31
According to R' Dr. David Shabtai, in a 2013 Times of Israel blog post, there is no such source:
The religious exemption exists to protect people whose religion forbids vaccination, to allow religious practice without governmental intervention. The basis for this exemption is to protect people whose religion prohibits vaccinations.
This is not true ...
21
There is a machlokes haposkim on this matter.
Igros Moshe wrote in 1964 that since there is a possibility of danger from smoking, one should refrain from doing so, however, it is not forbidden because "Shomer Psaim Hashem", Hashem guards the fools.
In 1981, R' Moshe wrote that the danger of smoking is no more than the danger of eating unhealthy foods, ...
19
Rather than guessing, read it directly from the source.
Some have also suggested that a natural product, derived from the
Cannabis plant, for a life-threatening condition, does not require
certification. This is factually incorrect. The OU certified product
comes in three forms: pills, oils and vapor. While the cannabis plant
is inherently ...
15
According to http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~uzwiak/AnatPhys/Cardiovascular_System.html
the heart touches the chest wall between the 5th and 6th ribs. So if this passage means that he literally stabbed him at the 5th rib, it would have been a very efficient and quick kill.
15
The Rambam in Mishna Torah Hilchos Milah 1:7 says that someone who has 2 Orlos they make the Bris for both on the 8th day.
ומי שיש לו שתי ערלות, מלין את שתיהן בשמיני.
The Aruch HaShulchan Yoreh Deah 262:13 and the Sefer Minchas Ani - Hilchos Milah 13 says that although the Bris is done on the 8th day by such a child it would not be done on the 8th day if ...
14
To add to the answer(s) about R' Moshe Feinstein's Pesak, R' Dr. Moshe D. Tendler, son-in-law of R' Moshe Feinstein, has been an outspoken advocate for banning smoking 'Al Pi Halachah, and he has publicly stated (in fact, I've been present in a large audience where he has stated) that he firmly believes R' Moshe Feinstein's Pesak would have been very ...
14
See this comprehensive survey at Aish, about plastic surgery in general. It mentions this kohen reason, in the name of Rabbi Menashe Klein, in his Mishneh Halachos, and (IIUC) Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach. But others permit for very different reasons:
Thus:
In 1961, Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits, considered by many to be the father of the discipline of Jewish ...
14
Human blood is not included in the prohibition (Shulchan Arukh YD 66:10). There is a concern when consuming any permitted blood that no one think you are consuming forbidden blood. A classic solution to this is including fish scales in a cup of fish blood (ibid. :9). It seems to me that a transfusion bag serves this purpose sufficiently. Even were one to ...
13
There are 2 approaches in halacha for distancing meat to dairy (see Shach YD 89:5). The Gemara says the distance is from meal to meal. Some interpret this as needing to bentch on your meat and start your milk at a different meal- the upshot being to distinguish it through separate meals.
Others interpret the gemara as waiting the amount of time sages ...
13
The Tzitz Eliezer 13:35:3 brings down not to, the reason being that the throat and taste buds don't get pleasure (Minchas Yitzchak uses the same reasoning.)
13
Summary - Abortion is generally prohibited, but is permitted in certain cases. All opinions agree that one is permitted - perhaps even obligated - to abort if the mother's life is in direct danger due to the pregnancy - perhaps even up to actual birthing. If the mother is not in direct danger, but will have negatively impacted health, most opinions hold ...
13
Tiferet Yisrael (Boaz) on Avot 3:14 cited and translated here.
13
The Shulchan Arukh (YD 268:1) rules (like the Tur, quoting a Gaon; see too Tosfot Yevamot 46b) that a male whose genitals have been removed ("Nikhrat haGid") doesn't need Milah or Hatafat Dam Berit, and can just go to the Mikva directly (like a woman). The Arukh haShulchan there explains this is because there is nothing to circumcise, and the Gra notes that ...
12
Nit'ei Gavriel (Aveilus 4:4) cites various sources that there is a common practice to not tear kriyah in this instance anyway (and in note יב he mentions other variations, such as leaving a button undone for a while, or tearing kriyah at the moment of death only for a distinguished person).
In 4:7 he also writes that it is indeed not customary for doctors ...
12
See question #533 over here:
Many contemporary Poskim rule that teeth that fall out or are extracted may simply be discarded and do not require burial or any other special treatment. There is no difference between adults and children or between baby teeth or permanent teeth.
See Shu"t Mishneh Halachos Vol. 16 Siman 113 where he brings some opinions ...
12
As I mention on my post on this very topic, Rabbi Slifkin reported the following:
I once asked Rav Gedaliah Nadel z”l, one of the foremost talmidim of the Chazon Ish, about the Chazon Ish’s medical knowledge. He told me that the Chazon Ish’s knowledge came from reading medical journals.
11
Short answer: Any STD.
Basis for answer:
This is discussed in the Tur and the Shulchan Aruch; Even HaEzer, Siman 9.
It seems (based on reading the commentators on the above) that there are 2 approaches in the Gemara and both are considered as valid in Halacha.
Medical approach
The woman has a disease (what we'd call a STD) which results in her marital ...
11
The Rabbis forbade taking medicine on Shabbos (barring the person being sick), because they were worried one might come to grind medicine on Shabbos (think mortar and pestle), and grinding on Shabbos is a Biblical Prohibition (Tochen).
In the time of the Gemara (and perhaps now, although I'm not aware of it) people would take medicine, in order to sweat for ...
11
See Yoreh Deah 362 Pischei Teshuva #1 were it seems amputated organs need not be buried, but consult your LOR (local orthodox Rabbi).
Also see Kesuvos 20b where the custom is to bury amputated organs.
11
In short, you need a Jewish person to do the circumcision לכתחילה. The basis for this is Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah Siman 264:
"Every Jew is eligible to perform circumcision, including someone who is himself uncircumcised because his brothers had dies as a result of circumcision. If an adult Jewish male is present who knows how to circumcise he takes ...
11
According to the majority of poskim, he is a man despite whatever surgery he had and he would certainly be allowed to give his wife a get. According to the minority view of the Tzitz Eliezer, he would not have to give his wife a get, because the marriage dissolved when he "became a woman."
He obviously does not meet the qualifications for a Shoteh.
See R. ...
11
ABSOLUTELY.
DO NOT DRINK IF IT IS MEDICALLY CONTRAINDICATED!! NEVER EVER EVER!!
Immediately after the statement about "obligation to drink on Purim", the Gemara tells a tale of one rabbi who got drunk and very nearly killed someone. Most rabbis say that's just a cautionary note to moderate your drinking, but the Baal HaMaor says the Gemara is refuting the ...
11
Someone asked this question online to Rabbi Yitzhak ben Yosef (posek and rabbi of Ramat Gan) here, and he responded as follows:
בהחלט שאלה נדירה ביותר.
לכאורה כל תינוק הוא פטר רחם וצריכים שני הילדים פדיון צריך לבדוק האם הם פטר רחם דהיינו שלכול רחם יש פתח נפרד.
This is an extremely rare case. Seemingly, each infant is the"opener of the womb" and ...
11
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ruled that one may violate שבת for the injection of morphine.
See שמירת שבת כהלכתה, chapter 32, footnote 150, where Rabbi YY Neuwirth writes that he heard from Rav Shlomo Zalman that since זריקת מורפיום (morphine injection) does not have any healing properties, and it's just for the relief of pain, it should be forbidden; however, ...
11
R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 1:82) writes that if the medication itself tastes nice, then one should recite a beracha. R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 4:54:39) writes that R’ Yosef Shalom Elyashiv held that if one mixed the medicine into something that tastes good, one would need to recite a beracha on it.
R’ Dr. Avraham Avraham (Nishmas ...
10
http://www.valleyfig.com/c_figs/index.htm
It may surprise you to know that when
you eat a half-cup of figs you get as
much calcium as when you drink a
half-cup of milk.
http://www.health-benefits-of-olive-oil.com/foods-high-in-calcium.html
However, olive oil is relevant to
another part of the calcium puzzle,
which is the calcium absorption.
...
10
One issue with taking such a test is tzovaya, as usually the test involves chemicals in the stick changing colors by reacting to the urine. R' Ribiat, in 39 Melachos, with regard to clinical test sticks used by diabetics to determine urine-sugar level, cites Sh'miras Shabbos K'Hilchasa (33:20), who is unsure about this (see footnotes 81-83 there), and ...
10
The Gemara there is discussing verse 24:1:
א. וְאַבְרָהָם זָקֵן בָּא בַּיָּמִים וַי־הֹוָ־ה בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל:
And Abraham was old, advanced in days, and the Lord had blessed Abraham with everything.
The different Rabbis are giving different interpretations how Avraham was blessed.
This didn't happen until after Sarah passed away, ...
10
Basically, if a couple has valid reason to not have children right now, then a pill that prevents menstruation is fine.
Judaism regards having children as a mitzvah, though (as in many things in life) it's complicated and there are caveats. It's recommended -- and according to some, required -- that a couple consult with their rabbi first before using birth ...
10
The Be'er Moshe 8:36 discusses this issue and says it is something that they used be makpid on not to step over a child and if they went over him they would ask the person to step over him the other way so he can grow to his full height.
The Be'er Moshe continues that this custom is considered among the custom of old women which the Rashba (Shu"t 1:69) ...
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