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cases they would write out the amulet in Rashi script, not in [regular]
square characters.
See also Teshuvos Rav Pe’alim (4, Yoreh De’ah, 25) where the Ben
Ish Chai was asked whether it is permitted to give an amulet that
wards off miscarriage to a Ishmaelite who wants to pay rent for it.
Is an amulet comparable to a mezuzah which must not be given to a
non-Jew or can the ruling of the Knesses Hagedolah (above) that an
amulet may be given to a non-Jew who is not an idolater, be relied
upon?
His response is that an amulet may only be given even to a non
idolatrous non-Jew when there is concern about arousing animosity,
in the same way that the Ramban healed a non-Jewish woman for
payment, owing to concern of arousing animosity – and this only
applies when the non-Jew is an important personage, not when he is
base and contemptuous.
The above remarks of our teachers’ tell us that healing should only
be extended to an idolater when there is otherwise a risk of arousing
the non-Jews’ animosity. It follows from this that neither should a
murderer [or terrorist] be healed. The logic in regard to the latter sin
is even more compelling for the Rambam writes (Hilchos Rotzei’ach
Ushemiras Nefesh 4:9) as follows. “Although there are sins more seri-
ous than spilling blood, they do not destroy the fabric of society to
the extent that murder does. Even idolatry and certainly immorality
and Shabbos desecration are unlike spilling blood, for these are sins
between man and G-d whereas spilling blood is a sin between man
and man. Whoever is guilty of this sin is utterly wicked and all the
mitzvos that he has done throughout his life cannot counterbalance
this sin, and neither will they save him from judgment as it is written,
‘A person who is corrupted by human blood [that he spilled]…’ (Mish-
lei 28:17). Consider the example of Achav who worshipped idols, for it
is said about him ‘Yet there was none like Achav who was devoted to
doing what is evil in Hashem’s eyes…’ (Melachim I, 21:25), yet when
his sins and his merits were aligned before G-d no sin which would
warrant his extermination was found and there was nothing else that
weighed against him besides [his guilt for shedding] the blood of
484 1 Medical-Halachic Responsa of Rav Zilberstein