[UPDATE IN EXTENDED STORY] 8:00AM EST: Police on Friday, shortly after 38-year-old Shai Shema z”l was pronounced dead, requested to perform and autopsy, explaining they were uncertain that his death was a natural occurrence.
As was reported on Friday by YWN [HERE], the Betar Illit resident was returning home from Lag B’Omer festivities in Meron when he felt chest pain, prompting him to pull to the side of the road. He then slumped over and his friends called an ambulance. MDA and Hatzolah personnel performed CPR along with paramedics and the emergency physician implementing advanced life support protocol but unfortunately, the physician on the ambulance pronounced Shai dead en route to the hospital.
Following the intervention of a number of chareidi askanim, an autopsy was prevented before Shabbos. The niftar remained in Ziff Hospital in Tiveria over Shabbos, with friends remaining to recite tehillim. On motzei Shabbos, police once again pushed for the autopsy, refusing to accept the facts on the ground, all pointing to death from natural cause, demanding an autopsy.
UPDATE 1:30PM EST: Baruch Hashem due to the unyielding tenacious efforts of chareidi askanim, one in particular, an autopsy was averted on Betar Illit resident Shai Shema z”l, who was niftar on his way home from Meron on erev Shabbos. Police decided they wanted to have an autopsy done to rule out non-natural causes of death. As a result, the body remained in Tzfas’ Rebecca Ziff Hospital over Shabbos as the battle was waged against an autopsy.
During a 10-minute court proceeding on Saturday night, the Nazareth District Court gave the order permitting the niftar’s burial. The court ruled the police request was not based in reality and there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to perform an autopsy or suspect foul play.
Rav Eliezer Koenig, who is affiliated with the Tzfas’ Breslov community, interceded on erev Shabbos, preventing police from moving ahead with an autopsy at that time.
The niftar was also a Breslov chossid, a known personality in his community, a bus driver for his own private firm. The levaya left on Sunday afternoon from his parent’s home in Hadera for kvura in the local cemetery.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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11 Responses
Nazis
If this yid did indeed die from non-natural causes then doesn’t halachah (most notably the Noda BeYehudah) dictate that an autopsy is at least permitted if not obligated?
Saw a sign that the Levaya was called for 3:45. Hope that means the autopsy was called off. Boruch Dayan Emes.
A Yid without the Torah is worse than a non-jew as he has the “Kshei Oref” without the Adinut-softness of character that the Torah observance puts into us!
It’s no wonder that such stubbornness from Abu Kabir is so strong in Eretz Hakodesh!!
May Hashem make all his children see the Ohr Hatorah and come back home soon- Amen
And of course this Yid should be zoche to Kevuras Yisroel today!
In most of England we have arrainged that all officials (called coroners here) accept a MRI scan when cause of death is in doubt…this allows the majority of questionable cases to be resolved without need of an autopsy….the askonim who have brought this to fruition worked over many years, especially Reb Shloma Adler….it may be something to put on the agenda in Eretz HaKodesh
#7 It is indeed being worked on
To #7 –
Firstly by most of England you mean London, Manchester and Gateshead probably – outside of these communities it is very difficult re autopsies. With respect to those who have worked hard for MRI, a frum pathologist recently explained to me that a lot of coroners will not accept it as in scientific testing it has proven less accurate for determining cause of death.
In more and more cases a coroner requires and autopsy where there is even a sliver of doubt, often so the hospitals canc over themselves. Whereas amol probably an autopsy was only done in extreme circumstances which were probably even permitted by halocho (e.g. to solve a murder and protect ohters) now it is too commonplace. Because they say ‘if we make an exception for you we have to make an exception for everyone’ e.g. msulims etc. it is very difficult now.
Derech agav there must be situations where even al pi halocho Israel should allow autopsy?
to #1 – that type of rhetoric goes against ahavas yisroel and the fundamentals of our faith. You may not agree but people do not simply advocate autopsy jjust to ‘shtech’ the chareidim
wollenberg – You are sadly mistaken. You give too much credit to the zionists, who’s greatest enjoyment in life is to shtuch the Torah and chareidim.
#4. How can you say that the secular Israeli Police know more than daas Torah/rabbanim? Moshe emes v’Toraso emes. The Torah says “NO”, therefore, IT’S NO!
Why must every hafgono be a social event for the hooligans of mea sheorim?