by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for The Five Towns Jewish Times
The editors of the Five Towns Jewish Times have been inundated with letters of protest against articles that have appeared the past two weeks in regard to alternative medicine being a violation of Lifnei Iver, and medically, scientifically and statistically unsound.
Many of them have come in within a few minutes of each other under different names.
This author just got of the phone with Rav Dovid Morgenstern Shlita. Rav Elyashiv zatzal trusted Rav Morgenstern completely and stated several times that he knew Kol HaTorah kulah and is completely trustworthy in relating what Rav Elyashiv held. This can be verified with anyone who knows the family members or any other one who was meshamesh Rav Elyashiv zatzal.
Rav Morgenstern said:
“Rav Elyashiv’s position was that alternative medicine ranges from being “assur gamur” to being not a “good idea at all” depending upon which type of alternative medicine it is.
Rav Morgenstern further related an incident of a family whose child was diagnosed with a treatable but very serious disease. The treatment was to be performed at a top university hospital. The parents chose to pursue Alternative Medicine instead and did not return to the hospital. The child subsequently died.
In addition, both of the Five Towns Jewish Times were read by Rav Morgenstern who agreed with the them completely.
The author can be reached at [email protected]
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11 Responses
This is alternative medicine as well
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/527711/hagaon-harav-mazuz-the-cure-that-doctors-are-hiding-from-us.html
What about when regular medicine has been tried and did not produce any results and was of no help. Alternative medicine has helped in these cases.
Go ask R Shmuel Kamenetsky (the gadol hador of America) .. let me know what the rosh yeshiva says..
We are all endowed with bechira chofshit. That choice must be exercised within the bounds of halocha but the outcome of any individual’s choice is ordained b’shomayim, not by chance or because he or she makes stupid choices.
Rabbi Hofman
its obvious that even the biggest gadol, if it is a דבר התלוי במציאות, he could be told the wrong מציאות, and pasken correct (acording to what he was told) but still be wrong. So here in this case; the side that is pro is arguing במציאות הדבר, so its not a answer to bring a psak from a gadol who is told the מציאות from the anti side. [disclaimer: i dont belive in alternative medicine]
avreimi , god judges the world sometimes at a moment of an everah, so if you decide to violate the halachos of ushmarten es nafshoseichem or vichai behem, then you can get an immediate judgment that sentences you to death.
@thinker123
Ridiculous,
So the practitioners who are nogea n’dover are to be beleived?
Rav Elyashev appointed Rav Morgenstern to be Mvarer the Metzius, due to the conflicting arguments that he was told.
Rav Elyashevs Psak was nogea l’Halacha l’meisa.
Although I already posted this comment on an earlier post by Rabbi Hoffman on this subject, I would like to repost it here. Reason being by the time I posted it on the previous article it was already off the front page and nobody noticed it. Here it goes:
Comment awaiting moderator:
I believe that the root of the problem is that we in the Charedi community have declared war against the scientific establishment. Many feel that our beliefs are challenged by scientific consensus (evolution, zoological facts that are inconsistent with the Talmud) and they feel that our only recourse is to denounce the scientists as charlatans. Although throughout the generation Torah Jewry deferred to medical establishment in all areas regarding health (even when it was contradicted by the Talmud), people who are inculcated with doctrines that preach to them that the scientists are purposely misleading them regarding the origins of the universe don’t see why they should trust the medical establishment any more. If they need to belief in conspiracy theories regarding the above (“the scientist believe in evolution in order to excuse their aveiros…”) why shouldn’t they believe the kinesiologists who claim that the medical establishment is conspiring with the pharmaceutical companies.
The solution may be to stop demonizing the scientific community with silly conspiracy theories. If someone feels that his belief is challenged by the theory of evolution, he has among others the following two choices:
1. Apparently nature seems to give the impression to scientists that it evolved over time, but perhaps this is part of God’s plan. In other words the science of evolution (or any other scientific theory or fact which runs contrary to our beliefs) is built on solid ground, but perhaps Hashem made it that way. He who created the world created carbon dating.
2. Just admit that we don’t know the answer. No answer is better than a stupid answer. If I believe Hashem created the world but don’t know why carbon dating makes it appear otherwise, my belief is still on solid ground. Its ok to have an unanswered question. But if my belief in Hashem hinges on a conspiracy theory which dictates that all scientists around the world have come together and conspired to develop the theory of evolution in order to allow themselves to sin, then my belief is only as strong (=weak) as a stupid conspiracy theory.
we had a vaad at our kollel years back and the RY spoke about alternative medicines and basically he said that before the American Medical Association etc allows a medicine, there are millions of dollars spent in tests and people are tested using the medicine vrs placebos, and thousands of hours go into these tests.
However alt medicine is based on heresay and is NOT backed by independent testing labratories, rather by the manufacturers. We should be careful when using alt med…..
The RY spoke over 25 years ago and I have seen the truth and merit in his words still today.
Torontonian-
It seems that you missed my point. What im saying that if the side that is pro would’ve gone to R` Eliyasiv he might have agreed to them. And paskend so lemasa, the fact is that alot of the arguments are in מציאות.
The “Pro” did go to Reb elyashiv immediately after the psak against Energy healing.
The Practitioners shlept Rabbonim to Rav Elyashiv to try to to convince Rav Elyashiv to overturn his ruling. Rav Elyashiv refused..