The Physician vs. the Halakhic Man: Theory and Practice in Maimonides's Attitude towards Treating Gentiles

Ancient Jewish law took a strict approach to medical relationships between Jews and non-Jews. Sages forbade Jews to provide non-Jews with medical services: to treat them, circumcise them, or deliver their babies, in order to refrain from helping pagan-idolatrous society. Such law created particularl...

Description complète

Enregistré dans:  
Détails bibliographiques
Auteur principal: Shemesh, Avraham Ofir 1966- (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
Vérifier la disponibilité: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
En cours de chargement...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Publié: CEEOL [2018]
Dans: Journal for the study of religions and ideologies
Année: 2018, Volume: 17, Numéro: 49, Pages: 18-31
Sujets / Chaînes de mots-clés standardisés:B Maimonides, Moses 1135-1204 / Halakha / Guérison / Non-juif
RelBib Classification:AX Dialogue interreligieux
BH Judaïsme
NCH Éthique médicale
Sujets non-standardisés:B Halakha
B Maimonides
B Medieval Medicine
B Mishneh Torah
B Ethnic-medicine
B Medical Jewish prohibition
B Judaism
B idolaters
B Medical Treatment
B treating Muslims
Accès en ligne: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Résumé:Ancient Jewish law took a strict approach to medical relationships between Jews and non-Jews. Sages forbade Jews to provide non-Jews with medical services: to treat them, circumcise them, or deliver their babies, in order to refrain from helping pagan-idolatrous society. Such law created particularly severe social conflicts in cases of mixed societies based on joint systems. The current paper focuses on the attitude of Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides, Rambam, 1138-1204), a medieval Sephardic Jewish Rabbi towards providing medical service to gentiles. Following the classical rabbis R. Moshe ben Maimon in his halakhic tome Mishne Torah, objected to treating non-Jews. His rigid attitude found expression in several aspects of helping and giving medical treatment to non-Jews. Despite the classical rabbinical restrictions on medical relationships between Jews and non-Jews, and his own rigid halakhic verdicts, Maimonides treated gentiles. According to one understanding, Maimonides cured Muslims for a wage, which is permitted. However, it seems that the main factor that may have facilitated Maimonides halakhic position is the identification of Islam as a non-idolatrous faith. Interestingly not only on medical issues did the Maimonides act differently than his halakhic rulings in Mishne Torah, rather in other areas as well.
ISSN:1583-0039
Contient:Enthalten in: Journal for the study of religions and ideologies