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applies only after it has been established with complete certainty the
mother will be endangered chas veshalom [Heaven forbid] by being
cut off from her son.

ɳ Summary and conclusions

To Question One:
1. If a retarded young man engages in masturbation on his
own initiative we are not obligated to stop him since he is
considered a shoteh who is exempt from mitzvos. However,
under no circumstances whatsoever may we guide him or
encourage him to engage in this deed, which is considered
one of the most serious prohibitions in the Torah and we
should try at least to ensure that he doesn’t sin in public7.
2. In order to avoid further incidents of his molesting chil-
dren, we must try to educate and guide him in under-
standing that such actions are completely forbidden. If the
educational approach doesn’t help he must be medicated
and if this too is ineffective he should be locked up.
3. If it seems that his mother will be unable to bear having her
son locked up the community must hire a man to supervise
him and ensure that he harms no children, if the mother
cannot finance this herself.

from the house and no attention should be paid to the danger to mother’s life.
The difference between these cases is clear. There the mother is at fault and is
beating the girl, so as long as there is no apparent danger to the mother the child
is removed and the mother is not considered [unless there is obvious danger
to the mother, and then too, a woman should be hired to watch over the girl].
In our case though, since the mother’s conduct is upstanding but she is a heart
patient and she bears no guilt for her son’s condition, we have written that the
community have an obligation to hire someone to keep watch on her son, even
when there is only a risk of danger to the mother.

7. See also further, siman 285, our response to Dr. Hausfeter’s question.

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