New Book Release: Medical Decisions in Halachah

Medical Decisions in Halachah by Rabbi Moshe Rotberg

The world of medical ethics is often a slippery slope, which, if not governed by halachah, can lead to grave sins - including that of murder itself. The issues surrounding end of life, as well as other life-and-death questions, have become increasingly prevalent over the past few decades, due to both negative and positive developments in society. In today's day and age, it is not uncommon to need to make complex medical decisions, and it is of utmost importance that a patient and his or her caregiver understand the many issues and dynamics at play when it comes to medical care in halachah.

*  Which treatments and procedures must -and must not - be done for a terminally ill patient?

* The doctor says that the surgery he needs to perform has a mortality rate of 50%. Does halachah allow for that surgery to be done?

* A family receives a call that their father's death is imminent. May they go on Shabbos to be with him? 

* What must a family be aware of before allowing their loved one to receive palliative care in a hospice facility?

In Medical Decisions in Halachah, these issues and hundreds of others are dealt with in a clear and concise fashion. This sefer is the culmination of nearly a decade of research, in conjunction with the leading poskim and medical doctors in America, Canada, and Israel. In it, both layman and scholar will discover clarity and up-to-date information about halachah's stance regarding complex medical decisions.

New Book Release: Kitzur Halachos Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Kitzur Halachos Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by Rabbi Zev Hofstedter

A clear and concise guide to all the halachos of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, based on the Mishnah Berurah, by Rabbi Zev Hofstedter.

New Book Release: Kitzur Halachos Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed

Kitzur Halachos Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed by Rabbi Zev Hofstedter

A clear and concise guide to all the halachos of Yom Tov and Chol Hamoed, based on the Mishnah Berurah.

New Book Release: Kitzur Halachos Pesach

Kitzur Halachos Pesach by Rabbi Zev Hofstedter

The following true story is NOT for the faint of heart. But, as I said, it is true, and it teaches a really good lesson–one that unfortunately I had to learn the hard way. You, on the other hand, can learn from my mistake, and always ASK before you take matters into your own hands.

It was Erev Pesach. I and two of my siblings, who shall remain unnamed for obvious reasons, were working in the kitchen and schmoozing.

“You know,” I mused aloud, “anything that touches food has to bekashered before Pesach…but what about our retainers? Food touches them all the time; why don’t we have to kasher them?”

[Author’s note: All three of us wore orthodontic retainers, after having worn braces for several years. All three of us.]

“Maybe we do have to kasher them!” said my sister.

“How?” asked my brother.

The three of us, all in our early teens, discussed it, until we came up with the obvious solution: we needed to immerse the retainers in boiling water.

And so, without stopping to ask a sheilah, without even asking our parents, we set up a pot of boiling water and proceeded to kasher those retainers.

Except that when they finally emerged from their scalding bath, they didn’t really look like retainers anymore. The plastic part had become misshapen and deformed, and suffice it to say, they did not fit in our mouths anymore.

Oh, and did I mention that each set of retainers, being custom-made, cost nearly $1,000? And all three of us wore them.

I don’t think I need to tell you how very displeased our parents were with us on that day…

But we had such good intentions! I remember thinking to myself in consternation. We were only trying to do what’s right; to follow the halachah like good Torah Jews. How could we have flopped so badly?

The answer, of course, is that it’s not enough to have good intentions and to want to follow the halachah; you need to ask and find out what the correct halachah is, in each and every case! (In this case, by the way, we were told that it would be enough to simply clean the retainers very well for Pesach, although each person should ask his rav for his own psak.)

And that is why I so strongly endorse investing in a clear and easy-to-understand sefer on hilchos Pesach, such as Kitzur Halachos Pesach, by Rabbi Zev Hofstedter, before attempting to go through this holiday on your own. Like this, you never have to guess about a halachah–everything is clearly explained, so that you know exactly what halachah requires you to do, each step of the way.

As I said, I learned the hard way about the importance of asking sheilos and checking up halachos in a sefer. But you can take the easier route. With the purchase of Kitzur Halachos Pesach, you can be sure that you won’t be making the kind of mistakes I did…