[Avodah] Tzom Kal

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Thu, Sep 29, 2016 at 09:30:56AM -0400, Cantor Wolberg via Avodah wrote:
: An elderly Jewish man, Sam Cohen, 87 years of age...
: ... [The Rabbi] said, "Sam, you're an idolater," to which Sam angrily
: replied,"What do you mean, rabbi?! I'm willing to sacrifice my life for
: Yom Kippur!" "Exactly," said the rabbi. You're worshipping Yom Kippur,
: not the Almighty, Who has commanded you not fast if there is a danger
: to your health."

Generally I tell people to post their jokes to Areivim. However, I held
on to this post because it gave me an excuse to share thoughts from R'
Hirsch Meisels of Friends with Diabetes, who spent much of the Fall '03
newsletter trying to convince diabetics who were told by their doctors
to eat on Yom Kippur that eating is indeed the holier choice.

See http://www.friendswithdiabetes.org/files/pdf/tishrei57641.pdf

As he writes in the opening letter from the editor:

    At R Chaim Brisker ones expressed himself, "A mohel never felt
    annoyance at having to perform a circumcision on Shabbos. He is
    happy to do what the Torah demands, and those who are required
    to eat on Yom Kippur must have the same perspective.

Among many other citations and arguments, R' Mesels also tells a
non-humorous version of this story:
    An ill person was advised not to fact on Yom Kippur, both by his
    doctor and by the venerable R Yaakov Kamenecki. He chose to fast
    anyway, thereby causing his condition to deteriorate until it
    led to his death. Rav Yaakov then refused to eulogize the
    deceased, stating that he had committed suicide.

GCT!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Man is a drop of intellect drowning in a sea
micha at aishdas.org        of instincts.
http://www.aishdas.org                         - Rav Yisrael Salanter
Fax: (270) 514-1507