Psychiatry – Halachic Questions
Fifth Session – Psychiatry – Halachic Questions
Question posed by: Representative from the Audience
Response by: Rav Moshe Mordechai Farbstein,
Member of Rabbinical Court, Netanya
1. In which medical circumstances is a person referred to as a shoteh (insane) or a peti (retarded)?
2. When is it permitted to compel a person to undergo psychiatric treatment?
3. What is the halachic significance of a state of inebriation or acting under the influence of drugs?
4. When does the psychiatric state of the mother justify abortion of the fetus?
5. What is the current halachic status of people who suffer from epilepsy?