Igros Moshe (Choshen Mishpat II #75.4) Question A very sick person whom the doctors think will live only at most another week has now developed a new illness such as pneumonia, is it permitted or even obligatory to treat the new illness? Answer It is certain and obvious that there is an obligation to try and cure him from the second condition even if the first condition is incurable. I have no understanding why this is even a question as long as it doesn’t worsen the original issue. If the doctors say they don’t know whether the treatment of the second problem will make the first worse it depends on the reason for their uncertainty. If they simply say they don’t know and this is not even discussed in the medical literature then it is not even considered a doubt against those who say it will help. Even if this is not the view of expert doctors but of ordinary people who say they know of cases that it has worked. Until you find a doctor to treat him he needs to be properly fed if he is hungry. The best should be done for the patient according to the view of the doctor and if there is no doctor one needs to follow the best advice of non doctors. This is why it is prohibited to live in a place without a doctor
"This is why it is prohibited to live in a place without a doctor"
ReplyDeleteThis is the old Judaism that I recognise. Until the ultra hareidim said university is treifa. But non Jewish doctors are also bad.
So in order to be hareidi, you need to tear up the shulchan aruch, and then write some replacement theology such as yated neeman.