[Avodah] Book review: Alternative Medicine in Halachah,

Micha Berger via Avodah avodah at lists.aishdas.org
Mon Jul 10 11:58:12 PDT 2017


On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 9:37am EDT, R Ben Rothke wrote to Areivim:
: In a new book, Alternative Medicine in Halachah, Rabbi Rephoel Szmerla
: attempts to make the halakhic case for alternative medical treatments.
: 
: My review and analysis of his failed approach to halacha is at
: http://www.thelehrhaus.com/culture/2017/7/7/the-not-so-orthodox-embrace-of-the-new-age-movement

Although RBR posted to Areivim, I have an Avodah question. To quote:
> To boot, Szmerlas proof for this criticism is rather simplistic. For
> example, he notes that in the eyes of the Torah, any phenomenon that has
> been validated three times is considered authentic. He is referring to
> the Talmud in Shabbat 61a that discusses when amulets are to be approved
> as medical devices. He takes a discussion limited to amulets and applies
> it to all medical therapies. In any system, be it legal, mathematical,
> or theological, one cant take a limited item; and pro forma apply it
> globally.

And the article discusses things like auras and other New Age ideas that
if traced back to their origins one will find AZ.

Is it all that different than the gemara's discussion or wearing a fox's
tooth, where even a Rationalist like the Rambam (Shabbos 19:13) permits?
Darkhei Emori are allowed for refu'ah (AZ 67a). Also Rashi (Chullin
77b "yeish") which according to the Panim Me'iros (1:36) includes any
act to the body to be healed, but not "spooky action at a distance"
(to quote Dr Einstein out of context). The Ran (Chullin ad loc) based on
this Rashi explicitly permits any act we know works to heal, even if the
workings are metaphysical.

So is the difference only in which metaphysics I personally believe is
real, and which is -- again, IMHO -- "woowoo"?



And yes, Chazal predate double blind experiments and rely on chazaqah.
Do we necessarily switch when we come up with better standards for testing
medicine?

Are the laws of tereifos, which say put despite later findings about what
an animal can live 12 months with, and what not, typical and precedent to
say we go with Chazal's science, law is law, ignore the science? Or is
it an exception because tereifos is halakhah leMoshe miSinai? I could see
the standard of medical testing being decided by that question...

Or... when it comes to which saqanos one is allowed to risk, the standard
is normal and accepted. If people tend to climb trees to pick dates, it is
mutar to get a job risking a fall from the top of a date-palm.

Perhaps medicine too is defined by societal standards.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             Man is capable of changing the world for the
micha at aishdas.org        better if possible, and of changing himself for
http://www.aishdas.org   the better if necessary.
Fax: (270) 514-1507            - Victor Frankl, Man's search for Meaning



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