Questions tagged [medicine]

NOTE: For professional medical advice, please contact your physician.

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Is general anesthesia or coma considered sleep?

Is general anesthesia or coma considered Halachicly as sleep and in what aspects (like should one say Hamapil before or Birkas Hatorah after or wash hands etc)?
Al Berko's user avatar
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Charlie Gard's parents from a Halachic Perspective

As this question is somewhat extensive, I have divided the post into headers in order to make it easier to read and follow. Background Charlie Gard is a British baby who has a rare genetic disorder ...
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Is altering human genetics wrong in Judaism?

So, our colonists of the oceanic planet Mayim (yes, that's its name), of whom every single one is a Jew, have encountered a problem: there is no more room on the buoyant-colony-thing that they live in,...
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Is one allowed to brush teeth on yom kippur with toothpaste without any water?

Is one allowed to brush teeth on Yom Kippur with toothpaste on a toothbrush without rinsing toothbrush before and without rinsing mouth after? What if its prescription which I would think probably ...
user11124's user avatar
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Can members of Hatzolah learn how to deliver a baby?

This seems like a very simple thing. Is there anything wrong with male members of Hatzolah (a frum Jewish emergency medical organization) learning how to deliver a baby? I recently heard that Rabbonim ...
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Is there an obligation to reattach a severed body part?

If a part of a person's body is severed for whatever reason, is there an obligation on the person who lost it to reattach it?
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Medicines v. Spices on Shabbos

Medicines are forbidden on shabbos for the non-critically ill because in the old days, they had to be ground with a pestle beforehand. Must not spices also be ground? How come spices are not also ...
Clint Eastwood's user avatar
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On Pesach, to which side does someone with situs inversus lean?

Situs inversus is a condition where the body’s internal organs are reversed, apparently including the esophagus and the trachea. Therefore, on Pesach, would a Jew with this condition lean on his ...
QwertyCTRL.'s user avatar
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A medicinal drink turning into a pleasure drink mid-guzzle

I am not, to my knowledge, thirsty, but I need to take a pill with water, so I do so without a beracha (see Shulchan Aruch OC 204:7). As I swallow the pill, I realise that I am enjoying the water, and ...
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Doctors losing their licence/ r'shut beit din

Various sources refer to doctors acting with the permission of the beit din; some suggest that this is a mandatory requirement and that it is forbidden to practice medicine without such permission (eg ...
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Donating Blood on Chol Hamo'ed

I was asked to donate platelets this week because the local blood center is looking specifically for my blood type. The only practical time for me is over chol hamo'ed (as I am off from work). I have ...
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Medicines on fast days which need to be taken with food

I had seen on this Halachipedia page in the name of R' Shlomo Zalman Auerbach that one may drink a minimal amount of water, as needed, in order to swallow pills. However, R' Belsky, as quoted in this ...
DonielF's user avatar
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Is there a bias against marijuana in the orthodox community?

Note: I'm not trying to promote marijuana. I strongly dislike marijuana and cigarettes and I would never use nor recommend either. I'm concerned about health and the awareness of the dangers of drugs. ...
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Taking Tylenol on a Taanith: Defining "ill"

With regard to hilkhoth shabbath, a choleh she'ein bo sakana (one with a non-life-threatening illness) is allowed to engage in therapeutic activites, such as taking medication. This is not the case ...
Loewian's user avatar
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How to handle cadavers which are highly likely to be Jewish

This question How to handle cadavers asked what should be done where a student had to handle cadavers in their medical (dentistry) classes. A comment took the view that outside of Israel, the ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
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Difference between 'rafa' and 'ripa'

The root רפא, "heal", is used in various places in Tanach, sometimes in binyan paal and sometimes in binyan piel. I wonder what the difference is between these. Does any Tanach commentator, or the ...
msh210's user avatar
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Vaccines using aborted fetal cells

A friend of mine informed me that a few coronavirus vaccines might have used aborted fetal cells during development and/or production. What I have found by so far is that these cells were grown in ...
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To know in advance when one is a niddah

The gemoro and shulchan aruch has much to say about 'vestos', way to find out in advance when one will be a niddah, which rarely work today. There are modern methods which do work: does one have to ...
preferred's user avatar
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1 answer
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Two people but only one kidney

if there are two patients about to die of kidney failure and there is only one kidney available, does the halacha have a way to choose who gets the kidney? (such as lottery) (assuming both cases are ...
ray's user avatar
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Receiving animal based organ transplants

I was looking at the idea of receiving an organ transplanted from an animal as in this question. One issue which was not raised is that of tum'ah. Though the transplant might be acceptable for many ...
rosends's user avatar
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What is the criteria of safek pikuach nefesh?

An expert in a particular field (a doctor, an actuary, etc.) can advise on the risk of mortality from a specific activity of anywhere between 0% and 100%. At what threshold of risk would the halacha ...
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1 answer
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What are the time parameters of "pikuach nefesh" on Shabbos?

This article says: Any procedure which is necessary to perform for the patient, but it is clear that it does not at all need to be performed on Shabbat, should be delayed until after Shabbat. How ...
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2 votes
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Is the base for bloodletting in the Talmud purely "scientific" or traditional?

Bloodletting (הקזת דם) was a commonplace medical procedure in the Mishnaic times (see Shabbos 129). It is widely accepted that the ancient healers believed that: "... many diseases were caused by ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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What medical conditions are considered Treyfah nowadays?

This question is a part of a series on "death hastening". As I understand, the Treyfah condition in humans is when one is destined to die in the foreseeable future (12 months?) with a high degree of ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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2 votes
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261 views

Neti pot on Yom Kippur?

Can one use a neti pot on Yom Kippur? It is an ayurvedic technique for clearing the sinuses, basically pouring warm salt water through one nostril and out the other. It doesn't go into your mouth. ...
Yonah PS's user avatar
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190 views

Antibiotics, Strep and Taanit Esther

Can someone with a bacterial infection, such as strep throat, but can not swallow the antibiotics dry or with minimal water, take the medicine using a full glass of water and/or dissolving the ...
ArielD's user avatar
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Why do we have an appendix according to Torah sources?

Is there any significance in Torah literature, attributed to the appendix and its function in the body?
AKayser's user avatar
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Can a kohen have a child by IVF with a divorce. What is the status of the child?

Is there any workaround avialable for thousands of kohanim who want to have children but are older singles and can't get married because of the high percentage of divorcees in the female population ...
Reuven A. Stone's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
71 views

Medical Term for Aylonit איילונית

Is there a modern medical term for an איילונית? Is this someone just lacking female hormones?
Mark's user avatar
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Prayer before a general anaesthetic

Every night, prior to bed, people recite the Shema. Affixed to that recitation is a variety of psukim and brokhes, requesting of Hashem that He ensure that we will sleep well, without any disturbance, ...
Shimon bM's user avatar
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Would cryogenic freezing while still alive be permissible?

As answered here and here, halachic death is defined as an irreversible heart [and/or respiration, and/or brain] cessation. If so, would cryogenically freezing someone while they're still alive1 be ...
user9806's user avatar
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1 vote
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629 views

Does melatonin need to be kosher?

I'm not certain if it's medication or not. I'm speaking of plain, non-flavored powder capsules.
therxv's user avatar
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Medicine Under the Bed

Although the Shulchan Aruch YD (116:5) writes ולא יתן תבשיל ולא משקים תחת המטה מפני שרוח רעה שורה עליהם - don't put cooked food or drinks under the bed due to ruach ra'ah does that issue ...
NJM's user avatar
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1 vote
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234 views

Medical dental supplies Kashrut for Passover considerations

Should one be suspicious of any dental supplies for being hametz when one goes for a dental appointment during Passover? Let's put rules of labor and scheduling-for-hol hamoed aside: I'm asking ...
Yaakov's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
58 views

Chametz on Pesach in products other than food

Is it allowed to have products for cosmetics or medicine which contain elements of what's considered chametz during the Pesach?
Levi's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
172 views

Fast days for a person with an eating disorder

Does anyone know of a posek who has written about people with eating disorders (I know there are many types of eating disorders) or people who have recovered from an eating disorder regarding whether ...
Gavriel's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
275 views

Taking Tylenol on a Taanis

A choleh she'eyn bo sakana (one with a non-life-threatening illness) is not obligated to fast on any fast other than Yom Kippur (see Mishna Brurah 550:4 and Aruch Hashulchan 550:6). A choleh she'eyn ...
Loewian's user avatar
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1 vote
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Does one need a new toothbrush for Pesach or can he scrub his current toothbrush in Listerine?

Must one necessarily use a new toothbrush for Pesach on can he soak the toothbrush and scrub it in Listerine? AFAIK, Listerine is KP, based on what I saw fairly recently, on I think, Star-K site. ...
DanF's user avatar
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יהי רצון שיהיה לרפואה on optional pills

Many say יהי רצון שיהיה לרפואה before taking pills and other forms of medicine: Flavorless medicine, such as pills that you swallow, do not require a blessing—but we do say a prayer that the medicine ...
Shalom Meisels's user avatar
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0 answers
154 views

Have there been notable Rabbinical opinions on hemp derived CBD oil for personal health?

Marijuana politics is getting complicated in the west with more and more countries legalizing the stuff for both medicinal and personal use. My question has less to do with Marijuana and more to do ...
user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
137 views

Can a Jewish doctor refuse to treat a wicked non-Jew?

Ignoring any Secular law issues, Is a Jew obligated to save the life of a wicked non Jew? Does it make a difference whether his refusal will become publicly known? Example: If a non-Jew who is a ...
Nosson's user avatar
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Is chicken collagen considered fleishig or parve?

I have seen a few brands of Type 2 collagen in a pill form contain chicken collagen. Regarding taking pills, I have asked 2 local rabbanim who agreed with this general rule: Preferably, one should ...
DanF's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
86 views

If a man passes away and has a lot of acquired assets where do these assets go to?

A man passes away with two children: the elder is a daughter, who has children of her own, and the younger is a son, who is infertile but has adopted. My question is where do all the deceased's ...
TheTribeOfJudah's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
195 views

Children of a Cohen who had a vasectomy

A previously asked question on this site was whether a Cohen who had undergone a vasectomy may get married. Assuming that he is permitted to marry in such a case - if he has a child (through invitro ...
Penina's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
699 views

Must a woman cover her hair during childbirth?

Does a woman need to cover her hair during childbirth or other major medical procedures?
Identitytheft-Dave's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
106 views

Ingesting premixed medicine for recreational purposes on Shabbos

Can one ingest usually-medicinal substances for recreational purposes on Shabbos? As a concrete example, consider a pill of Tylenol with codeine (or codeine itself). A person would like to enhance ...
user9806's user avatar
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