Is it permissible to listen to a Rabbi instead of a doctor?

Question

Recently, an article published on a popular Jewish website, told the story of man who was told by a doctor that he needed to have surgery. He went to a Gadol Hador (great Rabbi) to ask him for advice and the Rabbi told him not to do the surgery (the article then says that later the doctor came and told the man it is good thing you didn't do the surgery because we now realize it would have been too risky).

Is it permissible to listen to a Rabbi and go against the medical advice of a doctor?

Please provide sources to go along with your answer. Responsa directly talking about this topic would be optimal.

Answer 1

The Maharik as well as the Shevus Yaakov bring the Gemara in Niddah to prove that, on the contrary, Chazal would rely on the doctor's prognosis even in cases of potential Kares. Indeed, as the Rambam and many others point out, the Rabbi's knowledge of the sciences was certainly not all-incorporative, and drew upon modern (at the time) science for it's data. Even the Chazon Ish pointed out that the Torah list of Treifos (disqualifying blemishes in an animal) is inaccurate to our current medical knowledge, and that Chazal were not as advanced medically as we are today.

Therefore, to blatantly reject a doctor's opinion certainly seems to go against the method that Chazal have provided us.

Now, I do understand that there may be discrepancy in areas of medicine where there really is no clear answer, and we don't know the results of a given surgery. But this is surely the general outline of the approach.

Answer 2

The article in question was poorly reported, according to one of the commenters who claims to personally know the one who asked the opinion of the Gadol. According to him, the doctors were not firmly behind the procedure to start with! So we should be discussing the issue of Safek/doubt. That issue is discussed in the Eighth Perek of Maseches Yoma, regarding one who is doubtful if he has the strength to fast on Yom Kippur. There, it discusses three scenarios:

(1) if a doctor states that it could be dangerous, he should not fast.

(2) if doctors disagree, then we follow the majority informed opinion.

(3) If, however, doctors say that he is able to fast and the patient says he is not able to fast, then even if 100 doctors state categorically that he can fast, halachically he shouldn't fast because "Adam yodeya tzaras nafsho." A person knows the trouble of his soul/body.

In 2007, a nursing book (sorry, no reference available) referred to a "new theory" of treating patients. Rather than the old days, when the Doctor was The Word, and whatever he said, went without question, it is best to tap into the patient's knowledge and include his opinion. I believe this is what was occurring here.

Personally, I have had doctors disagree somewhat and in one case radically, with my own care. My quality of life would have been severely hampered for the 4-5 years if I would have followed one doctor. That doctor had advised me to go to a second doctor (Dr AR) for a bone marrow transplant. The 2nd doctor said, "you are doing well, the transplant is life threatening, why get involved?" Eventually the two doctors wanted me to take a therapy 2x or 3x monthly, for my rare condition but doesn't have a definite medical protocol that was similar to another condition for which monthly therapy was the protocol. I agreed at first. Then I had an idea. The first doctor told me "I have no time. Dr AR is a good doctor. He said twice monthly so we will follow him! See you Monday." And hung up, not allowing me to express my idea. Concerned, I called Dr AR and presented my idea and he said, "Good idea!" We followed that protocol for 4-5 years and need only 3 months of that therapy.

Bottom line, the need for every procedure is not clear. There is no such thing as "settled science." Science by definition is not settled. Procedures that were absolutely essential yesterday may be declared dangerous tomorrow (for instance, the statins controversy, among many many others.)

And some doctors are incredibly arrogant. My father in law had a stroke. He had difficulty responding to most everything. The doctor tried to convince me almost immediately that he was a vegetable, that he couldn't even hear. When he said that, I knew he was wrong. I had put tefillin on and said Ashrei with him daily. He was of Sefardi background. When I reached "Po'tey'ach et yadecha...," he Always consistently lifted his hands and turned his palms upwards, for seven months after his stroke, until a few days before he passed away. He also responded to my children's names the day before passed away.

Doctors are wonderful. But they have many inconsistencies, disagreements and they sometimes do questionable things. Being proactive in your care or even having an alternate opinion, or going to talk over a concern or clouded opinion/decision with a great man is not a bad idea.