Page 208 - Chayei Adam LAYOUT sivan 5782

Chayei Adam - K’lal 145 - Laws of Yom Kippur

even if he is not Jewish, who says that it is possible for the illness to get worse
and he will be in danger, we feed him, even if he doesn’t say that he might
die. Even if another doctor says he doesn’t need [to eat] we feed him because we
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are lenient when there is a question of danger to life. If the doctor says he isn’t
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familiar with this illness, then his words are inconsequential. However, if he is
very weak that most people would perceive him as in danger if he doesn’t eat, we
feed him.

]30[ When feeding a woman after childbirth or an ill person, we place the food
down in front of them and tell them “if you know that you will be in danger if you
don’t eat what you need, then eat until you are sure that you have eaten enough,
but if you can manage without eating a full shiur at one time, eat less than a shiur
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at one time,” meaning that you should eat two thirds of a k’beitza and then
wait as long as it takes to eat [the volume of] four eggs, or at least as long as it
takes to eat three eggs, and then eat [the same amount] again. Regarding

םדו רשב
dementia and does not have a true doctors who say he should eat and two who
appreciation of Yom Kippur, isn’t just believed say he shouldn’t, we feed the patient, even if
to know better than the doctors (poskim). the two who say not to eat are bigger experts.
The Elya Rabba and Magen Avraham disagree
60. Chayei Adam’s note: If one doctor is and rule in accordance with the Ramban that
a bigger expert see Shulchan Aruch 618 in
the Rema and the Magen Avraham (618:4) we should listen to the experts and do not
and Elya Rabba there. feed the patient, unless there are many
If the doctors disagree as to whether doctors who say he should eat, despite the
זכ
or not the patient must eat, the Tur and Rosh fact that they are not experts (Mishna Berura ).
write that we listen to the doctors who are
more experienced. The Ramban however 61. If the doctor admits that he doesn’t
disagrees and writes that we follow the have any knowledge or experience of this
majority unless the one doctor who says he illness, his opinion is considered like that of a
should eat is a very big expert in the field, and layman (Rabeinu Yeruchem). Yet if he or
if the are equal, expertise is the deciding anyone else senses that he should eat, we feed
factor. The Rema rules in accordance with the him as we always rule leniently when life is in
Tur and Rosh, writing that when there are two danger (Darkei Moshe).

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