Loading...
Arba`ah Turim of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher on Medical Ethics
David Fink, Rabbi
David Fink, Rabbi
Author(s)
Author(s) (Additional)
Illustrator(s)
Producer(s)
Contributor(s)
Contributor(s) (Other)
Editor(s)
Advisor(s)
Contact(s)
Data Collector(s)
Keywords
Collections
Files
Loading...
arbah_turim.pdf
Adobe PDF, 65.8 KB
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Online Access
Abstract
"Anyone who is unfamiliar with the practice of medicine should not engage in it. Similarly, if a greater physician is available, one should not engage in medical practice. This follows from the general principle that no one should deal with matters of life and death whenever a greater scholar is available. Nonetheless, failure to engage in healing [when no greater physician is available]5 is tantamount to killing and will be punished in hell. Whoever practices medicine without first obtaining a license from a rabbinical court is liable to pay for any injury he does, even if he is well versed in his field. But whoever injures a patient by mistake after having obtained such a license is exempt from liability in the eyes of the mundane judicial system while remaining liable in the eyes of heaven. If a licensed practitioner inadvertently kills a patient, he is bound to flee to a city of refuge.6 In any event, fear of error need not deter him, as I have explained.7 May a son bleed his father? Nachmanides (1194-1270), although himself permissive, noted that Rabbi Isaac Alfasi (1013-1103) favored the position of Rabbi Pappa, who did not even allow his son to remove a thorn from him."(pg 75)
Note(s)
Topic
Type
Article
Date
1998-05
Identifier
ISBN
DOI
Copyright/License
With permission of the license/copyright holder