Machon Puah for Fertility and GIDEON Gynecology in Accordance with Halacha WEITZMAN

(See , 328:2) Finding a Rabbi Avraham Gombiner states, in the Magen Avraham, that this is only the case Cure when the medication is well known to people or experts. We are only permitted to break to dispense a tried and he world is still in the grip of the tested medication or medical procedure. horrific Covid 19 pandemic that has In other cases, the Magen Avraham writes had such devastating effects on all T that Shabbat cannot be superseded since of us. The race is on worldwide to find a this cure is unknown and unproven to be vaccine to treat the virus, and many labs effective. and units are searching for a medical The Magen Avraham does not stipulate breakthrough. If a company announced how many times the medication has prov- that they have developed a vaccine and are en to be successful. The Shulchan Aruch, looking for people to be used in the clini- in a different chapter (301:25), writes that cal trials, would it be permitted to use this if a treatment has been used effectively new drug? What would be the halachic re- three times, this is sufficient to define it as quirement for testing a new medication? “expert” or proven. The number three is While the objective of the current pursuit the usual number of times that something is to find a treatment for Coronavirus, this must occur to assign it halachic probability is not a unique case, and we could ask and significance. The chazakah presumes about the permissibility of using any novel that if something happens three times it is or experimental treatment. likely to happen on all occasions. Modern We know the supreme importance in medical trials require stricter criteria than Jewish law of the value of life, so much so three consecutive cases. We would possi- that almost all the halachic limitations and bly have to adjust our halachic definition requirements are suspended in the case accordingly and say that until a drug has of danger to life. One is obligated to break passed all clinical trials it cannot be termed Shabbat in the case of pikuach nefesh, and “expert” and proven. Based on the Magen whoever is swift in this mitzvah is praise- Avraham it would appear that we cannot worthy and whoever tarries, even just permit the use of experimental drugs with- questioning whether the treatment should out knowing all the possible harmful side be administered, is considered as though effects. they spilled the blood of the sick person. www.puahonline.org

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