שאלות לאחר לימוד נשמת אברהם

Hi,

My name is S.R. and I am currently studying at Nishmat, a midrasha in Jerusalem and am going to med school next year. I got your email form a rabbi in my school because I had some questions on medical Halachah. My questions are based on the book Comprehensive Guide to Medical Halachah by Dr. Abraham. Any answers you could provide as well as recommendations for other books would be really helpful. Thank you in advance!

Here are the questions:

1. If you ask a nonjew to perform treatment how is that different from a Jew performing the treatment himself?

To what extent can the person be instructed?

2. Why is an eye infection considered such a severe illness if it is localized?

3. What are considered serious results that would prevent a person from fasting on Yom Kippur?

4. If smoking is considered dangerous to life how do so many religious people still smoke? -what is the leniency they rely on?

5. Why is there such an emphasis on psychological effects on ill patients that you can even lie and say food they are eating is kosher? To what extent can you lie?

6. if there is chametz in medicine, why can a person take it on Pesach if it is unpalatable?

7. If the mitzvah for chanukah candles is Persum hanes, why can't a blind person light them? And why light without a candle?

8. Why does a married daughter only have an obligation to care for her parents if her husband consents? What are her obligation if he does not consent?

9. Why is a toothache so significant that you can set aside Torah prohibitions?

10. If a blind person can go out with their guide dogs on the Sabbath why can't they go out with a cane if there is no eruv?

11. If a medical school requires coming in on the Sabbath what can you do as a medical student? What about as a resident?

12. If an observant Jew's patient comes in on the Sabbath, should he treat him or leave it to his nonobservant partner to treat?

13. If you can not support any more animals, is it still forbidden to castrate a male or spay a female animal? Why is this the law?

14. Can a person undergo surgery even if it only provides short term relief of their condition?

15. Are residents allowed to attend an operation on the Sabbath?

16. Why can't a patient who is too ill to talk be visited?

17. Why should a Torah scholar be visited first?

18. How is it permissible to sell one's organ?

19. Can you take medicine to alleviate pain even if it might partially endanger one's life?

20. What is the limit for when a person can be resuscitated and why is that different from other ways of maintaining someone alive?

21. If a Kohen is prohibited from coming in contact with a corpse, how can they study medicine?

22. Why are the rules different for a Kohen in Israel and in the diaspora in terms of what hospital they can attend?

23. If a woman has a cast on their body that can't be removed or get wet, how can they go to the mikvah?

thank you,