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Sages’ intent was not to explicitly say the bad news. Bar Kappara 5
wisely relayed the information by hinting to it.
I personally witnessed how, when the Rosh Yeshivah of Slabodka,
Rav Isaac Sher zt”l, died, they hid the fact from his wife, who was
then sick. They posted a sign on the front door of the house warning
people to be careful when speaking to his Rebbetzin, since she was PROVIDING THE PATIENT
unaware of her husband’s death. The family withheld the news from WITH THE RESULTS OF HIS
her until she died, when she met with him in Gan Eden. 84 X-RAY
1 SuMMaRy and Conclusion
One should appoint a wise and discerning man to carefully weigh
how and when to relay bad news. It seems that the Torah encourages 1 Question PRoviding Results of X-Ray
us to refrain from relaying bad news unless there is no other choice.
The custom in ambulatory medical centers in Israel is to give over
explanations of test results (of conventional x-rays, hearing tests, CP,
mammography etc.) directly to the patients together with the test
itself.
Is it Proper to Avoid Telling Bad News This custom became widespread in our country several years ago,
in consonance with the Israeli medical system, which postulates that
1 Question people inquiring about their health have the right to know everything
The Gemara in Megillah (15a) says that Daniel refused to relay to about themselves and their condition.
Mordechai that Esther was afraid of going to the king, because re- I am not convinced, personally, that this approach is correct and
laying bad news is considered lashon hara. Should a sensitive person for the benefit of the patient. There are differing views on this, as
who knows how to empathize with others take upon himself to dis- there are in many areas relating to medical service given to a client.
close bad news, since it is an act of chessed to do so with sensitivity, or While this is legitimate, there is an ethical dilemma here for the ra-
should he try to avoid doing this as long as no one explicitly directs diologist, who writes a diagnosis based on what he sees on the results
him to do so? of the test. His diagnosis is immediately handed over to the patient.
If something came up on the test, the patient becomes terrified, even
1 AnsweR if, in fact, the growth or abnormality is benign. Being that he does not
have the medical know-how and tools to understand the test-results,
When one has to inform a patient or his relatives bad news, there is he is likely to seek out a friend, neighbor or family member with some
often the possibility of pikuach nefesh. There was once a patient who medical knowledge, who will cause him even greater ambiguity and
was unaware of his own diagnosis. Once, after a physician examined fear.
him, he nonchalantly referred to the fact that “You have such and Add to this fact, that not every physician understands the sig-
134 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Providing results of X-Ray 2 127
