Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
A Halachic View
Daniel Eisenberg, MD
Department of Radiology
Albert Einstein Medical Center
Assistant Professor of Radiology
Jefferson Medical College
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Exodus 32:32
1
1
Numbers 11:14-15
1
1
Kings I 19:4
1
1
1
1
Rashi Yonah 4
Ibn Ezra Yonah 4
Radak Yonah 4
Metzuda David Yonah 4
Mishna Smachos Chapter 1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
9
10
10
10
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Numbers 11:14-15
14. Alone I cannot carry this entire nation for it is too heavy for me. 15. And if
this is how You treat me, please kill me if I have found favor in Your eyes, so
that I not see my evil."
Rashi Numbers 11:15
And if this is how You treat me- Moshes strength was weakened like a woman,
when Hashem showed him the punishments that would bring upon them in the
future over this (the peoples complaining). Moshe said before Him, if so [that you
will punishment in such a way], then kill me first.
Ramban Numbers 11:15
Please kill me- the meaning is that You should send against me those who kill
with the sword for for my death is better(Yona 4:3) even by the sword of man
than to live (Yona 4:3) with this grief. [Or] perhaps the word horgeini (kill
me)means take my life (and not death by the hand of man). . .
Kings I 19:3-4
When he saw the danger, arose and fled for his life and he came to Beer
Sheva that is in Judah and he left the youth (his attendant) there. He then went
into the wilderness, a days journey; and he came and sat under a solitary
juniper tree, and requested for his soul to die. He said, It is enough! Now,
Hashem, take my soul, for I am not better than my forefathers.
Rashi Kings I 19:4
He said, It is enough!- My long life is enough. For how long will I be harried
like this.
Radak Kings I 19:4
He then went into the wilderness- Even in the kingdom of Judah he did not feel
safe for he was afraid that Jezebel would send [messengers] to kill him there. So he
went out from the city and went to the wilderness to a place where he would not
find food and [might] die. He would either die [of starvation] rather than live [as a
fugitive] or Hashem would instruct him what to do. He said, It is enough!-It is
too much for me to have more [life] in this world for I am in danger each and
every day. As Yonason the targum states: He said, My long life is enough. For
how long will I be harried like this.
Ralbag Kings I 19:4
And requested for his soul to die- Behold, [because] the hunger was great, he
chose to die. And because of this he said that the span of his life had been enough
and requested from Hashem that He take his soul and that he die for he [felt that
he] was not greater than his fathers that he should deserve to live such an
amazingly long life.
Metzudas David I Kings 19:4
Under a juniper tree- to seek protection in its shadow. And requested- he
requested from Hashem to take his soul and to die by the hands of Heaven. It is
enough! Now- that is to say: since I am now in pain, I consider my days too
many and I do not want them. So take my life, for I will not live forever, for I am
not better than my fathers that I will be saved from [eventual] death. And if so,
what difference if I die now or die later?
`i wxt xacna
mrd lM z` z`U
l iC a
l ik
p` lkE`
`l (ci)
iN dU
r Y ` dkM m` e (eh) :iPO n cak iM dGd
d` x` l` e LipirA og iz`
vn m` bxd `p ipbxd
:iz
rxA
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Yonah 4
1. And it displeased Yonah exceedingly, and it angered him. 2. And he
prayed to Hashem and said, "Please, Hashem, was this not my contention
while I was still on my land? For this reason I had hastened to flee to
Tarshish, for I knew that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to
anger, with much kindness, and relenting of evil. 3. And now, Hashem,
take now my soul from me, for my death is better than my life." . . .
8. And it was when the sun shone, that G-d appointed a stifling east wind,
and the sun beat on Yonah's head, and he fainted, and he begged for his
soul to die, and he said, "My death is better than my life." 9. And G-d
said to Yonah; Are you so very grieved about the kikayon? And he
said, "I am very grieved to death."
c wxt dpei
(a) :Fl xg
Ie dlFcb drx dpFi l` rx
Ie (`)
df `Fld ceci dP` xn`
Ie ceci l` lNR z
Ie
iY n Cw oM lr iz n c ` lr izFi
d cr ix
ac
oEPg l` dY ` iM iY r c
i iM dWi
W xY g
xa l
:drxd lr mg
pe cq g axe miR ` Kx` mEgxe
aFh iM iPO n iW t
p z` `p gw ceci dY
re (b)
. . . :iIg n izFn
mic w gEx
mid
l` on
ie Wn X d g
xf M id
ie (g)
sNr z
Ie dpFi W`x lr Wn X d KY
e ziWi
x
g
izFn
aFh xn`
Ie zEnl FWt
p z` l` W
Ie
ahi
d d dpFi l` mid
l` xn`
Ie (h) :iIg n
cr il dxg ahi
d xn`
Ie oFiwi
T d lr Ll dxg
:zen
Rashi Yonah 4
1. And it displeased Yonah- He said, now the non-Jewish nations will say
that I am a false prophet. 2. Was this not my contentionI- know that if
they repent, You will not destroy them I will appear a liar in their eyes.
Radak Yonah 4
2. And he prayed- Yonah prayed: Take now my soul and he preceded
his prayer with please Hashem. . .Was this not my contention- It is
what I thought and I said in my heart, for I was afraid that they would
repent and You would withhold the evil, and their repentance would cause
evil for Israel. 3. And now, Hashem, take now my soul- that I should not
see the evil [that will befall] Israel, similar to what Moshe, our teacher,
said (Exodus 32:32): erase me now from Your book, and similarly he
said (Numbers 11:15): please kill me.
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ANYONE WHO DOES NOT VISIT THE SICK DOES NOT PRAY FOR HIM
TO LIVE AND NOT FOR HIM TO DIE: It appears to me that the Talmud is
saying that sometimes it is necessary to pray for mercy that a sick person
should die. For example, when a sick person is greatly pained and it is
impossible for him to recover as we see in the 12th chapter of the tractate
Kesubos (104A). Since Rebbes maidservant saw how many times he
needed to go the bathroom and remove his tefillin, and how pained he
was, she said: May it be the will [of the Almighty] that the heavenly
ones may overpower the mortals,that is, [she prayed] that Rebbe should
die. And for this reason we say that one who [actually] visits a sick
person helps him with his prayers even [to the point of] saving his life;
and one who does not visit a sick person, it is not even necessary to say
that he does not help him him to live, but rather even where there would
be benefit [to the patient] in dying, even with that small favor he does not
help him [by visiting so that he can pray for his relief from pain through
death].
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go! I have received this teaching from the house of my father (King David):
Even if a sharp sword rests upon ones neck, he should not refrain from
praying for mercy.
garments and would cry and say: Where are you, son of Lakisha! Where
are you, son of Lakisha!and he would scream until he lost his sanity. The
Rabbis prayed for mercy on him, and he died.
of Rabbi Akiva was ill, but none of the Rabbis visited him. Rabbi Akiva entered [the
students room] to visit, and because he cleaned and swept, the student lived. [The
student] said: Rebbe, you have caused me to live. Rabbi Akiva went out [to the study
hall] and announced: Anyone who does not visit the sick- it is as if he spills blood.
And how bea utifu l it is that in ma ny cities , gr ou ps of peop le called
chevros linah stay with the sick all night land attend to their needs. Because
during the day, in most situations, most of the sick persons needs are met by
their relatives, but at night, due to exhaustion from working all day, they cannot
help but fall asleep. Therefore, very, very great is the reward for these chevros linah.
And the Sages said, "Whomever visits the sick will be saved from Gehinom. And what
is his reward in this world? Hashem will protect him from his yetzer hara (evil
inclination) and mitigate his suffering, and he will be happy in the land because
everyone will honor him. . ." (see there). And anyone who visits the sick enables him
to live because he prays for him to live. And anyone who does not visit a sick
person does not ask for mercy for him, neither that he should live nor that he
should die - because sometimes one should ask for mercy for that he should die, for
example, if he suffers greatly from his illness and it is impossible, for him to
recover, as was the case of Rebbi in Perek Hanosei (see the Ran, Kesubos 104A).
*taken from: Responsa of Rav Moshe Feinstein: Care of the Critically Ill, Vol. 1
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dzyry dn `inec ,zeniy dfk ihixw avna lltzdl mdl xzen dlegd icinlz mpi`y mixg`c epiide ,miig miwl` ixac dl`e
eyry dn `inec mingx zywaa jiyndl mdilr ,eceaika mievnd dlegd ipa dfl dneca d"de ,dlegd icinlze ,iaxc dizn`
.ingx irainln iwzy eed `lc opax
edeciqtd `le owzl xak jixv didy dn lk enlera owize xnbene mlyen did ezyecw aexny ip`y yecwd epiaxc xnele oerhl yi z`f cere
zxew ly zg` dry xak el aeh f`e zenc` ilr mc`d zilkz edfy eytp xak milydy geha didy oeikn ezzinl mingxd zywaa llk xak
.eytp xak milydy llk oegha mey oi`y mc` lk x`ya k"`yne ,epal ez`eva m"anxd ixac jk lr mqxetnk ,f"der iig lkn a"dera gex
e` `xaq i"tr mipey`x ixac xezql llka oi` recikc o"xd epiax ixac xezql e"g `eal edyna 'it` dcnd on mda oi` l"pd ixaca ik oaen
wefiga `eal mewn xak yi if`c miwqetd ilecbe mipey`xd xzi zrc ok oi`y dxe`kl d`xpy dn lr `ae xirnk wx e`a mixacde ,`iyew
. . .miwqetd xzi zrc xaqde
mixengk epgp` exn` m`y iaxc dizn` ip`yc jd gkn iaxc dizn`c `iddn miaexwl xizd `ly epecip z` wlgl jxvedy dnl oecl yi ok (f)
lra lr xaecndy epecipa k"`yne ,iaxl daxew dl did `l myc iptn d"`la dil wetiz ,iaxc dizn`k epgp` oi`c l"i `ln dta i`cea 'eke
mbc iptn df weligl jxved al iwwg lrady xnele uxzl yi dfly `l` .l"pd eiwenipe einrhn zenzy lltzdl mdl xizdl oi` okle mipae
mb `edy feg` dfi`a dzltz d`a ile`y dyygd dlv` mb k"` epyie eze` dyny ixdy df llba xaca zrbep ly xcba dzid diaxc dizn`
epzlkia oi`e ,iaxc dizn` ip`yc l"pd eweligl al iwwg lrad jxved jk meyne ,oir zi`xn meyn t"kre ,dzetiire dzgxihn lvpzy icka
.l"pd zeyygd gkn zeniy dlegd lr lltzdl `edy ote` lka mdl xeq` dlegd iynyn mby dkldl cnlp jk jezne .dil` zencdl
z`f lka xizd `l ,o"xd c"r xizdl jxcy icigid `edy dncpy al iwwg lrad mby epi`x ep`vn ,y"dexra xen`d c"r eppiprl rbepa m"kr (ai)
,lirl ehxety mi`pzd lk ielin ixg`e ,dlegl aiaqn `gxihe `cxih meye daxew mey mdl oi`y mixg`l m` ik zeniy lltzdl
yi dl` lkle ,dlegd ly ezlgnl aiaqn dcxhd dfi` mdl yiy dl` lkl `le miaexwl `le mipal `le lral `l xizd `l la`
mewn c"prtl yi df lr sqene ,dyri eipira aehd 'ce df cvl `le df cvl `l lltzdl `l ,dyrz l`e aya zeidl xzeid lkl mdl
`le xeha `l df ceqin dkldl xkfeny epivn `l xen`k xy` ,mixg`l mb dfk xzid ceqi mvra mb lirl epxrd xy` lkk oeir
.mdilk i`yepe r"eya
xak dpd .eixeqia lztzne `ixaiy miiekiq oi`e `aeh `nlr dil siwzc dleg zzin aexiwl lltzdl xzen m` zece` lr (`)
miaexwd mipad lrad jka mixeq`y cgeinae ,z`f zeyrn repnl yiy izlrde 'd 'iq lgx znx ixtqa dagxda jk lr izx`ia
.y"erik dlegd ly ezlgnl aiaqn dcxhd mdl yiy dl` lke
daxd xrhvny dleg :l"fe azeke ,`xeqi`l k"b dfa dlrdy f"wq 'g ze` c"eiga (al aicp lradn) al ixyi xtqa mb iz`vny dnl siqe` dfae
dxe`kl ,zeniy eilr lltzdl xzen i` ,xrv iig eiign ezen aehe a`ki eilr exya j` zeaicne mipir zelkn zeaxe zerx zexv edetiwd xy`
edenk xenb wicvc mbe ,ezzin miakrne iax z` miywan mipezgzc mzd ip`yc l"ie ,xzeny `"r c"w `yepd wxt iaxc `zn`c `iddn d`xp
ztqep `zriiq ixd ,y"iir l"kr `pngxc iyak icda zybl eal lr axri df in `nlrc yipi`a la` ,zeny` zxtkl k"k mixeqil jixv did `l
.my ixtqa ixacl
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eilr oilltzn cvike oixwan mileg dfi`e dlegd oixwan izn d:dly oniq ,mdxa` znyp
d`xp :l"fe ,zeniy `le digiy `l mingx eilr ywan oi` dleg xwan oi`y lk ,inic ax xn`y dn lr 96 o"xd azek .zeniy dleg lr dltz
`yepd wxta opixn`ck digiy el xyt` i`e daxd eilga dlegd xrhvny oebk zeniy dlegd lr mingx ywal jixvy minrt w"dc ipira
eliren dleg xwandc xn`w d"yne iax zenilc xnelk ,mipezgzd z` mipeilrd etekiy oevx idi dxn` ,'eke iaxc dizn` i`fgc oeikc 97
dil `ki`c `kid elit` `l` zeigl eliren epi`y xnel jixv oi` exwan epi`y ine zlren xzei dltz `idy iptn zeigl elit` ezltza
dad` xa `c` 'x :99 inlyexia oiire .98 dklda mipiievn mixrya eixac e`aede .l"kr ,edpdn epi` izxhef dze` elit` ,dzina d`pd
eilr `c` ax dprzpe my dcrd oaxwd azeke .zne eilr dprzpe `kc revt dyrp xn` oia` 'x .zin ,dia qinqnin ,ia xa cg dil cilizi`
xrhvnc `kid zeniy lltzdl xzenc dleg lka l"iiw ikde :eazeka o"xdk 100 i"`tzd wqet oke .ldwa `al leqty oeik zeniy ick
mb k"` ,dpeie edil` iab epivnck epnn eytp z` gwil lltzdl el xzen envra `edy myky :azeky awri zx`tza my oiire .l"kr ,`aeh
101
. lbrnd ipeg ly dyrna oiir oke .l"kr ,seqa `"r ct n"a oiire ,eilr ywal xzen exiagl
,digiy el xyt` i`e eilga daxd mixeqi el yiy oebk ,zeniy mingx ywal yi minrtlc :(b 'rqeq) ogleyd jexrd wqet oke
.l"kr ,my o"xe `yepd 't iaxc dyrnk
mc`d lr lltzdl jixvy minrtl `ki`y opireny`l 103 'nbd df hwpe :azeky 102 l"vf oiihypiit n"xbd ly exn`na izi`xe
'eke inic 'xca mb yxetne ,'eke zeniy eilr lltzdl jixvy ,elawzp `l `txziy zeltzde ,eze`txl ze`etx ipin oiliren oi`e xrhvnyk
.y"r
104
eed `l ,iax ly eavn z` erciy i"tr` opax `ld ik ,jtidl di`x zeaezka 'nbdn `axc`c ,xeq`l azek xfril` uivd j`
.mdilk i`yepe r"eya `le xeha `l df ceqin dkldl xkfeny epivn `ly ixg` xeq`l mkqne .ingx irainln iwzy
dzid iaxc 'izn`c ip`y mzd `pin` `pitzqnc e`l i` :azek ,iax ly dyrnd z` hhvny ixg` ,(bpx 'iq g"g) ield hay z"eyae
'iq g"qa 'k `dc miigd lk x`yn iax ip`y l"i mbe ,iaxl miywan mipeilr dxn`ck iaxl miywan minyay drcie ytpa c`n deab dy`
ynn miig miwicv ik zevnd on iytg dyrp zny oeik xn`p `l iaxk miwicvay `"r b"w zeaezk `"wrxbdl q"yd oeilba `aede f"kyzz
.mixg` mileg x`y lr iaxn gikedl oi` k"` ,dkldl ok 'ke ,zevna aiegnd z` xehtl elit`
xrhvny enk zeniy dlegd lr ywal jixv minrtlc dkldl ok raw (z"k mb `iady) `"r 'n mixcp o"xdy dyrp dn la`
h"nc d"lvf mixyin aaec lra l`xyi oe`bl dywd onfn xaky 'ak 'ke dkldl mipexg` zvwa `aede ,digiy el xyt` i`e daxd ilega
geev `w dede 'eke 'ip`n rxw dede `aeh 'ixza opgei 'x xrhvn dedc l"xc 'iytp gp ckc `"r c"t n"an di`x l"pd mixcp o"xd iziin `l
'lrn 'ak k"yne ,zeniy lltzdl xzenc opifg ixd 'iytp gpe mingx opax erae ezrc xwrpe dhzypy i"yx k"ynk 'ipin 'izrc syc cr
.ipira wgec evexiza
miwqeta x`eank millgn dhey lr mby i"tr`e ,zevnn xhtpc cere ,opgei 'xk lecb mc`a dhzyp ip`yc l"i c"prl la`
envra 'il `gip eci lr dyxtzp dxezd lkc opgei 'x mzdc c"p oia welig yi mpn` ,`l` d"c h"ky 'iq g"e` l"daa ahid x`ia xy`ke
e` mrhn zeniy envr lr mingx lbrnd ipeg lltzdc `"r b"k ziprz mxn`l ynn dnec df ixde ,f"dera e"g dheyk digi `le zenilc
.o"xd dfn `iad `lc xitye mixwn x`y lr dfn oecl oi` k"`e ,dhey zeyrl `ly e"we ,`zezin e` `zexag
,mixeqidn el lwdl mi`texd cia oi`e ,mixeqia laeqn `ede ,eze`txl llk `"`y ol xexac dlega recid oecpd z"k `iad aeye
`lc l"pdn cenll yi dxe`klc ,mikex` minei` mixeqi ini epiidc eiykr `edy enk avna eini jix`dl miwfg minq ozil el xyt` wx
l"pdn zei`xdy i"tr` dpd ,k"g`y mipniqae b"r 'iq a"g n"eg dyn zxb` z"eya 'k oke ,`edy zenk egipdl wx dl`d ze`etxd el ozil
.mixeqi jix`dl p"ewt aeig oi`y dfl dhep z"rc zegcl xyt`
dqiqbd ixeqi xvwl ick ytp z`ivi ly rpen xiqdl xiznc h"ly 'iq c"ei `"nxd ixac lr dpa my c"r 'iqa dyn zexb`de
ik mb mixeqi jix`dl ze`etxa weqrl aiig epi`c c"ddc dpa dfne [`"nxa x`ean epi` ok zeyrl aiig mbc 'k `"nxac n"b`d k"yne]
ig wtqy i"tr`c lbd eilr ltpa g"t `neic epizpynn l"pd zegcl dvxc h"g z"ey xfril` uiv 'qn `iad 'ake okeqnd dlegd ini ekx`i
df gkn dvxe ,c"q h"ky 'iq g"e` dyrnl wqtpe zayn g"id a"t m"anxd k"ynk `ixaiy xyt` i`e uvexzpy ede`vn mbe zn wtq
.ytp gewt ly `ln aeig yi ze`txl `"`e milecb mixeqi yiy i"tr` l"xe ,o"xd ixac zegcl
mipe`bd oiay c"eca dfa k"yn d"yri h"rw 'iq e"g ield hay z"eya dl` mixaca iipra k"yn oiir mbe ,dfa 'ak 'k xity dpd
.my dkld xe`ia oiire w"nqa k"ynk qqebk `edc uvexn oiprle qqeb oiprl my izpwqne ,b"i 'iq `"g awri zeaye h"p 'iq awri zia
xzid jxc `l` p"ewt wtq x`y enk aeig xcba epi` qqeba lethdc renyl aexwc h"ly 'iq c"eia l"pd `"nxd oica my izpwqne
mewna f"k aeig `l la` qqeba weqrl `ed xzid jxc wx m` `iran `lc `"nxd oic ceqie ,icia wteqn oicr xacde ,zay dgec k"itr`e
repnl devne ,mikex` dzin ixeqi eixeqi f"ir mixabzn `l m` f"k n"kn `ki` inp aeigc `nip m` mb `l` eixeqi miaxzne miwfgn `lc
.ield hayd ly l"kr,`kil `aeig t"kr qqebac `nlrc `ibeqc ipnecnkc my izazke ,ea rebpl ila epnn
`ed myd l` lltzdl .micia ebxedl xzen mb `linny xne` df oi` ,zeniy dleg lr lltzdl xzeny c"nl mby oiivl aeyge
.eizepeek lr zelz `ll dgivx lkk dxezd on xeq`e mc` dyrn `ed bexdl jci`n .dltzd z` lawl jxazi eznkqda ielze ipgex xac
eilr ywal devn dkldd cvny dfk ote`a daxd xrhvn dlegd m` elit`y c"prlp dfn xzei cere :105 l"vf j`axrie` f"yxbd azk xake
`ed aiig k"b zeni dlegdy 'cl lltzne ywany dry dze`a mb n"n ,miwqeta mb `aede `"r 'n sc mixcpa o"xd y"enke ,zeniy
.minrt dnk elit` zayd z` eilr llgle ezlvda wqrzdl
.(btz 'nr) 2c w"q hly 'iq oldl mb d`xe
.cw sc yix zeaezk (103
b"it hn 'iq f"g ,d 'iq lgx znx d"g (104
.fn 'iq h"ge
.ck ze` `v 'iq `"g dnly zgpn (105
10
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