1, מקור2, מקור3]
His premature death likely resulted from digestive infection, lack of dietary fiber, dehydration from insufficient water intake, and above all, bacterial exposure from tuna, meats, or potatoes.
The result was worse than words can convey.
Wu Zetian (624 – 705 CE) – the only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor in her own right – was one of 21 monarchs of the Tang Dynasty. Officially reigning from 690 to 705, she stands out as perhaps the most remarkable of them all. Wu Zetian strengthened agriculture, reduced taxes, invested heavily in culture, and encouraged women to pursue roles long considered taboo. She governed with an iron hand, and what was admired in men brought her scorn, jealousy, and enmity – especially from male historians of later eras.—Do you want me to also adapt the culinary and court-life section about the Tang Dynasty into the same polished English style? That would match the depth and richness you’ve used for João III and others [Source].
The gluttonous lifestyle to which the emperors were exposed at those lavish banquets not only contributed to the decline of their health, but also, to a greater extent, to the fall of the Tang dynasty—plagued by disease and the premature deaths of its royalty—largely due to the heavy and extreme dining habits through which they flaunted power and wealth [Source1, Source2, Source3].
7️⃣ Edward Dando (London, 19th century)
The figure of EdwardDando embodies the “bodily cravings that strike with simplicity” still familiar to us today.
A thief and glutton, Dando would gorge himself on massive portions and, upon feeling the pangs of hunger after being released from prison, would embark on a fatal spree of eating [source].
Unlike others driven by culinary excess, Dando’s notoriety in Britain came from his unusual habit of eating to excess at food stalls and inns, only to then reveal that he had no money to pay. Though his meals varied, he had a particular fondness for oysters, once consuming 25 dozen of them along with one and a half loaves of buttered bread — “like Netanyahu, without paying” [Source1, Source2, Source3, source4].
“I refuse to starve in a land of plenty,” he would often proclaim in his defense, earning, much like in our own times, the sympathy of wide audiences [Source1, Source2]. Alongside oysters, Dando consumed large amounts of meat, bread, butter, drink, and sometimes coffee and alcohol.
In June 1832, he was arrested in Kent after drinking at an inn in the parish of Chilham without paying; he was jailed for vagrancy, and the press described him as limping in his right foot — a symptom suggestive of gout caused by overeating [Source: “Untitled.” The Times, 25 June 1832, p. 5]. In the past, gout was considered a mark of nobility, a talisman against other diseases, and even an aphrodisiac, endorsed by doctors who, then as now, failed to cure it [Source].
His life ended at age 29 from cholera symptoms within the walls of prison, on 28 August 1832. Charles Dickens wrote about Dando, likening him to Alexander the Great; in our own circles (Benjamin Netanyahu), the comparison is often made to Churchill [source].
8️⃣. Suleiman the Magnificent — The Sultan Who Ruled Empires but Could Not Resist Fat and Sugar
His father, Selim I,was ruler of the Ottoman Empire, and his mother, Hafsa Sultan, was descended from the lineage of Genghis Khan. The title “the Magnificent” was given to him by Europeans for the grand building and architectural works he initiated [source]. In Jerusalem, then part of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman ordered the restoration of the city walls and gates, and the renovation of the citadel (“Tower of David”). His wife, Roxelana, established charitable institutions for students in the city.
A philosopher, lover of art and knowledge, and a man of excellent education — Yet in the grand halls of Topkapi, his table groaned under mountains of sweet baklava, roasted lamb dripping with fat, and sherbets thick with sugar.
During his reign, the Topkapi Palace became a sophisticated culinary hub, with hundreds of cooks, tasters, and food suppliers from India, Persia, North Africa, and the Balkans. Suleiman, according to palace records, was especially fond of fatty stews, rice enriched with lamb fat, and a variety of sweets [source].
The sultan’s physicians whispered of his breath growing shallow, of swelling in his legs, of the heaviness that no throne could bear.
"He commanded armies and dictated the fate of nations — but could not command restraint from the pleasures that slowly conquered him."
Dishes of mutton high in fat were considered royal delicacies. Rice cooked with lamb fat symbolized prestige and culinary grandeur, while traditional desserts held a central place in the diet of the court and the sultan himself — a diet that, beyond doubt, promoted heart disease and gout [source1, source2, source3].
In his final years, he showed signs of fatigue, swelling, and joint pain — most likely the result of gout and uric acid buildup [source]. His physicians tried to reduce his sugar intake, but did not dare alter the sultan’s menu.
The image depicts the murder of Cleitus the Black by Alexander the Great in 328 BCE. Cleitus the Black was an officer in Alexander’s Macedonian army and had once saved Alexander’s life at the Battle of the Granicus.
🐴 The King – collapsing within his illness, at a stage where he is no longer a man but a symbol worn down from within:
Arrogance, intoxicated by power, loss of control—hidden from the public but not from himself when alone.
During a lavish meal, Cleitus the Black, a close friend, confronts Alexander the Great with a harsh truth—one grounded in loyalty to his men. Likely shocked by the suddenness of the insult or by the truth hinting at betrayal of trust, instead of listening, Alexander stabs him: an unforgettable moment of internal loss of dignity, visible to the wider crowd. The events culminate in Alexander’s shameful desire to commit suicide once he sobers up.
In other words, much like in Dostoevsky, this is an inner honor destroyed, a backbone that collapsed by his own hand—and the killer (the recipes of desire) became the hero of history.
Alexander the Great and Little Alexander, but very chubby — painted by Yaron Margolin with help from ChatGPT’s drawing software.
—
9️⃣. Shah Jahan — Builder of the Taj Mahal, Destroyed by His Own Liver
The royal flavors of India come with a price [source]. Born in Lahore (now in Pakistan, near the Indian border) on January 5, 1592, Prince Shah Jahan became the fifth emperor of the Mughal Empire in India in 1628. His reign is often called the “Golden Age” of the Mughals.
Spiced lamb, intoxicating desserts, diabetes, and weakness leading to loss of consciousness. Like many in the royal court, Shah Jahan likely suffered health consequences from a lavish lifestyle that never knew satiety and sought to consume wealth along with vitamins [source].
He built a palace to last forever — marrying in 1612 at age 15 to Arjumand Banu Begum [source], the daughter of a Persian noble, who became known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Jewel of the Palace”) [source].
His son Aurangzeb imprisoned him in Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan remained until his death eight years later, sick and tormented, on January 22, 1666 [source].
🔟. Tsar Peter III — Wine, Meat, and a Quiet Fall
Tsar Peter III ruled the Russian Empire for only about six months in 1762 [source]. Known neither as a soldier, statesman, nor legislator, he was seen as a weak, bored, and withdrawn ruler [source1, source2].
Born and raised in Kiel, Holstein, Northern Germany, as Karl Peter Ulrich, he was heavily influenced by German habits and culture, including his diet and lifestyle. Records indicate a life of indulgence marked by heavy drinking, smoked meats, and rich German cuisine, with a strong preference for hard alcohol [source].
Peter III came from a prestigious cultural center — Kiel’s ancient university, founded by his great-grandfather Duke Christian Albrecht. Kiel was one of Europe’s foremost centers of science and culture in the 17th and 18th centuries. His early teachers included prominent scientists like Sigismund Hossmann [source].
In Saint Petersburg, Peter was relatively detached from traditional Russian culture and openly scorned Orthodox customs, creating tension with the nobility and social leaders [source1, source2]. His political moves — including alliances with Prussia during the Seven Years’ War and attempts to bring German intellectuals to court — fueled controversy that led to his rapid overthrow.
Even during his short reign, accounts reveal a hedonistic lifestyle of heavy drinking, smoked meats, and rich German food, influenced by his upbringing in Holstein. During Catherine the Great’s coup, PeterIII was reportedly drunk and suffering severe abdominal pain and bloating, likely from pancreatitis or an internal hemorrhage. Court diaries and limited medical reports describe a swollen stomach, fatty liver, and gray skin. He likely died alone, in great pain, following a series of acute digestive attacks.
1️⃣1️⃣. 🇮🇳 Ruler of the Mughal Empire – Sweets, Fat, and Summer Wine
In the Mughal Empire, which ruled India from the 16th to the 18th centuries, palaces were draped in gold—and plates were never left empty.
Emperor Muhammad Shah “Rangeela,” who ruled from 1719 to 1748, was famous for his love of music, women, and rich foods [source] — especially lamb kebabs, ghee-rich dishes grilled or fried, sweets like halwa and rose-gulab jamun, and wine infused with Persian aromas [source].
Though talented in the arts, Muhammad Shah became a symbol of decadence—the empire weakened, yet his feasts continued.
In his final years, at just 46, he suffered severe fatigue, erratic appetite, joint pain, and abdominal swelling. Court records reveal his doctors urged him to fast occasionally, but he laughed it off and kept drinking warm wine at night.
He died at 46, likely from a chronic metabolic disease or kidney failure, his body heavy and exhausted, and his soul grieving the loss of his soldiers in battle—burdened by excess he could no longer bear.
"A cup of this precious drink (cacao) allows a man to go a whole day without food," said Moctezuma II, the ninth emperor of the Aztec Empire (also known as the Mexican Empire), who reigned from 1502 or 1503 until 1520 [source1, source2, source3]. During his reign, Moctezuma expanded the Aztec Empire and was regarded as a god by his people—the embodiment of the sun and its reason for existence [source]. One of his first actions was to replace all government officials with young men from noble families. Moctezuma (whose name means "Angry in a Noble Way") organized the empire into various provinces, established a strong central government, and created a tax system. Simultaneously, he continued the military expansion initiated by his predecessors. However, he failed to subdue enemy peoples like the Tlaxcalans and was unsuccessful in campaigns into Guatemala and Nicaragua. Due to the empire's territorial expansion, he established trade routes with other cultures. Known as a tyrant king, his rule caused instability and dissatisfaction within his kingdom. He demanded human tributes from other tribes to sacrifice to the gods. Many tribes, such as the Tlaxcalans, began to rebel, leading to the gradual fragmentation of the Aztec Empire. He ruled from 1502 until 1520, when the Spanish conquered the Aztecs [source].
Ashaiactl — A Warrior’s Rise and Fall
Ashaiactl was a brave and daring warrior who devoted his twelve-year reign mainly to building an impressive military reputation. He led successful campaigns against the neighboring Altapatl in Tlatelolco in 1473 (Battle of Tlatelolco) and against theMatlatzinca in the Toluca Valley in 1474. However, his luck ran out when he was defeated by the Tarascans from Michoacán in 1476. Although he won some minor victories afterward, this defeat severely damaged his image and honor. It was the Aztecs' only major loss until that time and hit Ashaiactl very hard.
Despite his young age, Ashaiactl fell gravely ill in 1480 and died a year later. He composed Huehue Cuicatl, a lament and mourning song, after his defeat in Michoacán.
In 1481, his brother Tizoc succeeded him, though some evidence suggests Tizoc died of poisoning, possibly due to palace intrigue. The Stone of Tizoc — a large carved Aztec stone possibly used as a cuauhxicalli (container for sacrificial hearts) or a temalacatl (gladiatorial stone) — is named after him. The stone was discovered in 1791 and is now housed in the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City.
In 1502, Moctezuma II, whose name means "Angry in a Noble Way," succeeded Tizoc as emperor.
1️⃣2️⃣. The Aztec Emperors — Splendor Without Sugar’s Curse
Unlike their European contemporaries, the Aztec rulers rarely fell victim to the ailments of excess sugar or fat. Their diet was a triumph of balance and discipline: corn, beans, squash, fiery chili peppers, and bitter cacao formed its backbone — low in fat, rich in fiber. Sweet delicacies were reserved for sacred ceremonies, never for the daily table. The emperors themselves fasted during parts of the year and maintained formidable physical endurance.
Yet, they were not immune to other perils:
Poisonings — perhaps from ritual herbs or fermented cacao.
Chronic infections bred in the dense, pulsating heart of their cities.
The toll of constant warfare and human sacrifice, where fasting and bodily neglect were woven into the rites.
👑 One such ruler was Montezuma II (Moctezuma Xocoyotzin), the ninth emperor of the Aztec Empire, who reigned until his death in 1520 — struck down during a storm of rebellion and the clash with the invading Spaniards [source]. Chroniclers speak of exhaustion, weight loss, anxiety, and vomiting — symptoms perhaps born from relentless stress, potent cacao brews, and psychoactive medicinal herbs source1, source2, source3].
Two years before the Spaniards arrived, Montezuma IIerected palaces of staggering grandeur. One was said to have twenty grand entrances, three inner courtyards, and a fountain whose waters were brought from the distant springs of Chapultepec [source]. His palace held a hundred rooms and as many baths [source1, source2].
Feasts of unmatched ceremony were laid before him:
Corn tortillas with cactus salad (nopales).
Sopes topped with ant larvae (escamoles) in pasilla chili sauce.
Huitlacoche, the prized corn fungus.
Fresh fruits in abundance.
Fish carried from the coasts — even from Veracruz, far to the east.
Wild greens, mushrooms, and water plants.
Game birds such as quail, venison, and deer.
Soups, stews, and richly spiced vegetable dishes.
Tlacoyos (stuffed tortillas), sweet breads, grasshoppers in green sauce, and more.
Hot cacao, steeped with vanilla, hoja santa, Aztec spices, honey, or rare powdered flowers.
At these feasts, Montezuma II sat elevated, a figure apart. Commoners were forbidden to enter his halls; even his servants could not look upon him as he ate. Only his kin and chosen nobles could meet his gaze
His father, Axayacatl, ruled Tenochtitlan from 1469 to 1481.
Fierce and young, he was a warrior king whose reign began in triumph [source]. He crushed the neighboring altepetl of Tlatelolco in 1473 and defeated the Matlatzinca of Toluca Valley in 1474. But in 1476, fortune turned — he suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of the Tarascans of Michoacán, the only major loss in Aztec military history to that date [source].
The wound to his honor was deep. In 1480, still young, he fell gravely ill. The following year he died, leaving behind the sorrowful “Huehue cuicatl,” a lament born of his Michoacán defeat [source]. His brother Tizoc inherited the throne — only to meet an early death himself, perhaps by poison in a palace conspiracy. In 1502, the “Angrily Noble” Montezuma IIascended the throne, inheriting not just the empire, but the glory and the fragility that came with it [source1, source2, source3].
1️⃣3️⃣. Emperor Meiji — Between the Rice of the Peasants and the Banquets of the Palace
A complete separation between the simple diet of the peasants — rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables — and the lavish feasts of the imperial palace. Emperor Meiji died at the age of 59 in 1912 [source1, source2].
In the eyes of his people, he was a modern beacon — bringing the iron rails, the steamship, the cannon… Yet his dawn began with pickled radish seeds and a slice of fish, and his night ended with rituals of tea, milk, and preserved vegetables — not for the love of the body, but for the pursuit of control. Order. Perfection.
At fifty-nine, the royal strainer of poisons — His Majesty’s kidneys — collapsed under the weight of his chosen fare, not because of sacred order, but despite it.
And so remained only the silence of the stone garden, where one may still walk the raked paths of Zen and wonder… what did he truly eat?
Emperor Mutsuhito suffered from chronic ailments — diabetes, nephritis, enteritis — reflections of a diet divorced from the healing presence of natto and the true power of fermented radish seeds. He died of uremia — a kidney failure born from excess carbohydrates, sugars, and animal proteins — a fate that today could be reversed through the simplest of acts: the turning of the table toward a diet that heals [Source1, Source2, Source3, Source4].
Emperor Junnin ascended to the Japanese throne in 1221 and reigned for only one year.
EmperorJunnin died of illness while still in power. Several theories exist regarding the cause of his death, but the most plausible is kidney disease [source].
Historical records mention that Emperor Junnin complained of “abdominal pain and diarrhea” prior to his death — symptoms consistent with kidney disease. The difficulty of accurate diagnosis and treatment for kidney ailments with the medical technology of the period further supports the theory that kidney disease was the cause of his death [source].
Kings at Their Last Supper — by Yaron Margolin with the help of ChatGPT. In a velvet-lit chamber, around a heavy wooden table, sit fourteen rulers — gold upon their bodies, fat upon their souls.One sinks into his chair, another spills his wine, a third is already gone.Yet the cauldron at the center still bubbles, luring more to join.Charles Baudelaire would have called it “The Dance of Death.”
QueenElizabeth I of England and Ireland (reigned 1558–1603). Her reign, known as the "Elizabethan Era," is considered one of the most glorious periods in English history. Marked by significant achievements such as the defeat of the Spanish Armada and a flourishing of the arts and literature—with figures like William Shakespeare—Elizabeth was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. The Rainbow Portrait, circa 1600–02, attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, a Flemish painter active in the Tudor court of England. Gheeraerts is regarded as one of the leading portraitists of his time, famous for his large-scale royal portraits, including the "Ditchley Portrait" of Elizabeth I (1592).
1️⃣4️⃣. And finally — Queen Elizabeth I of England, the “Virgin Queen,” who ruled an expanding empire throughout the 16th century.
She was a woman of sharp intellect, charisma, and strength — yet also trapped within the rigid conventions of the royal court. Historical medical records reveal she suffered from severe dental issues, periodic loss of appetite, and a marked craving for sugar-based sweets — including almond candies, marzipan cookies, and sweetened hot drinks [source1, source2, source3].
In her final years, she appeared frail and gaunt, yet with swelling in various parts of her body. It is believed she struggled with poorly controlled diabetes, chronic fatigue, and edema — signs that may point to metabolic disorders or chronic illness. At times, she also suffered from malnutrition, reflecting a diet rich in indulgent but nutritionally imbalanced foods such as cakes.
Her survival through illness was credited to her personal physician, RodrigoLopez — a Portuguese Jewish doctor of converted origin — whom many scholars believe inspired Shakespeare’s villain Shylock in The Merchant of Venice. Lopez played a key role in espionage during the turbulent conflict between Spain and England [source]. Later, he was exposed as a double agent, accused of plotting to poison the queen for large sums, and was publicly disgraced and executed in 1594. Elizabeth died nine years after his death [source2, source1].
Her own diary notes: "Sugar eases the sorrow — yet the doctor tells me to avoid it." [source]
She passed away in 1603 after 44 years on the throne, likely from a combination of infection and general exhaustion. The exact cause remains unclear in historical records, but it followed years of physical suffering and bodily decline — not from starvation, but from excess.
QueenElizabeth I remains an iconic and central figure in English history.
Chapter Two —
The final chapter of the present essay, “TheDeathoftheFourteenSeventy,” depicts how rulers who once commanded giants ultimately died in disgrace, stripped of quality of life. Their dignity was lost not by external force (as in Gogol, Euripides, Sophocles) but through an internal surrender — a collapse of moral and spiritual worth in their own eyes [source].
Some betrayed their children, others turned against close friends, and all scorned the counsel of their healers. Not at the hands of great enemies, not by natural disaster or revolutionary murder — but by misery, darkness, and a drunken intoxication of power, dominance, and vanity. They drowned within a simple bowl of soup.
Bringing Lermontov (who preceded Dostoevsky only slightly) into this chain of understanding — where his voice echoes like a minor key on the devil’s chord of lost honor within the bowl — we gain a clearer picture of this solar eclipse of the soul. Recall we began with Gogol (the writer) and his Overcoat, and now we close with pride — a vivid view of a process that can also help you prolong your life.
– In Gogol’s Overcoat, Honor is taken from outside, as we know it: a man is humiliated. A simple man, AkakyAkakievich, does not fight back — he only hopes not to be trampled too hard.
This theme recurs in Molière’s miser and in the prayers for the Messiah among the ultra-Orthodox:
Figures who have lost their value in their own eyes — yet cling to money, or a staff, or their workplace, as a symbol of control in the situation, like Akaky’s overcoat in Gogol.
→ The response here:
A desperate grasp — not self-healing, but a search for a fictitious backbone → which only deepens the fall.
Akaky Akakievich is the clerk without a soul beyond his career. He sought only comfort—not to freeze in the cold, not to be utterly despicable [source]. At the very least, just one small moment, like the little Match Girl when the flame flickered [source].
These forces sometimes drive a man to build an empire, to seize ruthless control — as a reactive defense. Tartuffe, who dominates his family in Molière; or Shylock in Shakespeare, who wields his power and wisdom to the bitter end. Some channel it into career-building, like RodrigoLópez, the Portuguese Jewish doctor of the conversos, the converted [source]. Others spiral into revenge — like Hamlet after love was stolen, or the villain who brought down Rabin [source].
Consider Creusa in Virgil’sAeneid: after Creusa loses the love of Aeneas, she perishes before his eyes in fire. Medea, from Euripides’ tragedy, is a strong, wealthy, wise heroine, abandoned by Jason — with whom she sacrificed everything: family, homeland, morals. When Jason leaves her to marry a local princess, she does not break down. She does not plead. She understands — nothing remains. Even the overcoat is torn.
With her immense power, she burns the usurping bride, the palace, her father — then rises to kill her own children with Jason — so that he remains without honor, alone, shattered, futureless, nameless. A woman who destroyed all he ever had.
The king has fallen… And perhaps, his poor, treacherous soul destroyed all he once had.Painted by Yaron Margolin with the help of ChatGPT’s AI drawing software.
So far, we have examined the fate of losing honor — whether from without, or from within. The external disgrace, and more importantly, the internal fall — which leads to ravenous cravings, ruin, and suffering in illness. .This is the tragic path to decay and despair at the end of the story.
Pechorin to Lermontov — a hero of these times… Everything is loathsome to his eyes. Nothing brings him pleasure. Painted by Yaron Margolin with the help of ChatGPT’s painting software.
Lermontov — "Hero of Our Age" clearly reveals the erosion of honor within a prince who seemingly has it all [source].
Honor decays from within — for there is nothing left to dream of. In childhood, there was still a dream to fly, or for a father to return from work less weary and recognize your presence… even more, to embrace you. But now, when everything seems attained — wealth, possessions, status — there is nothing left to dream about, because dancing, singing, playing music — these are the lives of others.
While beauty — especially from great art — nourishes the soul that recognizes it, he halts at the flaws of creation alone and becomes poisoned.
He looks at you — not to see, but to ensure you cannot see him.(Portrait of Pechorin, the hero of our time, painted by Yaron Margolin with the help of ChatGPT.) Pechorin is hard to paint for Lermontov, for he is a figure without a fixed inner form. He is too beautiful, too self-aware, elusive. He is not an image — he is the collapse of meaning. Seated on a golden armchair, dressed in a blue velvet vest, one button slightly undone.His face is perfect, yet his gaze passes through you — as if you do not exist. His eyes are bright but empty, seeing nothing that can fill the soul. He is handsome, young, a noble drowning in abundance —light streams from a window we glimpse. A faint pale light. Almost hospital-like. Perhaps he thinks, “Even this weak sun, I owe to my father. ”He has everything. Even your misery. But he does not belong to you. He belongs to vanity. And he sees it everywhere.
“Pyatigorsk” — a chapter unveiling the brooding weeks the hero spends in the spa town, revealing his aching soul and yearning to stir feeling. He hints at a love for the sea in storm.
"Like sailors, I was born and bred upon a pirate ship’s deck; my soul warped by storms and battles. And when left stranded on the seashore, I ache and long;
I wander days upon the sand, listening to the endless hover of waves, gazing into the misty horizon —no cherished sail will appear there, once resembling a sea bird’s wing, but slowly parting from the foam, arriving at the silent harbor in calm."(from the first part of AHeroofOurTime, “Bela”) Pechorin seeks a tempest — hoping it will return the sought-after sail to the harbor where he waits, helpless before the dull, still waves that bore him to death.He refuses to lose his honor to the abyss of pain [source]. The “fathersail” is central to understanding the human spirit — as explored in chapters from The Tableau that wrestle with human growth deprived of its sail (here, here, and here) —when the sail is secured, the world’s grace arrives, granting great certainty in life [source].
Like the “FourteenGluttons” in our essay, he dies from fullness without eating; he runs but stands still, a man who did nothing himself.He has all that AkakyAkakievich lacks — wealth, status, freedom, and a dream for the sail to come — yet he needs no cloak,for the spiritual mantle long since unraveled, arriving as a calm wave.
Pechorin loses honor not because it was stolen, but because he scorns all that deserves respect.He does not believe in love, friendship, or fate — he lives as Montezuma II’s cold emperor,in the delight of control, thinking himself the sun’s reason for being —and thus destroys everything that could have stirred a living soul within him [source1, source2].
🩸 "My strength to despise others is too great to enjoy them, yet I still need them…" 📍
Pechorin, Lermontov's hero, is a young nobleman, educated and attractive — yet bored to his core [source]. In truth, he loses both his honor and identity as he relentlessly criticizes and sees fault and neglect in everything, or scorns what should be a source of respect and pride — much like the garbage boy in our story. This is the inner conflict of a complex character, leading to profound emotional and moral self-destruction.
(A Hero of Our Time, Chapter: Maksim Maksimich)
3. Dostoevsky – "The Brothers Karamazov"
Honor does not vanish — it is burned on the altar of despair.
Fyodor Karamazov, from Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel TheBrothersKaramazov, is a complex and controversial figure.
A widower of two wives, father to four sons, and lord of an estate marked by corruption, drunkenness, and licentious excess,he squanders his wealth on luxuries and wild revelry. Neglecting his children, especially his eldest son Dmitri, he exploits them all.
Fyodor is a man of contradictions — intelligent and persuasive, he rules his surroundings like a king who has forgotten what it means to be human.He has not only lost his honor — he has become the very embodiment of self-degradation, publicly disgracing himself with loud contempt [source].
He became a man who openly disgraces himself—not out of boredom or repression—but because he ceased to believe that love or redemption were ever possible for him. [source]
🎭 Insummary — Gogol’s clerk lost his honor, yet he could still dream of his cloak.
Lermontov’s Pechorin has nothing left to dream of. He is already beyond the cloak.
And Dostoevsky’sFyodor comes to the dream and mocks it aloud: his Karamazov dances and drinks, kicks the world — no longer out of strength, but because he has long since surrendered the possibility of loving himself.
Here Dostoevsky’s, who himself struggled with addiction, adds with great insight an absolute contempt — even for himself — revealing the portrait of a debauchee devoid of self-respect, yet wielding power and control over the cooks. [source1, Source2].
In our time, behold such a debauchee without honor, who has amassed power and control over the bribed captives.
Dmitri, his son, embodies sexual and financial desire: relentlessly chasing emotions, willing even to kill for the woman he loves.
Stormy Sea with Sailing Shipsby Jacob Isaackszoon van Ruisdael, 17th century
The uncontrollable desire for the sail to reach its shore leads to losing everything — oneself, one’s honor, one’s family — and finally, a broken body and utter collapse. [source1, source2] [מקור1, מקור2].
Among them all, one question arises: will the world grant honor to a man whose soul has lost faith in its own worth?
“They listened to counselors, ministers, astrologers — but not to a single word of advice from their physicians.”
And the answer echoes through history books and mausoleums, in our art exhibitions, on dance stages, in poetry columns, and in the mandates won by political parties in battles among these miserable souls — whose only remaining act is to worship degraded misery and impotence.
Chapter Three
Portrait of Alvise Cornaro Also known as Luigi Cornaro, Venetian nobleman and patron of the arts. Painted by the great Venetian master Tintoretto, circa 1560–1565.
1️⃣. Luigi Cornaro – The Venetian Nobleman Who Discovered the Art of Moderate Living
LuigiCornaro (1467–1566), a Venetian aristocrat and patron of the arts, once lived a life of abundance, wealth, and excess. By the age of 40, he found himself overweight, worn out, and in poor health — consequences of indulgent eating, drinking, and libertine behavior. Faced with declining health, Cornaro decided to scrutinize the causes and radically change his lifestyle, guided by common sense toward a path of temperance and well-being [source].
🥗 The Discourse on the Temperate Life Cornaro distilled his program in his book, Discorsi della Vita Sobria (“Discourses on the Temperate Life”), where he detailed how a very moderate diet — just about 350 grams of food daily — helped him regain health and extend his life, contrary to his and his contemporaries’ previous excessive habits. His diet consisted of bread, a little meat, egg yolk, and about 414 ml of wine daily.
💡 Cornaro maintained this lifestyle for decades, not only surviving but thriving — reaching the remarkable age of 90, still active in writing, running, and initiating projects [source].
Though not a physician, Cornaro’sbook, DeVitaSobria, quickly became a cornerstone of practical medical advice, influencing generations
[source1, source2]. His approach raises profound questions about the nature and locus of medical expertise — can true healing come from the very system sponsored by pharmaceutical industries, or from personal experience and mindful living? (Steven Shapin, J Hist Med Allied Sci, 2018: “Was Luigi Cornaro a Dietary Expert?”) [source].
Cornaro, like Yaron Margolin’s EightPrinciples of Healing [source], poses a vital question amid the ongoing failures of mainstream medicine:
🎯 Is healing a true path to wholeness, or has the doctor’s role been reduced to handing out pills, machines, surgeries, and endless treatments?
LuigiCornaro lived neither engulfed by gluttony nor oppressed by extreme deprivation — rather, he mastered his impulses [source1, Source2].
🥗 He chose conscious living: not driven by cravings or fleeting pleasures, but by the understanding that responsible stewardship of the body is the true path to longevity.
2️⃣. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) – the poet of balance. Not only a poet, but also a scientist, diplomat, and philosopher.
Goethe advocated a simple lifestyle: walks in nature, modest eating based on the seasons. He avoided excessive alcohol and heavy foods, and in his writings emphasized the link between fleeting pleasures and mental decline [source].
He continued to write and think with clarity until the age of 82 [source].
🥗 "Nature heals – but it hates excess."
(from The Last Years of Goethe, recorded by his secretary Eckermann)
ליאונרדו דה וינצ'י דיוקן עצמי
Self-portrait (likely) of Leonardo da Vinci – c. 1512–1519, now held at the Biblioteca Reale in Turin.
3️⃣ 🇮🇹 Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) – the vegetarian genius
A true polymath – not a clergyman, not a ruler, not a missionary. A gifted young man who maintained a simple vegetarian diet out of compassion and biological understanding.
🥗 Leonardo da Vinci ate mostly vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fruits. He expressed a distaste for eating meat and for killing animals Source1, [,Source2, Source3].
In his notes, Leonardo da Vinci addressed a common objection to vegetarianism: the claim that plants, too, have feelings no less than animals:
"Nature has ordained that living organisms with the power of movement should feel pain, in order to protect those parts which might suffer harm or loss due to movement. Living organisms without the power of movement have no need to collide with every object in their path, and therefore pain is not necessary for plants; when they are broken, they do not feel pain in the way animals do."
Even when living in royal courts, Leonardo da Vinci led a relatively modest life. He lived to the age of 67 – an unusually long lifespan for his era – and continued to work with clarity and creativity until his final day [source].
8️⃣.🇨🇭 Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) – The Balanced Savage
A philosopher and key figure of the Enlightenment, Rousseau befriended the brilliant Denis Diderot in Paris and began contributing articles to Diderot’s great Encyclopédie. Rejecting the social ostentation of Paris, he lived simply in cottages and villages, often close to nature. Rousseau valued movement, good sleep, and a natural diet — lovingly describing fresh vegetables, sourdough bread, and clear water [source].
He believed education should be grounded in a child’s natural needs and inclinations, not imposed through coercion, rote learning, or blind obedience. In his view, children learn best from curiosity and necessity, not from strict instruction [source]. He also maintained that the human heart is innately good by nature [source].
Although suffering from partial chronic illness, Rousseau remained functionally independent until age 66, avoiding the degenerative decline common among his contemporaries [source]. He followed a simple, natural diet — fresh vegetables, sourdough bread, pure water — and a rural lifestyle emphasizing movement and restorative sleep.
Deeply distrustful of society, which he saw as a corrupting force, Rousseau believed humanity’s truest and noblest self flourishes closest to nature and simplicity [source].
He found healing in walking and in simple food. His overall condition may have been influenced more by his mental state than diet — he was an orphan, and after fathering children, abandoned them to orphanages. In his Confessions, he admits:
“My troubled state always makes me fearful, and through excess of passion in desire, I became idle in action.” (p. 66)
🥗 “Civilization has corrupted the body. I find healing in walking and in simple food.”
8️⃣ John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) – The Philosopher of Measured Satisfaction
The father of modern liberalism, JohnStuartMill (1806–1873) was not spared from the challenges of his upbringing. His father, JamesMill, educated him with great severity, emphasizing intense intellectual study from an early age. This rigid approach led to a mental breakdown at the age of 21. Following this crisis, Mill adopted a disciplined lifestyle that included daily physical activity, minimalist eating, and strict rest in order to safeguard his mental and physical health. He avoided the destructive habits common in his era, such as excessive drinking and overconsumption, and chose instead to maintain an organized and rational way of living [source].
He lived in a challenging period of industrial Europe, yet remained committed to a conscious, balanced lifestyle that influenced both his longevity and his philosophical work until his final days [source]. This lifestyle reflected his liberal approach, centered on self-control, freedom, and balance. He resisted the habits of his surroundings, steering clear of harmful indulgences like heavy drinking or excessive meat consumption [source].
🥗 There is no precise historical source that fully details Mill’s daily menu; however, it is known that he lived relatively long for his time, continued writing, and remained a leading figure in modern thought until the end of his life.
And regarding the fundamental question: What happens if a seventh grader is exposed to historical stories of idols who succumbed to temptation — until they lost their self-respect? Might that child, when standing in the kitchen or sitting at the table, remember — not just what they swallow, but what they risk losing? Could they regain their honor, while still alive? Because honor is not merely a memory of the past or external success, but a constant choice — to remain true to yourself, even in the face of life's small temptations, and especially the great ones. Painted by Yaron Margolin with the help of ChatGPT’s drawing software.
Yaron Margolin
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Forthe avoidance ofdoubt, consult a physician (who knows in detail the general health of each patient or yours) before using any medicine, food, extract or any exercise. The information on Yaron Margolin's website or the "Healing Presses" website (on Facebook or YARONMARGOLIN.COM), in the above article and in Yaron Margolin's articles are material for thought – philosophy neither recommendation nor public guidance to use or cease to use drugs – no information on this site or anyone You should always consult with a qualified physician or pharmacist regarding pain, bad feeling, or goals and how to use foods, ointments, extracts and even exercises, or other remedies that are mentioned as such
