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should tell him that the mitzvah will protect him, particularly in view
of the fact that the physician is liable to be mistaken in his diagnosis
and it may not be all that dangerous for the patient.

As to the concern that a couple’s children may be mentally ill, even
when this concern is real, it does not confer exemption from fulfilling
the mitzvah of procreation, as explained in the Igros Moshe (Even
Ha’ezer 1, 62), namely that it is better for a child to be born even if it
only lives for a short time than not to be born at all. The Igros Moshe
cites proof to this from maseches Sanhedrin (110b) where it says that
every child that is born merits life in the World to Come. This can
also be proven from the conduct of Bnei Yisrael in Egypt, who, when
there was a decree to throw every newborn boy into the Nile river,
continued procreating nonetheless, despite the drowning that await-
ed their children when they were thrown into the river to die.

However in light of Dr. Bunzel’s comments, the question arises as
to whether to encourage schizophrenic patients to marry altogether,
when we know that they are subject to mood changes and may be
unable to maintain normal domestic harmony and home life. On this
point the following comments appear relevant:

In maseches Yevamos (112b) the Gemara asks:“Why are deaf-mutes
different in that the Sages instituted marriage for a couple who are
deaf-mutes [i.e. although the Torah considers a deaf-mute lacking in
intelligence and therefore unable to contract a marriage, the Sages
instituted a marriage bond] from a couple who are shotim [imbeciles],
for whom the Sages instituted no marriage bond?” To this the gemara
responds, “In the case of a pair of deaf-mutes the Sages’ enactment
will be upheld [i.e. they will live peacefully with one another], so the
Sages instituted marriage for them, whereas for a pair of imbeciles
where the Sages’ enactment will not be upheld, because ‘A person
cannot live with a snake in one basket,’ the Sages did not institute
marriage.”

‘A person cannot live with a snake in one basket,’ refers to the
impossibility of a husband and wife living together when one of
them has to be constantly on guard to avoid problems, fights and
arguments. Thus, no harmony can be expected if a shoteh marries a

218 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein