Friday, April 25, 2025

Heart Transplants are Murder!

Igros Moshe (YD II #174) Question Heart transplant from another person – a new procedure that a number of Doctors are now starting to do. Answer I don’t want to show a lot of proofs and analysis because all those who add analysis and proofs are simply making the issue worse. That is because it seems to be saying that proofs are needed since it is a complicated matter. As a consequence it will lead to leniencies when some of the proofs are refuted even though the proofs were not genuine. Thus they serve to weaken the case against transplants because people will conclude it is simply a matter disputed by great authorities and it is legitimate to choose either side.  G-d forbid!. Therefore I will respond to this issue in this letter in a clear ruling clearly and absolutely and will avoid all dialectics and analysis  stating unambiguously that this procedure of heart transplants that doctors have recently started to do is simply the killing of two people. The doctors are killing with their own hands the one who is donating the heart since he is still alive not only according the Torah for which it is a capital crime , but also according to the doctors since there are some who are truthful and say the donor is alive when the heart is removed. However because of their wickedness they are not interested in preserving the donor’s life because he is not expected to live much longer anyway.  In addition they are killing with their own hands the recipient  who can live for many more years sometimes even for decades with his heart condition. It is well established that heart disease patients can live long lives. This that a heart transplant is done  results in the deaths of the donor and recipient in a short time sometimes even hours. Others linger for a few days.  While it is true there is a case in Africa that the recipient is still alive after 6 months, nevertheless the consensus is that it is impossible for him to continue living.  It is astounding that countries around the world permit the evil doctors to kill two people since it is known that  neither typically lives. Therefore the governments should punish these doctors who are literally murderers even though the patient consents. The agreement is a mistake because of the seduction of the evil doctors.  Beside that a person is not allowed t to kill himself. My response to this question  should be publicized without modifying my language

Igros Moshe (YD II #146) Question: Heart Transplant from a murdered person who was definitely dead before the heart is removed and obviously doesn’t mean killing the donor is it permitted? Answer It is prohibited because we don’t trust at all two claims of the doctors. 1) That the sick patent can’t live with his own heart 2) That he will live with the transplanted heart.  We have seen that they are not accurate in their claims in these areas as we see that all the transplant recioients have died in a short time and with his own heart it is clear that he can live for a much longer time than if he got a transplant. Therefore all doctors who do heart transplants are real  murderers. In most cases even if the patients heart is weak and sick he is not considered a treifa and therefore these doctors are also deserving the death penalty

Igros Moshe (Choshen Mishpat II #72) Question Are heart Transplants permitted?Answer They are considered that the doctor is killing them – the donor and the recipient as I have written a number of times. I have also said this is not a matter to continue to debate since there is no basis for leniency. I have discussed this with my son in law Rav Moshe Dovid Tendler and I looked at the Medical Journals  and it is clear that there have been no improvements in that a recipient has survived for a number of years and even the time he lives is very painful and he needs constant medical attention. This procedure is prohibited in America except in one place for one very expert doctor. This makes no sense. There are also many countries which have prohibited this as as unnecessary murder The doctors are lying when they claim that transplants are good for the patients.The opposite is true and the doctors that perform transplants should be punished as cold blooded killers because they know that there is no benefit. .

 Igros Moshe (YD II #174.1) Question : Can a transplant be done from a person who was decapitated but he is still moving? Answer A decapitated person even if still moving is halachicly dead. 

12 comments :

  1. https://traditiononline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Stadlan_0063-00911.pdf

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    1. The issue is still a matter of debate It largely depends on whether Rav Moshe accepted the views that his son in law claims

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    2. I'm reminded of the very interesting question you raised about aluminium in 2 different contexts.
      A) tevilas keilim
      B) transmitting tumat meitim

      It seems to me there's not necessarily a contradiction
      .(Assuming I understand the problem)
      With keilim, Rav Moshe seems to be arguing that the metals mentioned in the Torah are the relevant species, (just like there are only 5 grains that we can make matzot from)

      For transmission of tumat meitim, is it possible that there is a different cheshbon, eg just like with electricity, there are conductors and insulators (copper, aluminium etc conduct electricity), rubber or plastics don't and are insulators...

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    3. When I was in school, I did a rotation in a Cardiac unit in Israel and there was a Chareidi guy there with end-stage heart failure. His family apparently was running around Europe looking for a heart donor for him. Funny thing. They will tell you it's murder but if someone else murders a Gentile, they'll take the heart.

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    4. That's actually what Rav Bleich says. It's murder, but.. once it's done, the organ is mutar.

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    5. Yes, but it's uncomfortable to imagine people walking around and saying "Yes, it's good that the goy surgeon murders the goy patient so we can benefit"

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    6. What is the life expectancy of a heart transplant patient?
      The average patient survival after a heart transplant in the UK is 14 years.
      https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/organ-transplantation/heart/is-a-heart-transplant-right-for-you/heart-transplant-faqs/

      Perhaps in halacha it is not about averages?
      The teshuva was written in the early days of heart transplants

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    7. When people are desperate to save someone's life they will use any shortcuts they can find

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    8. https://www.healthline.com/health/heart/how-long-do-heart-transplants-last

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    9. Still can't murder the donor

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    10. Well that's been the world's sore point with us and it's justified. According to us, we can murder the donor, as long as he's not Jewish.

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    11. either we can't murder him , or we can murder both Jewish and not jewish, depending on what you mean by murder. We can "accept" the organ from anyone, even if we consider them to be "murdered" to get it.

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