58 Friday, March 17, 1978

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Impressive Medicine in Bible and Talmud' Published

NEW YORK — Accord- ways considered to be im- And, even if a woman di-
physician's presence was idly by the blood of thy
Taludische Medizin," pub-
ing to Jewish law (Sanhed- portant enough to permit vorces and remarries, the
required for a court to assess neighbor") and the Shul-
lished in 1911, was the first
rin 17b), Jews are forbidden the breaking of otherwise same rule applies to her
the damages to accident vic- khan Arukh (" . . . if he
detailed, comprehensive
to dwell in a city, town or unbreakable laws. Physi- new sons, implying that
tims (Sanhedrin 78) and, in withholds his services, it
scholarly book on the sub-
village in which thereqs no cians were, and still are, the ancients sensed that
legal cases where corporal is considered as shedding ject. Dr. Rosner's English
physician. This injunction consulted as to whether an hemophilia was trans-
punishment was called for, blood.")
translation of this classic
alone is evidence of the illness is serious enough to mitted through the
a doctor had to first examine
He also discusses the book will be published this
age-old concern the Jewish warrant desecrating the mother.
the accused to be certain he therapeutic efficacy of year.
people have had with health Sabbath.
could physically withstand prayer, in light of modern
Dr. Rosner also discusses
matters and with the medi-
In a chapter devoted to
Aside from hemophilia, flogging (Makkot 22b).
psychological knowledge other Jewish scholars who
cal profession.
"Hemophilia in the Tal- Dr. Rosner devotes chapters
A landlord could not rent about the relationship bet- wrote about medicine, in-
A new book, "Medicine In mud," Dr. Rosner points to biblical and talmudic
premises to a physician ween state of mind and state
cluding Maimonides and
the Bible and The Talmud" out that the Shulkhan observations on rabies,
without getting his of health.
Asaph Judaeus.
examines the many allu- Arukh, one of the major scurvy, gout, sunstroke, the
neighbors' permission, as
Dr. Rosner has written
sions to this concern, and Jewish codes of law, heart, the spleen, the the moans of the sick might
Obligations to the sick ex-
discloses that the ancient states that if a woman's gallbladder, sex determina- disturb them (Baba Batra tend to laymen as well as to extensively on the topic of
Jewish
law and medicine.
scholars had surmised first and second sons die tion, "forensic medicine",
physicians. "Bikkur
21)
He is the author of "Modern
numerous facts that were as a result of circumci- anesthesia, artificial respi-
In a section entitled Cholim" is the mitzva to
Medicine
and Jewish Law"
confirmed centuries later by sion, her third son should ration, and suicide (viewing
"Ethics and Prayers For visit the sick. Bikkur as well as translator and
science. The book has been not be circumcised until Saul's "melancholia", for
the Jewish Physician," Cholim societies exist in editor of "Maimonides' In-
authored by Dr. Fred he is older and "his instance, as what we term
Dr. Rosner discusses the numerous Jewish com- troduction to the Mishna,"
Rosner, published jointly by strength is established." "depression" today.)
religious rationale be- munities and have existed "Sex Ethics in the Writing
Yeshiva University Press If two sisters lost infant
hind the permissibility of, since Biblical times.
of Moses Maimonides,"
and Ktav Publishing sons as a result of cir-
The many obligations
and obligation to heal the
Dr. Rosner dedicates a "Maimonides' Treatise on
House, Inc., and edited by ctuncision, the other sis- surrounding the medical
sick. He quotes such chapter to Julius Preuss, a Hemorrhoids and Re-
Dr. Norman Lamm, presi- tars must postpone the profession are discussed.
sources as Leviticus German Jewish doctor sponsa," and "The Medical
dent of Yeshiiza University. procedure for their sons. Even in ancient times, a
("Thou shalt not stand whose work, "Biblisch- Aphorisms of Moses."
Dr. Rosner is an alumnus
of Yeshiva College and the
University's Albert Eins-
tein College of Medicine. He
is director of hematology at
By ROBERT ROCKAWAY
recently found myself in.
our officers was Hebrew.
They came to Israel to help economically in Israel than
the Queens Hospital Center
(Special to The Jewish News)
My training unit con-
Although we were Jews and to be part of the chal- he was in Russia.
of Long Island Jewish-
(Editor's note: Dr. sisted of 27 men ranging in
serving in the Jewish army lenge and adventure of
What upsets him most
Hillside Medical Center.
Robert Rockaway is pro- age from 29-42. They came
of the Jewish state, each of building a Jewish country.
about Israel is "the behavior
Dr. Rosner devoted a fessor of American his- from the United States (2),
us was unique and each of
of the public, the lack of
Although
he
still
feels
chapter to the life of Mar tory and head of the England (2), Brazil (2),
us had his story. These are a
motivated by idealism, manners and consideration,
Samuel, one of the most overseas department of Argentina (2), Uruguay (1),
few of them:
and the bureaucracy." He
distinguished of the Tel Aviv University. His Russia (10), Tunisia (2),
Max is from Kishinev, Robert admits to being admits to being shocked at
many physicians to be doctoral thesis for his Algeria (1), Romania (1),
35-years-old and an en- somewhat disappointed the fact that "Jews are liars
quoted in Jewish law. PhD at the University of Hunga7ry (1), Iran (1), and
gineer by profession. He by the realities of living in and cheats."
Personal physician to Michigan dealt with the Israel (2).
has been in Israel less Israel. What disturbs him
Jacque was born in
King Sapor I of Persia, early history of the Jews
Those from Algeria and
than two years and came most is the lack of Algeria, is 29-years-old and
I Mar Samuel stated that of Detroit.)
Tunisia all left those coun-
because his wife's family idealism and rampant married with two children.
"Washing one's hands
TEL AVIV — A Jew tries and moved to France;
is in Israel. She wanted to materialism he finds He is an electrical engineer
everywhere. Yet, he has
and feet in the morning is growing up in the United from France, they emig-
ti
--,- 1 : more effective than all States rarely has the oppor- rated to Israel. Excepting
faith and hope for the fu- by profession. He made
aliya to Israel for a number
ture.
the lotions in the world," tunity for coming into direct the Israelis, no one had been
of reasons: he received a
(Shabat 108a); "Drink contact with the variety and in Israel longer than seven
His parents and relatives Jewish and Zionist educa-
only water that has been richness of the Jewish years.
are still in France and have tion at home; he never felt
boiled first" (Terumot 8), people.
What was especially un-
no intention of making attached to France, always
and stressed the need for
In Israel, however, the ique to our group was that
aliya. As he says, they see feeling that he was a Jew
strict cleanliness in all opposite is true. Here one 18 of the men had academic
Israel as a place for less and 'was never really ac-
persons and objects com- encounters Jews from all degrees.
sophisticated Jews, cer- cepted as a "Frenchman";
ing in contact with the parts of the world and from
When I was a child grow-
tainly not for Jews like him. and he wanted his children
womb during childbirth all walks of life; Jews whose ing up in Detroit, I re-
Needless to say, they think to have a better Jewish up-
:
1 (Shabat 29a).
mother-tongue, customs member American war
he is a bit crazy for emigrat- bringing then he had and
The Talmud thus em- and culture are totally dif- movies depicting the "typi-
ing.
that he could give them in
phasized the importance of _ ferent.
cal" American combat unit.
Michael is a 31-year-old
France.
It would be untrue to There was always an Ita-
cleanliness long before
American married to an Is-
ROBERT
ROCKAWAY
Louis Pasteur and his con- claim that the Jews of Israel lian, an Irishman, a Pole
What he most enjoys
raeli. He emigrated to Israel
come, so they applied for from Beverly Hills, Calif.
temporaries worked with are aware of or understand and a Jew — each with the
About Israel is that
an exit permit.
the concept of "germs".
each others cultures, or that familiar ethnic stereotype.
everyone
around him is
where he had a very suc-
Except for an occasional cessful insurance agency. Jewish. He is excited at
Dr. Rosner includes an Jews from different coun-
Our unit also had its
article, "Medicine in An- tries of origin are on inti- stereotypes, but they Jewish wedding, when He presently owns the
the idea of living in a
cient Israel," written by the
mate terms with each other. were all Jewish. There "Jewish" music would be largest office supply store in
Jewish country. He never
late Dr. Suessman Munt- Yet, there is one institution were the athletes (Ameri- played, he had no contact Ashdod.
felt at home in France
ner, a distinguished Israeli
in Israel which brings to- can), marksmen (Rus- with Judaism. He had no
and did not really care
His reasons for coming to
doctor and medical histo-
gether Jews from different sian) and organizers (En- connection at all with Israel are varied. First, his
what was going on
rian, who comments that backgrounds and puts them glish), as well as a charac- Zionism and did not even wife wanted to return. Then
around him.
"Even in biblical times, the
into daily social contact ter right out of the pages know what it was until he there was his own
He is more involved in Is-
Jews knew about the pre-
with each other for ex- of Sholem" Aleichem: His arrived in Israel.
background in Habonim as
rael and cares — in a way he
: ventive significance of iso-
Rick is 29-years-old, from a boy. Finally, he wanted
tended periods of time. That name was Mottle.
never
did in France—about
.- lation and of the disinfec-
institution is the army.
Since Russians predomi- Argentina, and is married "to see the homeland of the
what happens to his
tion of clothing and objects
In Israel, every male nated, there was a great with one child. He is sales Jews — the land of our
neighbors
and the country.
citizen and permanent deal of Russian spoken. manager for the Tel Aviv forefathers; and to
by washing, fumigation or
see what
What has disappointed
I fire in cases of communica-
resident from the ages of During maneuvers I some- Sheraton. He came to Israel life in Israel was
like."
him most about life inisrael
1 ble diseases ...Flies were to
18-55' is liable for - some times imagined I was in the because of "Jewish senti-
Yaacov is a 36-year"-old
is the lack of values in the
form of military service. Russian and not the Israeli ment and Jewish feelings"
be avoided as carriers of dis-
I ease (Kebubot 77p) ... Food
For those who emigrated army. Then again, one could rather than as part of any mechanical engineer secular education. As a re-
from
the
Ukraine.
He
is
sult,
he is sending his chil-
to the country as adults, always hear English, Zionist movement. His pa-
i had to be served fresh and in
clean dishes and meat had the tour of duty varies French, Spanish, Por- rents made aliya in 1977, married with one child. dren to a religious school,
although he is not Or-
a :
to be cooked sufficiently to
according to age and tuguese and Yiddish being not for Zionist reasons, but He came to Israel be-
because their children are cause his sister was here. thodoxi
destroy any parasites it
physical condition. spoken in our barracks.
His parents followed his
Nevertheless, all must
Upon emigrating to Is-
might harbor." (Sanhedrin
But the language which in Israel.
9a).
undergo basic training. enabled us to communicate
rael, he was surprised to
Robert has been in Israel sister, and he followed
his parents.
This was the situation I with each other and with for a year-and-a-half and is
find the emphasis placed on
Health factors were al-
material values and the
married with two children.
Parts of his family came
He was born in Tunis, but to Israel in 1933, but he did
lack of work ethic. 'Despite
emigrated to Israel from not come for any "Zionist
its lacks, however, he feels
France. He is an accountant reasons."-He grew up in a
that life in Israel is far more
by profession.
rewarding
and challenging
non-Jewish area, although
He came to Israel because there was some Jewish trad- than life in France, and he
he "wanted to see what it ition in his home.
does not regret his aliya.
would be like to live in the
Other men in the unit had
. He began to "feel Jewish"
Jewish state." He and his during the 1960s when
stories similar to the abode.
wife felt a solidarity with there was an upsurge of Each of us was different, yet
the Jewish people and were anti-Semitism in Russia.
each of us was very much
concerned about Israel. He feels he is better off alike: All of us were Jewish.

1

A Detroiter's View from Israeli Army Barracks