prayer before dissections

Thank you for this important question that touches upon the delicate and precious relationship between medicine and Judaism.

Of course, conscientious and religiously attuned people should always have the attitude displayed by the students who asked the question.

Let us start by saying that the classic prayers for the doctor, the ancient Vocation of Assaf Harofe (Assaf the Healer – Hebrew version in Assia Book I pp. 257-258 ; 1979) and the later and deeply inspiring "Rambam's" (in fact Markus Herz) Prayer for the Doctor (Assia Book I, pp. 258-259; 1979) are, among many others (a collection by Prof, Abraham Steinberg ; Assia Book I pp.248-256; 1979) a powerful reminder of the deep historical connection between Rabbinic and Medical realms, and an important bedrock on which new and inspiring new vocations have been coined in resent years.

For example the Prayer for the Researching Doctor (By Dr Sudy Namir; Assia 75-76, pp. 5-6; 2005) where all aspects of a researcher's work are combined in the effort for truth and purity of intent and result. The Short Daily Prayer for a Doctor (in Hebrew, by Rabbi Prof Abraham Steinberg ; Assia 77-78, pp 5-6; 2006) impresses, among the other duties of a doctor, the supreme importance of the learning process and the relentless effort it involves.

It is appropriate to remembered here the prayer of Asher Yazar (by Abayei, Tractate Berachot 60b Soncino English trans.), one of the earliest a child encounters growing up. This invocation brings into focus the awesome detail and meticulous structure of the human body- with all that can go wrong in it, and all that seems to run smoothly (even in a completely mechanistic view of things) to the degree of the miraculous. A moving description of the humane as well as medical aspects of Asher Yazar is given in For Everything a Blessing (English; Kenneth M. Prager MD ; JME Book Vol. II, pp.116-118 ; 2006). This blessing comes to mind especially when dealing with the human body and its state of so easily corruptible perfection.

Let it be clear, that the spontaneous formulations of such prayers must not cloud the underlying razor-edge on which a medical professional must walk every day: the ability to heal is interconnected with the ability to do harm, not only by mistake, but at it's very core. The permission a Healer has to Heal, is not an a-priori concept. Since God's creation is owned by naught but him, actions in it, especially as complex (technically as well as spiritually) the Healing, must be in accord with his Devine Will.

This Serious (perhaps even pessimistic) view of the discipline is presented only to deepen the appreciation of the works of those who over the generation chose to combine their religious life with that of healing.

What was claimed about the complex nature of the medical art and science is ever more true when it comes to the study of medicine, which seems to involve treatment of the human body, sometimes almost unthinkable and certainly unbearable to Jewish tradition. Jewish doctors are of course still trained, and a medical professional must have such training in order to be one, and must do it whole-heartedly to be any good. It is not without equivocation, though, that a medical student can go through the motions of dissecting a man or woman.

There is a considerable distance between the possibility of dissecting a corpse, and the determination that no virtual substitutes can achieve at least the same goal. This distance leads naturally to a great discussion in the Halakhic world, whether dissections of human corpses are the optimal solution.

Hence it understandably follows that a categorical prayer for that section of the training was not formulated, and the choice is left up to the individual student concerning the way to relate to God and to preserve 'Kvod-Haadam'.

In that sense, the expressed desire to keep Kvod-Hamet is most admirable, and is supremely important even as a state of mind (let us note- working properly can achieve that goal on the technical level of Kavod/dignity as well).

In recent generations, it has come to appear as if some rift has broken between the Jewish and Medical worlds. A major role in that apparent distancing has been on the part of institutionalized dissensions, the mood of treating the human body solely as a machine with no regard to aspects that Judaism holds dear. It is therefore so encouraging to hear that medical students wish to treat this aspect of the medical training with the humane and spiritual significance it deserves.