It has been over 24 hours since 9-month-old Shimon Chaim z”l was rushed to Tel Hashomer Hospital in cardiac arrest, apparently caused by choking in Modi’in Illit while in the care of a woman. The woman caring for the toddler immediately noticed the child’s distress and summoned an ambulance. The child deteriorated rapidly, going into cardiac arrest and CPR and advanced life support measures were initiated. Despite all the efforts, the infant was eventually pronounced dead in the hospital.
Police were not quick to permit the issuance of a burial permit, but rather wanted to make sure the child choked and there was no foul play or negligence. It was agreed that a CT (Computed tomography) scan would be sufficient.
Despite the fact the CT scan did not reveal anything, the hours passed and the following day, Wednesday, January 2, 2019, police would not permit the issuance of the burial certificate because the district attorney was demanding yet another test to rule out foul place. In the interim, the caretaker was questioned and released by police, and may face charges of ‘death by negligence’ for reasons that remain unclear at certain.
[SHOCK FOOTAGE: Child Sits On Roof Ledge Of FIVE STORY BUILDING To Watch Yerushalayim Hafganah]
A second non-invasive exam was performed on Wednesday, at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute where the body is being held. This too did not provide the district attorney with the proof he is looking for to charge the daycare employee. Nonetheless, the burial certificate remained on hold.
On Wednesday afternoon, the delay of the levaya resulted in protests and the streets began filling in the Kikar Shabbos area with angry persons demanding police to permit the levaya of Shimon Chaim. At this point, Michael Gutwein, who heads ZAKA’s Legal Department began applying pressure and was working to bring the child to kever yisrael. In addition, Yahadut Hatorah MK Uri Maklev, who heads the Knesset Technological Committee spoke with Dr. Chen Kugel, head of the forensic institute, also trying to reach an understanding to permit the burial of the child.
Thankfully, at the last moment, Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court Justice Zimmerman rejected the request of police and the district attorney for an autopsy – ordering the issuance of a burial permit for the child.
Police have announced it will not appeal the court’s ruling. The streets were reopened, and the crowd dispersed.
A Levaya is scheduled for sometimes in the next few hours.
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16 Responses
Kudos to the protesters!
the audacity of people to even think that immediate burial takes precedence over discovering someone who may possibly or even remotely kill a child again is a type of frumkeit i detest and associate with worshippers of the molech.
Now you know why Hafganos are needed and are successful. The judge didn’t call it off over his good will.
joseph, when a close relative cannot make to the hospital in an ambulance, i am sure you will not change your well-reasoned opinion. our religion is moving in step with fundamentalist islam, hashem yerachem.
I think our view of autopsies should change. Science and technology changes, and so have some D’Rabbanan as a result.
Dr. Yidd your outrage is misplaced and naive. The police in Israel are so over the top and they get their kicks opposing traditional Jewish practice and just overpowering anyone they can. It’s a big macho game.
1; Thanks for your Reform opinion.
DrY; The audacity of people to think with a knee-jerk mentality that the secular authorities are always right is a type of Hellenism that Torah Jews detest and associate with worshippers of the Greek gods.
Virtual autopsies are available in other countries and there is no reason that they shouldn’t be standard in a “Jewish” country or at the very least for religious people when R”l warranted.
On very rare occasions Hafganot are necessary. The ANTI-Jewish State of Israel have ZERO respect for the dead; far less than in other countries.
Police and the attorney were fully aware from the outset there was no foul play – they were just looking to cause trouble and discredit the chareidim.
Uncle Ben,
What’s reform? Don’t you believe in justice? It might not be warranted on a 9 month old baby, but there are cases when it is necessary. Science and technology change and interpretation of halacha can also change.
DrYidd, yes it certainly would hurt if chas vshalom someone would pass away or loose a baby en route to hospital as a result of the hafganos. However same holds every time president Trump etc comes to Manhattan or to Israel and block off the FDR or Route One etc without any prior notice. (Sometimes they do give notice) mostly due to security details they don’t. And……how many people die or are prevented from getting Immediate medical care. Google it and you’ll see quite a few. Bottom line, everything in life has pros and cons. Trumps coming to NYC is necessary for the greater good and so are Hafganos.
If they have so much time to demonstrate they are obviously not killing themselves in the tent of Torah. I would immediately put uniforms on them and send them to combat training.
Avi K — again proposing to use army service as a form of punishment. Like the Czar’s army 150 years ago. And, of course, we all should be expressing our hakaras hatov and davening for the medina and its soldiers.
As if the army would even be interested in these guys.
yeshivah rabbi, please tell me where you teach. i want to warn people about a krume kop.
uncle ben, stick to rice. your analogies indicate limited ability to reason. btw, if the halakha does not adjust to changed circumstances, you get an outdated code. next time you see a goses in strict halakhic terms who can be saved easily by modern medicine, just let him die.
AY,
1. You are comparing the IDF to the Czar’s army?
2. The Cantonist program was not a punishment but a way to convert Jews (although non-Jews were also obligated albeit for different terms).
3. Enlisting them in the IDf is actually a chesed. Instead of wasting their time they will put their gevurah to good use.