Rules of the Road General Ethical Principles

KEY JEWISH ISSUES

Rapo yerape (Mentioned twice – only Hashem heals with one “rapo”)

Rodef

Restore property (and health)

You shall not idly stand by the blood of your neighbour

Remove stumbling block from the blind

Put up a parapet around your roof

You shall not murder

Love your neighbour as yourself

1) Supreme Value of Human Life:

2) Man has a part in shaping his future

Is it his body to dispose of as he thinks fit?
I will put none of these diseases on you, for I am Hashem thy physician (Bamidbar)
Shabbat: Man must always pray not to fall ill, for if he does will then have to show merit in order to be healed.
Rashi: Hashem teaches the Torah in order that man shall be healed – obedience will result in health – the Hashem-Israel relationship = doctor-patient
If a man smite…he must pay…And heal he shall heal / the doctor must heal / he will surely heal him (Bamidbar)
BK85a: From here derived that the doctor is granted permission to cure. Why else rapo yerape?
Rashi: Therefore we must not say “Why does God smite and man heal? Rather God smites and God heals through physicians

3) Healing has Hashem’s permission

4)The Halachic Imperative:

And you shall restore it to him (Devarim) viz. his property (ass in ditch)
Maimonides makes no reference to “Rapo yerapeh” – since without permission there could be no medicine – this verse not only says it’s all right, but says you must do everything to restore life and health.
Neither shall you stand idly by the blood of your neighbour (Vayikra) = spending money to achieve health.
And you shall love your neighbour as yourself (Vayikra) – covers lesser illness
Ibn Ezra disagrees – Asa story “He sought not to Hashem, but to the physicians” Says that this refers to physiological illness whereas Rapo refers to assault – you should only seek medical help for injury and not for disease – since this should be cured by Hashem.
Nachmanides says that the patient can reject cure and expect it from Hashem alone.
Maimonides says that you should be healthy to serve Hashem
Sanhedrin – No scholar should live in a city which lacks a doctor.
Afflictions which befall a patient will only depart through the application of a particular treatment given by a specific doctor at a specific time.
BM85b: the eye doctor of R.Judah Hanasi
All this means that the doctor is bound to heal, and the patient bound to seek help. In Yoma: one who has been bitten by a snake must desecrate Shabbat
BK85a: injury needing a doctor
The conclusion is that Nachmanides view refers to the perfect world only. Degrees of perfection affecting need for healing.

PATIENT ISSUES

Who is your patient?

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