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)?
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1Related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/73688/9682– DonielFCommented Feb 27, 2019 at 22:24
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In terms of most halachot, I believe that it is. I think there's a rule that one who is unaware of his actions cannot be responsible for consequences. E.g. if a sleeping person spoke in his sleep and, say, agreed to marry a woman, I think the marriage is not valid. General, and sometimes local anesthesia causes sleep or drowsiness. I think medically-speaking a coma is considered a "long sleep".– DanFCommented Feb 27, 2019 at 23:24
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I'm not convinced there is a Halakhic status of sleep fwiw. All the examples you've brought are subject to dispute– Double AA ♦Commented Feb 27, 2019 at 23:52
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@DanF - that is not set in stone. For example, I believe someone who dreams about a neder, the neder is still considered to be in force and they would have to annul it.– DovCommented Jun 6, 2021 at 17:09
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@Dov he.wikisource.org/wiki/…– Double AA ♦Commented Jun 6, 2021 at 17:30
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1 Answer
According to Rabbi Moishe David Lebovits, in the name of the Kaf HaChaim and the Eshel Avraham, one does not say Hamapil before sleep by day. Similarly, one does not say Elokai Neshama by day sleep. There are differing opinions as to the svara behind this.
According to Rabbi Lebovits in the name of Rav Belsky, one need not be machpid to prepare a utensil with water when sleeping by day.
These sources suggest that if a person’s procedure requiring general anesthesia will begin and end by day, such halachot of night sleep would not apply. However, if the anesthesia will be overnight, that would be a different matter.
In terms of a coma, chas v’shalom, it seems that such states are generally not intentional, so that would also be different.
