Ominous sneezing

Abstract

In his letter to the editor, Schattner (1Schattner A. Ominous sneezing.Am J Med. 1999; 106: 598PubMed Google Scholar) reports an elderly man whose “ominous sneezing” preceded the infarction of his left cerebellar hemisphere and left brainstem. The concept of the portentous sneeze has existed since ancient history. According to legend, originally there was no illness in the world; when a healthy person’s time had come, wherever he found himself, he sneezed and died. When Jacob began to bless his sons, he started sneezing. In anticipation of his imminent death, he asked God, “Give me enough time to bless my sons” (Genesis 49:18). Thus, when a person sneezes, he is obligated to thank God that he remains alive. Hence the traditional “bless you” after a sneeze. Many historians and some clerics report that the belief that sneezing is a sign of great danger has its origin in the bubonic plague, during which people died suddenly while sneezing or yawning (2Rosner F (trans). Julius Preuss’ Biblical and Talmudic Medicine. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson; 1993:74–76.Google Scholar).Although sneezing is a bad omen in the legend of Jacob (Genesis 48:1), the teaching of the Talmud states that it is a good prognostic in a patient (Berachot 57b): “His sneezing signifies the light of healing” (Job 41:10). The Talmud considers it a good sign if someone sneezes while praying (Berachot 24b). It indicates that God looks favorably toward him here on earth and will favor him in heaven. The Talmud also points out (Niddah 9:8) that a woman’s yawns or sneezes may be signs of impending menstruation (3Rosner F. Encyclopedia of Medicine in the Bible and the Talmud. Jason Aronson, Northvale, NJ1999Google Scholar). In his letter to the editor, Schattner (1Schattner A. Ominous sneezing.Am J Med. 1999; 106: 598PubMed Google Scholar) reports an elderly man whose “ominous sneezing” preceded the infarction of his left cerebellar hemisphere and left brainstem. The concept of the portentous sneeze has existed since ancient history. According to legend, originally there was no illness in the world; when a healthy person’s time had come, wherever he found himself, he sneezed and died. When Jacob began to bless his sons, he started sneezing. In anticipation of his imminent death, he asked God, “Give me enough time to bless my sons” (Genesis 49:18). Thus, when a person sneezes, he is obligated to thank God that he remains alive. Hence the traditional “bless you” after a sneeze. Many historians and some clerics report that the belief that sneezing is a sign of great danger has its origin in the bubonic plague, during which people died suddenly while sneezing or yawning (2Rosner F (trans). Julius Preuss’ Biblical and Talmudic Medicine. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson; 1993:74–76.Google Scholar). Although sneezing is a bad omen in the legend of Jacob (Genesis 48:1), the teaching of the Talmud states that it is a good prognostic in a patient (Berachot 57b): “His sneezing signifies the light of healing” (Job 41:10). The Talmud considers it a good sign if someone sneezes while praying (Berachot 24b). It indicates that God looks favorably toward him here on earth and will favor him in heaven. The Talmud also points out (Niddah 9:8) that a woman’s yawns or sneezes may be signs of impending menstruation (3Rosner F. Encyclopedia of Medicine in the Bible and the Talmud. Jason Aronson, Northvale, NJ1999Google Scholar).