[Avodah] Chazal accept medicinal treatments

[Zev Sero]

On 28/8/19 8:14 am, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote:
> 
> In other words, if our best medical minds believe that a specific 
> treatment DOES work, but they cannot explain HOW it works, then we can 
> (and MUST) ask: how do we know that this is a muttar medical treatment, 
> and not a form of assur magic?

Who says magic is assur?  AIUI the only difference between kishuf and 
sefer yetzira is which powers one uses for it.  Kishuf is doing things 
by the powers of tum'ah, the names of shedim, etc., while doing the 
exact same thing using shemos hakedoshim is 100% mutar.  IOW kishuf is 
*black* magic; white magic is mutar.

*Fake* magic is AIUI assur mid'rabanan because it *purports* to be the 
work of sheidim, which would imply that a fake magician who pretends to 
invoke kedusha would be fine, and certainly that one who (like almost 
all modern magicians) openly denies that he has any real power should be 
fine, even mid'rabanan.

-- 
Zev Sero            A prosperous and healthy 5780 to all
zev at sero.name       Seek Jerusalem's peace; may all who love you prosper