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RABBI LEVY’S PRE-PESACH SHIUR 2011
On Monday 4th April at 8:15pm join us in the Beis Hamedrash for Rabbi Levy’s SPECIAL PESACH EVENING, a unique opportunity to learn how to run a Seder in an interactive manner.
Rabbi Levy will also answer any questions you may have on Pesach.
Ask the Rabbi:Rabbi Levy please tell me, can a live donor submit himself to an operation to remove his kidney to save the life of another person?
Answer: The Torah tells us: ‘Take heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently’ (Devarim 4:9). Both the Talmud and Rambam take this to mean that one may not subject himself to any physical danger which could result in the loss of life. Furthermore, one may not forfeit one’s life to save another (Oholot 7:6).
However, in this particular case, there is a fair degree of unanimity amongst the halachic authorities that such an operation would be permissible. The reason is that without the operation, the recipient suffer certain death, whereas the donor’s death is only a small possibility. In other words, the possibility of saving the recipient’s life is far greater than the risk of losing the life of the donor. The Radvaz regarded such an operation as ‘an act of piety’ and even the Minchat Yitzchak who normally adopts a stringent line allows the small risk to life in this case.
Ask the Rabbi: Can the husband or mother of a woman in labour accompany her on Shabbat in a taxi or ambulance to hospital if she is afraid to go alone?
The late Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ruled that a woman in labour is regarded as being dangerously ill for whom Shabbat may be desecrated in certain circumstances. Recent studies have shown that the presence of the husband/mother at the hospital during labour and delivery has led to a decrease of complications during the birth. Therefore if the childbearing mother requests their presence her mind will be set at ease and the possible danger to her life will be lessened. The added weight to the vehicle because of the extra occupant requires more petrol and would normally be prohibited, but because of the potential danger to life, this is allowed.