{"id":55128,"date":"2020-05-15T05:15:03","date_gmt":"2020-05-15T11:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=55128"},"modified":"2020-05-15T05:15:55","modified_gmt":"2020-05-15T11:15:55","slug":"off-the-pulpit-jewish-doctors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/off-the-pulpit-jewish-doctors\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the Pulpit: Jewish doctors!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By RABBI DAVID WOLPE<\/p>\n

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This connection endured over time. In Vienna before the second World War, close to three quarters of the doctors were of Jewish origin.<\/p>\n

While some religious traditions forbade medical treatment (Saint Bernard famously declared that monks who took medicine violated the principles of the church), Judaism has long insisted on human healing in addition to Divine mercy.<\/p>\n

That danger to life justifies violating the Torah is a principle held by the greatest Jewish authorities (R. Yosef Karo Shulhan Aruch: Orah Hayyim 329:2; R. Meir Kagan, Mishna Berurah, ad. loc., s.v. kemehtza; R. Moshe Feinstein, Igros Moshe: Orah Hayyim I: 132).<\/p>\n

Those who have the knowledge and power to save the sick are called upon to do so whenever they can, and medical knowledge is a great blessing. As Maimonides wrote, \u201cOur love of God is commensurate with our knowledge of God\u2019s ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

(Rabbi David Wolpe is the senior rabbi of Sinai Temple in Los Angeles.)<\/em><\/p>\n

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