In the war against idolatry, the rabbis even forbad the appearance, mar-eet ‘ayin (מראית עין) of worshiping an idol. The last of the three examples on today’s daf TB Avodah Zarah 12 is drinking from a drink from a fountain that has the head of a statue where the water flows out. “With regard to figures of human faces [partzufot] that spray water in the cities, i.e., fountains, one may not place his mouth on the mouths of the figures and drink, because he appears to be kissing the object of idol worship. ” (Sefaria.org translation)
The Gemara
then segues about health hazards. “Similarly, one may not place his mouth on
a pipe [sillon] and drink, here due to the danger that this
practice poses.” (Sefaria.org translation) An unknown source of water may be
contaminated and should be avoided at all costs. Now this is good and sound advice
even today. A hiker can buy pills or a personal filter container to remove
harmful bacteria and parasites.
But then the
Gemara goes on to give medical advice that you shouldn’t take.
“The Gemara
inquires: What danger is the baraita referring to here? It is
referring to the danger of swallowing a leech in the water. As the
Sages taught: A person should not drink water from rivers or from ponds either
by drinking from the water directly with his mouth, or by collecting the
water with one hand alone. And if he drank in this manner, his
blood is upon his own head, due to the danger. The Gemara explains: What
is this danger? It is the danger of swallowing a leech.
“This supports
the opinion of Rabbi Ḥanina, as Rabbi Ḥanina says: In the case of one
who swallows a water leech [nima], it is permitted to perform
labor on Shabbat and heat water for him to drink on Shabbat, as
his life is in danger. And in fact there was an incident involving
one who swallowed a water leech, and Rabbi Neḥemya permitted them to
heat water for him on Shabbat. (One
may violate the laws of Shabbat in order to save a person’s life -gg) One The Gemara asks: In the meantime, until
the water is ready, what should he do? Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, said:
He should swallow vinegar. (Vinegar is a very old food product dating back
to 5000 BCE. The Babylonians made vinegar as a byproduct of wine from the date
palm. from Healing Practices: Insights from the Torah, Talmud, and Kabbala by
Rabbi Theodore Brod, page 85-gg)
“Rav Idi
bar Avin said: One who swallowed a hornet will not live, as the hornet will
sting him to death. Nevertheless, they should give him a quarter-log
of sharp [shamgaz] vinegar to drink. In this manner it is
possible that he will live for a bit longer until he can instruct
his household with regard to his final wishes before dying.” (Sefaria.org
translation)
Instead
visit a qualified physician when you need healing.
Healthcare
in America is taking a step backwards under the current Trump administration
led by RFK Jr., the Sec. of NIH. Everywhere RFK Jr. speaks he lies and spreads
misinformation that undermines the efficacy of modern medicine like vaccines.
“NIH Funding Cuts
Threaten Every American’s Health
Massive cuts to funding for the National
Institutes of Health will eliminate the promise of lifesaving medical
treatments for millions of Americans of all ages, topple America’s longstanding
role as a global leader in innovation, leave our nation less safe and more
vulnerable to disease outbreaks and bioterror attacks, and will hurt our
economy.
The funding slash strikes at the heart of biomedical research infrastructure,
which will have ripple effects of halting critical studies, eliminating jobs,
driving talent away from the field and hurting efforts to train the next
generation of scientists. This will delay the development of vaccines,
diagnostics and treatments for:
• Emerging threats like avian flu and other respiratory illnesses
• Smallpox and other pathogens categorized as posing the greatest
risk to national biosecurity
• Mosquito- and tick-borne diseases, including dengue, Lyme
disease, West Nile virus and others
• Viruses most likely to cause future pandemics
• Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and fungi
• Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers
• HIV
• Sexually transmitted infections that are becoming more common
and increasingly resistant to treatment
These cuts will have far-reaching consequences beyond health care. NIH research
also supports thousands of jobs across the country, from doctors and scientists
to lab technicians and manufacturers. Cutting funding means job losses and
severe economic setbacks.
The Infectious Diseases Society of America urges the Administration to reverse
these cuts and calls on Congress to maintain essential NIH funding to protect
public health around the world and national biosecurity.” (https://www.idsociety.org/news--publications-new/articles/2025/infectious-diseases-doctors-warn-nih-funding-cuts-threaten-every-americans-health/)
Just as we should not listen to all the cures suggested
in the Talmud, we should not listen to RFK Jr. for medical advice. In fact, he
should be fired or impeached and removed from his position in favor of a person
who is actually a physician and an expert in this field before it’s too late.
No comments:
Post a Comment