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ISRAEL AS A JEWISH STATE                 HOLIDAY READING



                                                                               Rabbi Yitzchak Feldman







                    Halacha in the Hospital








            eturning to the Land of Israel and   gramma  mechanisms, which allow   prevent fires, G-d forbid. In wards in
            establishing our own medical    indirect opening of electric doors, and   which it is not possible to light candles,
      Rcenters has brought with it the      millions of shekels have been invested   we do so using electric lights, relying on
       blessings and the challenges of balanc-  in adjusting the hot water system for   the psak of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein zt”l.
       ing halacha and medicine on a national   the public hospital in Ashdod. Every
       level. As Rav of the 10 Assuta medical   patient also has a “Shabbat lamp” fixed   Corona has brought many challenges,
       centers in Israel and the Assuta Hos-  above his or her bed.              among them Shabbat meals and candle-
       pital in Ashdod, these are challenges I   Another system in place ensures that   lighting in Corona wards, and even
       face daily. How do I create a religious   kohanim can enter the hospital. Our   Megillah reading and Simchat Torah.
       atmosphere in a large-scale public hos-  hospital in Ashdod is all one building,   Every time we brought an object into
       pital? How do I ensure both halacha   such that when a patient is pronounced   the ward (tefillin, a Sefer Torah, a
       and medical protocol can exist hand   dead in one department, it means    Megillah), we had to leave it there, for
       in hand?                                                                  fear of contamination. Besides there
                                            kohanim are not allowed to enter the   being a shul in every Assuta hospital
       The main challenge of combining these   entire area of the hospital. Because   center, during Corona the religious
       two elements is in the area of kashrut.   of this, a smart “kohen alarm” system   leaders have had to come up with
       We need to organize kosher mehadrin   was installed, which is operated by the   alternative solutions to allow tefillot to
       meals for the patients, and therefore we   paramedics who move the deceased   continue.
       have a system of mashgichim who work   to the morgues. Immediately upon
       24/7 in all of the kitchens overseeing   determining the moment of death,   I  often  feel  that  religious  staff  and
       kashrut, with very strict rules. Besides   electronic monitors with the caption   hospital Rabbis are also part of the
       this, inpatients who are makpid on a   “warning kohanim” are activated near   medical team, to an extent. Halachic
       higher level of kashrut, like glatt, can   the main entrances of the hospital,   questions occupy perhaps 20 percent
       order a personal meal via the nurses.  informing kohanim that they cannot   of  the  requests  I  receive.  We  are
                                            enter the hospital until the deceased is   blessed that in Israel today, halachic
       Then there is the issue of keeping                                        issues are mostly taken care of, even
       Shabbat. There are clear rules the   removed. Once the deceased has been
       staff are required to abide by, such as   taken out of the hospital, the warning   in public hospitals, and we have
       using “Shabbat pens” and “Shabbat    sign is replaced with “welcome.”     ensured a foundation that deals with
       keyboards” when admitting a patient   Shabbat meals, Seder Night, Megillah   almost every possible eventuality (even
       to ER. Once the patient has been     reading, and even lighting candles in   special doors which help avoid yichud
       admitted, staff no longer need to use   a hospital require coordination and   issues). Most of the requests I receive
       these devices and can break Shabbat for   creativity. In Assuta, we set up special   are specifically regarding service –
       him or her because the rule of pikuach   candle-lighting areas adjacent to the   booking appointments, advancing
       nefesh now applies. We’ve organized   security guard’s station in order to   appointments, coordination between
                                                                                 doctors and patients, and medical
                                                                                 inquiries. True, this is not the official
                                                                                 role of the Rabbi, but as Jews who know
                                                                                 that in every place we find ourselves,
                                                                                 and in every position we are, it is our
                                                                                 responsibility to help others, we try
                                                                                 to do these tasks with dedication and
                                                                                 integrity.


                                                                                 Rabbi Yitzchak Feldman  is Rabbi of
                                                                                 Assuta hospitals and medical centers.



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