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Jewish physician in this case is allowed to accompany the non-Jewish
tour group on an adventurous trip that entails some degree of risk.
[There have been many cases of fatal accidents on such tours.]

Now in regard to the physician himself, he may accompany them
because he is doing so for his livelihood but in regard to the tourists,
it needs to be considered whether or not non-Jews are allowed to
endanger themselves. If we decide that they must not, the Jewish phy-
sician should not join them because he would be violating lifnei iver,
just as it is forbidden to extend a limb torn from a living animal to a
non-Jew to eat. Even though they can engage a different physician, it
will still not be permitted according to the Mishneh Lemelech (dis-
cussed above), because neither would another [ Jewish] physician be
allowed to accompany them, for even a gentile may not be the cause
of there being sin in the world, as explained in the Sefer Chassidim
above.

If however, they could find a gentile physician to accompany them,
there will possibly no longer be an issue of lifnei iver, because the
gentile would not transgress lifnei iver [because it is not one of the
mitzvos he is commanded in] [Tosfos Avodah Zarah 15b, s.v. l’akum),
therefore even according to the Mishneh Lemelech it would be per-
mitted.



Is a Non-Jew Allowed to Endanger his Life in

Order to Become a Jew?

Question: A non-Jew who suffers from severe diabetes or hemo-
philia wants to convert to Judaism, which cannot be done without
undergoing circumcision. Is he allowed to endanger his life in order
to convert?

Response: The Panim Yafos (parshas Nitzavim) writes that a non-
Jew who wants to convert is allowed to risk his life and that Moshe
Rabbenu therefore accepted converts while Bnei Yisrael were in the

466 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein