Halacha Archives - Fleetwood Synagogue

March 4, 2024

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at March 4, 2024

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A Note on Shomer Shabbas Residency

There is much discussion regarding the attitude religious medical students should have when considering ranking shomer shabbas residencies. There are two components to keeping shabbas. One is the prohibition from doing certain actions (basically, the 39 melachos) and two is the obligation to celebrate shabbas (rest, make kiddush, not fast […]

November 6, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at November 6, 2023

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Avraham Woke Up Early: a model of compassion

Jews have always responded to tragedy and triumph in similar ways, namely, understanding the events through a halachic prism. The recent war has resulted in the reproduction of halachic literature not seen in some time either condemning or praising the Israeli army’s careful consideration of the targets it picks in […]

October 13, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 13, 2023

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Halachic Talking Part I

A. Background Production of sound by biological species requires phonation, the production of primary vocal tones by the vocal folds. Arytenoids, pyramidal shaped cartilages on the upper border of the cricoid cartilage, serve as the attachment sites for some of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx which allows for the […]

October 3, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023

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Halachic Hearing Part III

C. Analysis of Sources and its Implications The sources discussed above reveal three worldviews with how to analyze CI. The first, espoused by Dr. Brama and Rabbi Rabinowitz, consider halachic hearing in terms of biological principles. As long as sound waves are converted to electrical impulses that stimulate the cochlear […]

October 3, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023

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Halachic Hearing Part II

B. Sources As we discussed in the previous chapter, Rabbi Aurbach analyzed hearing aids as ineffective for halachic purposes as the patient hears the sound that was produced by the speaker not the sound of the person who spoke. Dr. Brama[1] assumed that Rabbi Aurbach would then not be concerned […]

October 3, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023

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Halachic Hearing Part I

A. Background In the previous section, we considered halachic talking. Specifically, how devices that utilize microphone and speakers are considered in halacha. As mentioned, the same principles apply to microphones, hearing aids and telephones and as such there are many sources as the halachic analysis of one can be applied […]

October 3, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023

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Halachic Talking Part V

D. Other Applications Another issue that has significant ramifications is the therapeutic options available to patients who undergo total laryngectomy. As reported by the CDC, in the United States, 12,500 cases of laryngeal cancer are diagnosed annually and 3,800 people die from the disease. Risk factors for developing laryngeal cancer […]

October 3, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023

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Halachic Talking Part IV

C. Analysis of the Sources and their Implications The earlier sources that discussed microphones and hearing aids have a very liberal definition of what is considered producing sound in halacha. In effect, they argued that any sound that is produced due to human intervention is considered sound. Therefore, sound produced […]

October 3, 2023

Published by Rabbi Yosef A. Cohen, MD at October 3, 2023

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Halachic Talking Part III

ii. Speaker not Halachic Talking The first halachic authority to significantly argue that any form of a microphone is not considered halachically attributed to the person who made the original sound is Rabbi Aurbach[1]. To make his case, he used Rabbi Halpern’s exception as the rule. The opposing view assumed […]