In a Zoom conversation with Rabbi YY Jacobson, United Hatzolah founder Eli Beer shared a fascinating conversation he had with Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l regarding his ethical obligation to treat or not to treat a terrorist.
Beer first stressed that during the current hostilities, his group has not provided medical treatment to a single terrorist, nor have they transported one to a hospital.
He then recalled a question he posed to Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l. The question was: in a hypothetical scenario where a terrorist stabbed a Jew and was then shot, and the terrorist is in a more serious condition than the Jew, who should he treat first? Emergency response ethics call for a more seriously injured individual to be treated ahead of a less seriously injured one, but what do you in a case where one of the injured is a terrorist?
Rav Chaim’s response was nothing short of incredible.
“You have a chiyuv to go first to the terrorist, shoot him in the head, and then treat the Jew,” Beer recalled Rav Chaim as saying.
“He has a din of a rodef,” he quoted Rav Chaim as saying – even if the terrorist is no longer able to hurt anyone.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
7 Responses
Limaan haemes:
This was recorded live yesterday (Sunday night) on a weekly Zoom meeting/broadcast called “Let’s get real” with coach Menachem Bernfeld and Ushi Parnes. Akiva Perlman LCSW was also a co-host on the show last night. It was watched live by over 1000 viewers. The show/Shiur is broadcast every Sunday night at 9:30. All their podcasts/shiurim, including this one can be viewed on YouTube.
If only the Israeli govt. would follow this psak as policy and blast away at the ACTIVE misile launching sites, this whole terrible situation would’ve been over long ago. Unfortunately,
hey lack the concept of Chayecha Kodem and now are gonna risk hudrends of thousands of more lives.
I can’t believe this was even a question.
@JPA
If the Israeli Govt (ie. eiruv rav) would listen to the tzaddikim, mashiach would have revealed himself. The government is reshaim and needs to be removed.
“Rav Chaim’s response was nothing short of incredible.”
Whats so incredible about common sense?
The terrorists should be made to be organ donors.
I agree with 50minusONE and Fanatic. You both put it so well!