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it may be permitted to circumcise a non-Jew who has an eye infection,
because there is only a slight danger.
To summarize: According to the above, in our case if the jungle is
very dangerous it is forbidden but if there is only slight danger, it is
permitted.
The Sefer Chassidim writes (341), “Esav said, ‘Behold, I am going
to die.’ Why was this written; the Torah need only have written, ‘He
sold his birthright to Yaakov’? However, this is written so that you
should not wonder why Hashem gave power to Esav’s descendants.
It is written to tell us that for his father’s sake Esav frequented dan-
gerous places where there were wild animals, in order to trap game
for his father. Yosef took an example from him when Yaakov told
him, “Go and I shall send you to them [i.e. to his brothers]” (Bere-
ishis 37:13), when Yosef knew that they hated him [and should have
avoided endangering himself ]. Yosef however said,“Esav always went
to dangerous places to trap game to bring to his father. Now that my
father is sending me to see how my brothers are faring and how the
flock – my father’s and his sons’ livestock – is faring, shalI I not go?!”
[See also the sefer Teivas Gom’e (parshas Vayeshev) who explains
Yosef ’s conduct as follows. A great person is allowed to endanger
himself in order to fulfill a mitzvah that his generation is lax in ob-
serving. Since the mitzvah of honoring parents was not being proper-
ly observed, he was allowed to endanger himself for it.]
Is a Non-Jew Commanded to Guard his Health?
In maseches Shabbos (82a) the gemara relates that Rav Huna asked
his son, Rabba, “Why don’t you go to listen to Rav Chisda’s Torah
discourses, which are astute?” Rabba replied, “Why should I go to
Rav Chisda? When I go to him he speaks to me about worldly mat-
ters, about preserving the body’s health.” Rav Huna told Rabba in
wonderment, “When he speaks about people’s health, you consider
468 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein
