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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>> From: "Richard Wolpoe"
<rabbirichwolpoe@gmail.com><BR>>> >>In Holy Name Hospital in
Teaneck, the nuns often do things like shave the<BR>>> people in a coma.
Should we deny both the patient and the nuns this act of<BR>>> Hessed lest
someone construe them as "legitimate?" <<<BR>>
--<BR>><BR>><BR>> >>>><BR>> Neither I nor
any Orthodox<BR>> rabbi, not even Rabbiner Hirsch himself, would object to a
Reform rabbi<BR>> shaving a person in a coma. [--old
TK]<BR>><BR>><BR>><BR><BR><BR>>> 1. So if a Reform
Rabbi serves as chaplain in Hospital X you are saying<BR>
unequivocally that it is NOT a recognition of his
legitimacy?<<</FONT></DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent"
face=Arial color=#000000 size=2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>
<DIV><BR> <BR>>>>>></DIV>
<DIV>Do the nuns shave comatose patients in their role as nurses or in their
role as chaplains? </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If a Reform rabbi or a Reform Jew were a doctor or a nurse, I would not see
a problem with using their services. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If shaving a patient is part of some Catholic rite, like baptism, then I
certainly would /not/ want the nun to do that. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If a Reform rabbis serves as a chaplain in a hospital, that certainly DOES
confer legitimacy in a way that is completely different from a Reform Jew
serving as a doctor in the hospital.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As a patient I would not welcome a visit from a Reform chaplain.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>But I have no control over what a hospital does. But if it was an
Orthodox-run hospital, I would certainly object strenuously to their hiring R/C
chaplains. As to an Orthodox rabbi serving as a chaplain in a
non-Jewish hospital where the other chaplains are R and C rabbis -- or
serving as a chaplain in the American army, ditto -- that is a very gray
area. Many would not permit it, others would.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As for granting legitimacy to Catholic nuns, it is no concern of mine
whether Protestants or other Christian sects consider a Catholic nun or priest
"legitimate." To me anybody who claims to be a nun, monk, priest or
minister is "legitimate" -- as long as they don't claim to be a representative
or officer of JUDAISM.<BR></DIV></FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=0 face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
PTSIZE="10"><BR><B>--Toby
Katz<BR>=============<BR><BR></B><BR></FONT></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Get fantasy football with free live scoring. <A title="http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020" href="http://www.fanhouse.com/fantasyaffair?ncid=aolspr00050000000020" target="_blank">Sign up for FanHouse Fantasy Football today</A>.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>