Tel Aviv – A court ruled that a 13-year-old girl suffering from cancer must have her hand amputated – otherwise she will die. The ruling came after the girl’s mother refused to authorize the operation, claiming the only treatment her daughter requires is fasting and prayer.
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In the petition, Dr. Dror Levin, director of the pediatric hemato-oncology clinic at the Sourasky medical center in Tel Aviv, wrote: “The girl suffers from an aggressive malignant tumor. Without treatment, it will spread to the soft tissues; beyond doubt, the disease is fatal in 100% of the cases – if not treated.”
Dr. Levin recommended a full amputation of the hand, which will give the girl a 60%-65% chance of recovery, and determined that without the amputation, she will surely die.
Social services reported that the girl’s mother, described as “a stubborn pious woman,” refused consent and cooperation with the hospital staff, claiming that the cure for her daughter’s condition is not medical treatment, but rather fasting and prayer.
In a hearing at the Tel Aviv District Family Court, Judge Yehoram Shaked ruled that “no parent has the right to take action or withhold action that might lead to the death of his child.
Good for the Court. This is action necessary to save a life. The duty to do so trumps a parent’s right to deny medical treatment for her child.
May G-d perform a great miracle for this child that the amputation is not necessary….
May the Mother’s deep faith be an example for us all.
Ken Yehi Ratson Venomar Amen.
It’s certainly our prayers and t’shuva that make all of the difference. However, our hishtadlus is seek the advice of the best doctors. Our Posake Hador did just that. The best doctor was chosen for his open heart surgery. Together the goal was accomplished, a complete successful surgery.
Does a person have a right to refuse treatment of their own? If so, doesn’t a parent have the right to choose for a child?
In this case the answer is mute, because the child will die, but what if there were opposing medical opinions? This opens up a whole legal issue.
The mother must be going through something that none of us should ever face. Please daven for a refuah shleimah!
Why don’t they just get that silver ring which was advertised in a weekly a few weeks ago? Shouldn’t that solve the problem?
I think the court should have removed the child from the home. I don’t think this mother is capable of taking care of her daughter while the child needs medical treatment. She’s come kind of nut and might stand in the way of any necessary follow-up care, like chemo or experimental treatments. Any normal mother would be doing everything possible to save her child.
This is a case where it is imperative that the Rabbis intervene. They should impress upon her the Torah’s directive that one should seek out doctors ,and that one may not rely on miracles. Otherwise, she will be guilty of “shedding blood”.
this is totally ridiculous….. every great torah scholar says we must guard our body in which ever way possible and that includes using a g-d given doctor when we are sick!! anybody who goes against this very simple understanding is going against all great rabbanim and against the torah! lock em up in jail and then tell them to pray that they should be released by g-d without anyone giving them the key to open the doors and see how that works for them!
In my family we went through a difficult decision regarding amputation. If the woman was really as pious as she says she would know she needs to ask daas torah. People involved in our family’s case asked a few rabanim and all were consistent with the psak that if doing nothing (medically) will definitely cause death and by doing the surgery there is a chance of extending life, there is no choice in the matter. In my opinion – this woman is not as pious as she claims!!
What’s the name?
How many times have the tzaddikim healed people Baba sali ztzl the Steipler ztzl when all doctors have given up hope.They are gone but the one they prayed to is always here.Maybe if everyone on this site takes on something in her zechus Hashem will help.Something that improves bayn adam lichavayro (interpersonal relationships) bli neder
The RAMBAM writes
Hilchos Mamrim 2:4
ויש לבית דין לעקור אף דברים אלו לפי שעה אף על פי שהוא קטן מן הראשונים שלא יהו גזרות אלו חמורין מדברי תורה עצמה שאפילו דברי תורה יש לכל בית דין לעקרו הוראת שעה. כיצד בית דין שראו לחזק הדת ולעשות סייג כדי שלא יעברו העם על דברי תורה. מכין ועונשין שלא כדין אבל אין קובעין הדבר לדורות ואומרים שהלכה כך הוא. וכן אם ראו לפי שעה לבטל מצות עשה או לעבור על מצות לא תעשה כדי להחזיר רבים לדת או להציל רבים מישראל מלהכשל בדברים אחרים עושין לפי מה שצריכה השעה.” כשם שהרופא חותך ידו או רגלו של זה כדי שיחיה כולו כך בית דין מורים בזמן מן הזמנים לעבור על קצת מצות לפי שעה כדי שיתקיימו [כולם] כדרך שאמרו חכמים הראשונים חלל עליו שבת אחת כדי שישמור שבתות הרבה:”
read carefully.
Just on this article alone one does not know the full story. Certainly the mother is wrong if she has not consulted other doctors or rabbanim who have advised against the surgery. But it is possible that the mother has consulted other doctors and/or rabbanim who have said either that the amputation would not be helpful or necessary. It could be a case of one doctor thinking that he knows better than the other experts and convincing a court to go along with him. It could also be a timing issue. This doctor may feel the amputation is necessary immediately while others say that there is a window of time before the amputation is absolutely necessary. We don’t know all the details and shouldn’t rush to judge this mother without knowing more.
nebech any name to pray for ? so the arm stays and the machleh goes ?
1) Dropping words like emunah and bitachon are just smoke screens for people making the totally wrong comments on this issue. The Torah halachic derech is quite clear as stated by most people – the mother was putting her child in a life threatening situation for no reason.
2) Yes, there are many ArtScroll Gedolim Stories of miracles happening. But we never read the stories where the “rebbe” or “tzadik” made the WRONG decision.
Before anyone says anything, read the article. This is a sad case where the poor woman has already lost her husband LA and probably can’t cope with her daughter’s situation. The only rav she admits consulting, and the only one anyone in this situation should consult, namely Rav Firer who understands medicine very well, told her that the amputation is necessary.
If she does not believe that G-d sends doctors as messengers to heal, the why did she bring her daughter to a doctor in the first place? Also, if she is so pious, why hasn’t she gone to a Posek to get a Psak? It’s not her decision.
I hope and pray that they find this little boy missing since last night in Brooklyn. But can you imagine for one second the parents announcing that they don’t want the police or the volunteer groups looking for their child, and instead ask everyone to stay home say tehillim and daven at graves? As parents we are responsible to try everything humanly possible. The parents in the case in Tel-Aviv well short.
From the full artlcle:
“Even after receiving a second opinion from founder of “Ezra LeMarpeh” Association Rabbi Firer, who also determined the girl must undergo the surgery, the mother stood her grounds”.
Verapo yerapeh is a reshus, not a chiyuv.
Mikaan shenitain reshus lerofeh lerapos.
Because acc to the Gemara, I would think it’s forbidden to use doctors, so the Torah PERMITS it.
There may be a chiyuv of v’nishmartem, depends on machlokes rishonim.
But I’d love to see what all u ppl would do if u were expecting a baby who’d be born damaged. Would u allow an abortion? Or would u accept a life of hardship for yourself and the child?
(and by the way, abortion is an act of killing, unlike letting the child go untreated.)
or how about if ur parent needs difficult, life-altering surgery which would leave them incapacitated. Would u do the surgery, or let them live out their remaining time in dignity, and pray for hashems help?
One thing is certain: our kibitzing
and criticizing is helping no one.
Let the mother do hers, let the doctor and court do theirs, and we should all say some tehilim for the child AND the mother.
I think we all agree that’s the only help that WE can really offer.
Doctors do not know everything, nor are they always right. Case in point: There is trult disgusting audio lecture on yutorah.org (have barf bag ready) where RABBI Dr. Zalman Levine asks the question: “What do you do if a woman G-d forbid has a multiple pregnancy?” Being that in the modern orthodox doctrine G-d cannot handle multiple pregnancies by himself, he needs the help of modern orthodox doctors willing to perform “Pregnancy reductions” (a flowery title for selective abortion) in order to assist G-d and bring the number of Feti (plural for fetus) down to a managable level.
Your wife expexting multiples?
Daven? Don’t be ridiculous. Go to a tzaddik for a bracha? Get real. Increase learning Torah? The giving of tzedakah? Adherence to mitzvot? Don’t be a fool, G-d just can’t do it with out the help of modern orthodox doctors…, unless your a chareidi. My friend recently had quads. The doctors of course told him they’re not responsible and his “wife night not survive” if at least two feti were not removed. I told him to go back to the doctor with the quads and ask “Remind me, which two of these did you want to kill?” He didn’t, he ‘s too polite.