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the money. But the soul of the child who will be alarmed, and will be #
harmed in the future, cannot be repaired. This is something which
cannot be undone.
Moreover, our Sages teach that fear borders on danger to life. In
the Mechilta (Shemos 15:22) there is a story told of a man who was
PSYCHOLOGIST’S PATIENT called “Plucked.” Once he went up the mountain to gather wood and
REVEALS THE SINS OF HIS saw a snake sleeping, but the snake did not see him. Immediately, the
68 WIFE’S PRINCIPAL hair on his head began falling out, as a result of his fear, and he had no
hair on his head until the day he died, and they called him “Plucked.”
It says in maseches Sanhedrin (75a): “A man once had a passion for
a certain woman and his heart was consumed by his burning desire,
to the point of illness. The physicians consulted said the only cure
1 Question was to have relations with her, whereupon the Sages said: rather let
him die than have relations with her. So the physicians said, let her
During a psychotherapy session, my patient told me about someone stand nude before him. Rather let him die, replied the Sages. Then let
who is part of the administration of an institution for girls who her converse with him from behind a partition, said the physicians.
sinned in a disgraceful way with my patient’s wife before they were Let him rather die, responded the Sages. Now Rav Yaakov ben Idi 20818_efi-ab - 20818_efi-ab | 13 - B | 18-08-20 | 13:29:05 | SR:-- | Magenta #20818_efi-ab - 20818_efi-ab | 13 - B | 18-08-20 | 13:29:05 | SR:-- | Yellow
married. This person boasts about doing the same acts with other and Rav Shmuel ben Nachman differ in their opinions. One says she
girls and women as well. was a married woman and one says she was single. This Gemara is
understandable according to the view that she was a married woman,
As the therapist I am not obligated to believe my patient, and it but according to the view that she was single, why did the Sages react
might even be appropriate for me not to believe him in order to steer so severely? Rav Pappa said: Because of the disgrace to her family. Rav
clear of lashon hara. On the other hand, if there is truth to his words Acha, son of Rabbi Ika, said: So that the daughters of Israel may not
it may be my duty to remove this person from his position working be morally dissolute. (Rashi: to stand before men who gaze at them).
with girls, in order to avoid potential damage. The Even Ha’azel explains (Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah 5:9) that the
My question is: What am I supposed to do? Am I obligated to severe reaction was aimed at the man, who had aroused his own
write to this man’s superiors, despite the fact that the exposure of desires and brought himself to illness. He could have overcome his
his as-yet-unproven misdeeds may expose my patient and his family lusts. Therefore, he should rather die and not carry out the immoral
and cause them great harm? Perhaps my obligation as a therapist to act, even just by talking to her behind a fence, because he would be
protect my patient comes before the obligation to protect the girls considered a sinner.
who may to be hurt? We, too, can say that the patient under discussion is responsible
for his situation and could certainly heal himself from his illness or
In addition, I am liable to suffer personal harm and a lawsuit for
slander. choose to move far away from his young female relatives.
Therefore, one has to deal with him strictly and threaten to publi-
cize his misdeeds. He does not have the status of an anuss (one who is
392 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Publicizing the sins of a psychiatric patient 2 389
