Questions tagged [health-safety-shmira]
NOTE: For professional medical advice, please contact your physician.
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Is one allowed to smoke Marijuana?
Not taking into account Dina D'malchusa, what are the Halachic problems with smoking marijuana? Is it allowed?
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Is practicing Yoga against Torah?
What does Halacha and Halachic Authorities have to say about the permissibility of a Jew practicing Yoga? Is it Avodah Zarah?
If it is problematic, are there methods of doing it where it would be ...
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Things that halacha prohibits because of danger
What are things brought down in Halacha that we do not do because of danger?
Although we cannot define the resultant danger in terms of medical science, we accept and adhere faithfully to our Sages' ...
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The Trolley Problem: Is it better to kill 1 person or let 5 die?
I was recently reading about the Trolley Problem
A trolley is running out of control down a track. In its path are five people who have been tied to the track by a mad philosopher. Fortunately, you ...
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Is one allowed to drink alcohol on regular weekdays?
Is it permissible to drink alcohol in any circumstance other than Holidays and Shabbat? Please cite sources.
CYLOR.
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Does kosher mean healthy?
What is the relation between kosher and healthiness? G-d wants us to eat properly but also to be healthy. For example, it is better to try not to eat too much meat (even if it's kosher), and more ...
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Kissing a Sefer Torah as it passes
Some people in shul mark it as a sign of respect, as the Torah makes its way to/from the Aron Kodesh, to kiss it, and rush to get as close as possible. Others, given the cold season, think that this ...
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Is Exercise on Shabbos Allowed?
Is one allowed to do exercises on Shabbos?
Are any types allowed? Some examples of different types:
Lifting weights or heavy items
Jumping jacks
Taking a walk (long, but without Techum issues)
Doing ...
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Saying "Laberiut" "God bless you" or "Gesundheit"
Is there are source for saying "Laberiut" "God bless you" "Gesundheit" or any other response to a sneeze? In other words, are there posekim who mention it in Halacha?
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Tuesday and Friday nights
Bavli P'sachim 112:2 has a story of an angel of destruction who would work daily (see Rashash) until asked to quit. When she requested some time to work, the rabbi she was talking with allowed her ...
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Can I choose not to violate Shabbos for "pikuach nefesh"?
According to the Gemara (Yoma 85a-b) and Poskim (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 328, Rambam, Hilchot Shabbos 2 [English Rambam]), one is allowed to violate Shabbos in order to preserve his life. This is ...
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Can we violate Shabbos to inject a vaccine?
Vaccines save lives. I'm not here to argue about that, take it somewhere else. If you don't agree, for the purposes of this question just imagine I'm talking about some medicine that accomplishes ...
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How should one dispose of cut finger nails? Is it dangerous for a pregnant woman to walk on them?
Is there an Inyan of pregnant women walking over cut nails ex: a nail salon? Also, can I just vacuum up the cut nails from the floor?
user362
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May a Brit Milah be performed by a (non-Jewish) doctor?
Some friends would feel more comfortable having their newborn circumcised with a regular doctor and in a hospital setting where the environment is more sterile, maybe better pain management options ...
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Are there any sources that prohibit childhood vaccinations?
The consequences of depressed childhood vaccination rates in some American communities, in the form of a building measles outbreak, have been in the news lately.
All public schools and most private ...
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Should one induce vomiting upon realizing s/he just ate non-kosher?
I've heard several stories of people who ate something, realized it was non-kosher, and therefore induced vomiting. Is this halachically required? Recommended? Does it accomplish anything? (If not, ...
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Leaving cities during plagues
Over the Yomim Tovim I happened to skim through a copy of Rav Hirsh's sefer "Horeb". In one section he discussed a directive from Chazal to leave a city struck with plague. With Ebola having been ...
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Laws pertaining to dress for men during fitness activities
What are the rules pertaining to a male doing a physical activity:
If the kipa keeps falling off, is it necessary to wear it?
What about modesty? If in the comfort of your own home, can you go ...
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Are there any responsa that encourage or require maintaining health insurance?
Are there any responsa in the literature that either encourage or require people to maintain health insurance, perhaps as a fulfillment of the obligation to guard one's health, or in line with any ...
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Is a Cohen Allowed to Perform CPR?
CPR is performed when the heart has stopped but the brain is still alive. We have a general rule that a Cohen is not allowed to come in contact with a dead body. If so, does this mean that a Kohen ...
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Is there a halacha that prohibits punching or slapping someone?
I assume there must be a law against causing a person very mild physical injury, but I don't know what it is.
1) If the injury may cause enduring harm--like punching someone with the risk of ...
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Can one make a mi'shebeirach for animals?
Is it proper to conduct a mi'shebeirach prayer (which is a prayer normally said by a synagogue official, at a communal Torah reading, for the health and recovery of a sick person) for the health/...
user2110
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Jewish approach to exercise and incorporating it into our daily lives
We are beings made of body and soul and there are many that express the importance of a synthesis of physicality and spirituality. There are many divrei Chazal that tackle how to attain spiritual ...
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Could we drive an Ebola patient to quarantine on Shabbos?
I don't think anybody would argue that Ebola is a חולי שיש בו סכנה (an illness that involves danger to life)1, which means that we not only may but must violate Shabbos in order to provide care for an ...
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Why are junk foods, which are poor for your health, certified kosher?
Why do rabbis allow hechsherim on junk food and other foods which are clearly bad for you health? Many products are clearly not good for you such as soda pop, baked goods with trans fats, food with ...
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Mouthwash on a public fast day?
Is it permitted to use mouthwash on a public fast day? Would a sensitive mouth, due to medical reasons be a good reason to be lenient?
(I can see it being less problematic than brushing one's teeth, ...
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Is Metzitzah B'peh a must?
There is a lot of talk in the news, etc., about Metzitzah B'peh that employs direct oral contact being dangerous.
First: If it is dangerous, shouldn't pikuach nefesh push it off?
Second: How ...
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How do I avoid thirst when fasting?
I started fasting on Yom Kippur as an adult, about 10 years ago.
A couple times I had to drink a glass of water either after Kol Nidre or before Shacharit, because I felt completely dehydrated (I did ...
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Eating fish and meat together
The reason given for not eating fish and meat together is due to Sakana. In current times it does not seem to be a Sakana, (Nishtanu HaTeva). Would you be allowed to eat them together? If not - why ...
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May we violate Shabbos to administer morphine?
Morphine has been widely used as a pain reliever for a very long time (according to Wikipedia, it's been in use at least since 1804!). It's even listed (twice!) on WHO's list of essential medicines. ...
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Can you daven with minyan when you have the flu?
Are you allowed to go daven with a minyan when you have the flu or other highly contagious illness? Is it considered potentially damaging someone else's health, or are the chances of someone else ...
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Is metzitzah b'peh required when an adult is circumcised or in the case of hatafas dam bris?
As we've discussed in a general question regarding the requirements for metzitzah b'peh (MBP), the direct-oral-contact technique to draw blood from the penis of an 8-day old infant at his bris milah ...
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Does the existence of insurance affect end-of-life Halacha?
Consider the following case:
A baby is born with severe congenital defects. The doctors say that if nothing is done to address them, the baby will die within days. They also say that there's a series ...
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Is one allowed to be fat?
Is one halachically allowed to be fat (overweight or obese), or must a fat person take steps to reduce their weight and maintain a reasonably healthy body (and likewise, a healthy person must not ...
user5540
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Transfer of taste to/from non-food items
There are a number of heating pads on the market for heat therapy cures and general warmth in the winter. Some are electric, but some of them need to be heated in a microwave or an oven. If you heat ...
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May one consume peyote?
Peyote is a hallucinogenic plant that contains no harmful side effects or addictive properties and is legal for religious ceremonial use. May one consume it?
related: Is one allowed to smoke ...
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Why there was no railing on the 5m high Mizbeach?
While looking at drawings of the Temple's Altar, I was impressed by its dimensions: up to 5m (16ft) high and 15m (100ft) wide. Here's a pretty truthful depiction (courtesy of WIKI) that gives an idea ...
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Sneezing during davening
I have read in the Gemara (Berachoth 24B) that sneezing during the Shemonei Esrei is a sign that your tefillot have been accepted. "Just as you have been granted relief below, so you have been granted ...
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Does Beis Din have the authority to quarantine?
In light of the recent discussions about the legality of quarantining potential Ebola patients, I was wondering if Halacha has the mechanism for such a thing.
In an autonomous Jewish society, in ...
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Tahara procedure for a body with an infectious disease
I've heard that one vector for the spread of Ebola is ceremonial contact that family members have with the body of their deceased relative. That led me to think about how Judaism deals with this issue....
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Who is counted in an "outdoor minyan" defined? How should the minyan be run?
An outdoor minyan is one possible attempt to deal with a public health instruction aimed at preventing spreading infections, such as keeping 6 feet from another person and avoiding indoor gatherings.
...
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How far do I have to go to take care of myself?
The mitzvah of V'nishmartem (Devarim 4:15) requires a person to take care of their health (Shulchan Aruch C.M. 427:8, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 32:1). How far does this go? Do I have to exercise daily? ...
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What is the best way to break a fast?
There are six official fast days in the Jewish calendar. After a fast often people get sick when they eat. What type of food or drink is the best way to break the fast and avoid becoming ill?
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What can a pregnant woman do if she already stepped on nails?
A pregnant women is advised by the gemara (Nidda 17a) to avoid stepping on cut human nails out of fear of miscarriage. What can she do if she has already stepped on them? Is there a way to "fix" ...
user1552
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Are bushes acceptable for elevations that require a maakeh, a fence?
If evergreen bushes span the entire length of a side of a porch, at about waist-height for someone on the porch, do the bushes remove the need for a railing? The difference being that a railing can be ...
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Having children when both parents are Tay-Sachs carriers
This is an obvious CYLOR question, but I am interested in whatever halachic information is available out there.
Suppose a couple got married without ever getting genetically tested for Tay-Sachs. ...
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R' Akiva Eiger and the epidemic
A rav mentioned it to me that R' Akiva Eiger got an award from the Prussian king, because during an epidemic in Posen he, in accordance with the doctors and the authorities, required the strict ...
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What height porch requires a railing?
What are the different opinions of heights (in American or metric units) that requires a railing for the side of a porch?
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Headache remedy on a fast day?
Even with proper pre-fast hydration and caffeine reduction, I almost always get a headache starting around hour 20-22 of a fast and growing from there. Taking a nap is sometimes possible and ...
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Choking on a Fish Bone
I remember learning once that the גמרא says to perform a certain procedure / say certain words when someone is choking on a fish bone. I also remember hearing that this is the one cure mentioned in ...
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