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Medical Ethics - Questions And Answers

By Yitzchok Breitowitz

About the Speaker

Yitzchok Breitowitz
Rabbi Breitowitz received his Rabbinical Ordination from the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in 1976; B.S. with honors from Johns Hopkins University; J.D (magna cum laude) from Harvard Law School in 1979; and a Doctorate in Talmudic Law from Ner Israel in 1992. He has lectured extensively throughout the US and Israel on medical, business, and family ethics. He has published numerous articles on bankruptcy, commercial law, medical ethics, family law, and halakha.In addition to being the Rabbi of the Woodside Synagogue in SIlver Spring MD, Rabbi Breitowitz is a Professor of Law at the University of Maryland

By Yitzchok Breitowitz More articles... |

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Reader Comments
Latest Comments:

Posted: Nov 10, 2009

RE: Limb amputation

The most common practice is to bury the severed limb immediately. If the amputee already purchased and selected a burial plot, it is customary for the limb to be buried there. If not, it is buried elsewhere in the cemetery. There are those who prefer to preserve the limb until the person dies so that they can be buried at the same time, but that does not seem to be the common practice.

(See Gesher Hachayim vol. 1, 16:2)

Posted By Menachem Posner for Chabad.org

Posted: Nov 9, 2009

Limb amputation

We were taught in class that Orthodox Jews retain the severed limb of an amputation to be burried eventually with the rest of the body. Is this correct? What happens to the body part after amputation and before death?

Posted By sandy zabowski, chelsea, AL

Posted: July 12, 2009

Re: amputation without consent

As far as Jewish law is concerned, a person has ownership over acquired possessions, but not over his own life. So, even if the patient were conscious, personal opinion is irrelevant. Anybody who can save a life is obligated to do whatever is necessary to do so.

Posted By Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

Posted: July 11, 2009

amputation without consent

If a patient presents to the ER in a state in which limb amputation is the only option to avoid sepsis and death, and if consent cannot be obtained due to the fact that the patient is unconscious and cannot speak for her/himself, what is the appropriate action that should be taken? What is legally sound?

Posted By Anonymous, ferndale, mi

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