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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" face=Arial color=#000000
size=2>From: "Chana Luntz" <A
href="mailto:Chana@kolsassoon.org.uk">Chana@kolsassoon.org.uk</A><BR><BR><BR><BR>[Quoting
RMF's teshuva:]<BR><BR>> because childbirth in its natural time in the
natural way is not <BR>> considered a danger at all. Since G-d created the
world to be fruitful <BR>> and multiply, there is no question that he created
it that it should <BR>> be for beracha and not for danger. Furthermore He
commanded the <BR>> obligation to have children. It is not logical that there
would be a <BR>> command to place one's self in danger in order to fulfil the
mitzva of <BR>> having children. .... We <BR>> must conclude that
there is absolutely no danger in childbirth at all. <BR>> That mean that G-d
promised that there would never be danger in <BR>>
childbirth.<BR><BR>>>That seems pretty clear cut and unequivocal.
The logic makes sense. The<BR>only problem is a) the statistics don't bear
him out, as RTK brings (as well<BR>as RET's anecdotal references to righteous
women); and b) the halacha states<BR>flatly that this is not the case, and that
a woman in childbirth is to be<BR>considered a chola sheyesh bo sakana and
shabbas must be violated. <<</FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>>>>><BR>I would like to suggest a possible [partial]
reconciliation of RMF's problematic teshuva with reality. And that is,
/normal/ childbirth is not dangerous in and of itself. If nothing goes
wrong -- and the vast majority of times, nothing does go wrong -- then
childbirth is not intrinsically dangerous. In the countries with the worst
statistics (mentioned in that Time article I referenced a few days ago),
transportation is so bad and the countries are so messed up that a third of all
women give birth with /no/ assistance, not even a midwife, and it is among those
women that you find the highest mortality rates. The Jewish women in Egypt
were /unusual/ in not requiring the assistance of midwives. (Some
meforshim explain "chayos heima" as meaning that they gave birth like animals,
quickly and easily.) But a normal birth /with/ the help of a midwife is
usually not dangerous. What you might compare it to is driving a car -- a
normal everyday activity that has a certain level of risk associated with it,
but a risk that we consider so "normal" that nobody would say, "Oy, are you
out of your mind, doing something so risky, driving a car?!" We would
still have to take RMF's words "no danger in childbirth at all" as guzma,
rhetorical, not exactly literal but still normative. By normative I mean,
a Jew is generally not allowed to put his life at risk, but getting
pregnant is a normal, healthy thing to do and not to be thought of as a
suicidal career choice. The failure to use contraceptives is not the
equivalent of flying on a trapeze without a net. <BR></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></DIV></FONT><BR><BR><BR><DIV CLASS="aol_ad_footer" ID="a53fec684981b0a0a44160a8cb48d4"><FONT style="color: black; font: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">AOL Search: Your one stop for directions, recipes and all other Holiday needs. <a href="http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1212792382x1200798498/aol?redir=http://searchblog.aol.com/2008/11/04/happy-holidays-from-aol-search/?ncid=emlcntussear00000001
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