הערה על מאמר מציצה בהלכה וברפואה

HaRav Dr. Halperin Shlita,

1) – Is there a better email address you would like me to use when writing to you?

2) – I have finished going through the Refuah v”Halacha: Halacha l’Ma’aseh Sefer from the European conference as well as the recent JME. Yasher Koa’ch! All the articles were most important. Your exposition of the issues surrounding Metzitza, etc., in English and the more detailed essay in Lashon Kodesh are fantastic for several reasons most notably because we must do all we can to “defend” Chazal when we are able to do so, against the ignorance of today’s understanding. As I have often pointed out in my Shiurim, Chazal never made mistakes on anything which the eye could see without the need for instrumentation not yet invented. They saw and understand the benefits of metzitza and rechitza b’chamin.

3) – In the JME there is an article by Dr. Kunin. While I have much to comment on, time does not allow for a full writing. However I did want to note the following. It is crucial to make sure that articles submitted and been edited and checked to make certain tat they are as free from error as possible. Knowing that Dr. Kunin is a surgeon I would say that we must be very careful when quoting Torah sources to do so with surgical precision.

The Teshuva quoted from Avnei Nezer CM 193 is in fact not written by the Sochachover but his father. It should also be noted that with but one notable exception ALL the Poskim disagree with Rav Nachum of Biala’s conclusion.

On p. 63 he wrote, “As the Bet Yosef writes in Isur ve’heter..” Did he mean Issur V’Heter of Rav Yona of Regensburg? And where exactly is this exact quote?

On the same pages: “The Shulchan Aruch codifies this principle by writing, “It is a Mitzvah to protect one’s health…” and he cites Shulchan Orach OC 155. This statement, of course does not appear there!

With regards to the quote from the sefer Pikkuach Nefesh (I am not familiar with this sefer) the Shut. Radvaz 4; 1139 (67) makes this distinction between health and Kiddush Hashem.

4) – I have not forgotten about the issue of funding. I intend to follow up.

May Hashem Yisborach continue to bench you with “Rav Chiya”, “Rav Huna” and “Rav Chisda”.