Causing a Parent to bleed

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Hitting one’s parents:[1]

One who hits his father or mother during their lifetime is liable for the death penalty of strangulation. This applies whether to a son or a daughter. However it only applies if blood was drawn through the hit. If however blood was not drawn through the hit, then [one is not liable for death, although] it is included within the negative command against hitting any Jew.[2]  

 

Giving medical treatments to a parent:

A. Removing a splinter from a parent:[3]

It is forbidden to remove a splinter from a father [or mother] due to that one may come to cause him a wound.

 

B. Amputation and bloodletting:[4]

It is forbidden for a doctor to amputate the limb of one’s father [or mother] or to cut him to perform bloodletting, even though he intends to do so for healing purposes.[5] This however only applies if there is another doctor available to perform the procedure. If however there is no one else available and the parent is in pain [or danger] then he may blood let him and amputate him according to that which the parent allows.[6]

 

Q&A

May one scratch his father’s back?

One may only do so if it will not cause bleeding.

 

[1] Rama 241/1; Mishneh Sanhedrin 85b

[2] Rama ibid; Tur 241

[3] Michaber 241/3; Rambam

[4] 241/3

[5] Michaber ibid

[6] Rama ibid; Rambam Mamarim 5; Ramban

Other opinions: Some Poskim rule it is forbidden to do the above procedures even if no one else is available. [Rif and Rosh; Shulchan Gavoa in accordance to Michaber ibid]

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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