There is also a biblical aspect to shepherding. But that's not where the biblical correlation ends. Halipern can't stand seeing contradictions between what is kosher and what is healthy and marvels at the types of junk-food products certified by rabbis for human consumption. It is hard to keep up with Halipern as he leaps easily over bushes and rocks and runs up and down the mountain in close pursuit of the flock. You should not rely on mass-produced foods which lack proper nutrients and have no spirit.
Health can only start spiritually.
Spending a couple of hours early each morning and evening out in the fields with the flock, Halipern has a lot of time to think. And think he does. Instead of depending on the labor of others, Halipern is adamant in his belief that people should be self-sufficient. His family even makes its own olive oil. What they do not raise themselves, they get from their neighbors according to the biblical injunction requiring farmers to leave the corners of their fields during harvest to allow the poor to gather up the produce.