Torah Corner

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

B. Sources i. Speaker as Halachic Talking One of the earliest sources that discussed microphones in Halacha was written by Rabbi Spira, the third leader of the Mumkatch Hassidic dynasty. Rabbi Spira’s[1] responsa primarily focused on fulfilling an obligation heard over a speaker where the person talking and the one […]