[Avodah] Book review: Alternative Medicine in Halachah

[Micha Berger via Avodah]

On Mon, Jul 10, 2017 at 10:08:25PM -0400, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
: This question is ask by both the Mishna Berura and Aruch Hashulchan,
: who observe that there is nothing better for this purpose than a
: surveyor's chain made of barzel (whatever barzel is... ;-)  However,
: they answer, Chazal learned from Navi that *this* is proper way to do
: it.

Say I were to use a shorter rope. Well, then my measurments would include
more dips and bumps. Whereas the 50 ammah rope might cut a direct path,
a shorter rope would have two segments, in different angles. The measure
would be longer than if you just cut the tangent.

(And in fact, since most landscape is fractal, or nearly fractal until
you get cown to molecules, if your "ruler" were smaller than a grain
of sand, you could probably measure 50 amos along the wrinkles of the
surface within an arm's reach of where you started.)

So, the length of the rope will actually change the final measure.
The navi implies that a shorter rope would be /too/ accurate, forcing
a smaller measure than necessary.

The weight of the chain means that sagging is more common,
as lest if you aren't a surveyor. Or maybe the exact strechiness of
linen - less than wool but more than metal, is also part of the actual
measure.

...
: The relevance to this thread: My guess is that the MB and AhS might
: agree that current technology can/should be used when it offers better
: procedures for determination of objective facts (such as measuring
: distances), provided there are no Chazals that specify a particular
: procedure. But even though statistical analysis is an objective
: science, the question of "Is this medicine reliable?" is a subjective

And to reframe where I was going above in these terms: There are times
when Chazal are not trying to establish objective facts. (Or, to revive
another old thread and my hangup about how halakhah defines metzi'us:
... to establish as objectively as possible those facts that could
potentially enter our subjective experience.)

In nidon didan, the question would be: In order for a treatment not to
be derekh emori, and to be allowed on Shabbos where medicine for a
choleh sh'ein bo saqanah would be allows, does it

1- have to be established as potentially effect to the best we can
establish it?
or
2- have to be accepted as potentially effective by chazaqah, which is the
normal rule for justifying presumption in cases of doubt?

How objetive are we being asked to be?

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             "I think, therefore I am." - Renne Descartes
micha at aishdas.org        "I am thought about, therefore I am -
http://www.aishdas.org   my existence depends upon the thought of a
Fax: (270) 514-1507      Supreme Being Who thinks me." - R' SR Hirsch

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             If you won't be better tomorrow
micha at aishdas.org        than you were today,
http://www.aishdas.org   then what need do you have for tomorrow?
Fax: (270) 514-1507              - Rebbe Nachman of Breslov