Vaetchanan 5780 “But you shall greatly beware for your souls.” (Devarim 4:15) In our essay for Parshas Va’eschanan last year[1], we focused on the Mitzva found in the Posuk above – “v’Nishmartem M’od l’Nafshoseichem” –...
Yom Kippur 5780
Rabbi Yosef SprungFasting AMA (Against Medical Advice)
Devarim 5780 “You shall not tremble before any man, for judgment is God’s.” (Devarim 1:17) This Posuk obligates the Dayanim of Beis Din not to fear the litigants that stand before them, even if they are powerful or...
All in the Family
Matot-Masei 5780 The daughters of Tzelafchad, as described in the Posuk above, married their first cousins. Previously, Moshe Rabbenu had been told that they could “marry whomever was good in their eyes, but they should...
A Doctor’s Salary
Pinchas 5780 The Gemara (Bechoros 29a) famously rules that one may not take compensation for performing Mitzvos. This is derived from the Pasuk, “See, I have taught you statutes and laws just as Hashem...
Inserting Vascular Catheters on Shabbat
Shlach “The Children of Israel were in the wilderness and they found a man gathering wood on the Shabbos day. Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moshe and Aaron, and to the entire assembly. They placed...
Pikuach Nefesh After a Suicide Attempt
Kedoshim 5779 “You shall not stand over the blood of your friend.” (Vayikra 19:16) This Posuk serves as one of the sources for the Mitzva of saving human life (Sanhedrin 74a). Elsewhere, Chaza”l derive this Mitzva from...
Performing Medical Procedures on Parents
Mishpatim 5779 ‘And somebody who strikes his father or mother shall surely die’ (Shemos 21:12) Paragraph In this verse we learn of the grave sin of striking one’s father or mother. The Gemara in Sanhedrin (84b-85a)...
The Conduct of Medical Practitioners in Cases Where Halacha is at Odds with the Law of the Land
Shemot 5779 ‘And the midwives feared G-d and they did not do as the king of Egypt spoke to them, and they kept the boys alive’...
Should Midgestation Fetal Surgery be Considered Leidah (Halachic Birth)?
Tazria 5779 “Speak to the Children of Israel saying: When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be impure for a seven-day period…” (Vayikra 12:2) There are many laws of the Torah that...
Is All Uterine Bleeding Considered Dam Nidos?
Chukat 5780 The intrauterine device (IUD) is a common method of contraception that can be utilized for an extended period. Broadly speaking, IUDs may be divided into two groups; copper devices and hormone-releasing...
