New York City health officials are investigating the death of a baby boy who died of herpes after a circumcision by Rabbi Yitzhok Fischer. Fischer carries the herpes virus and is believed to have infected two other infants while serving as a mohel. Under the Orthodox practice followed by Fischer, he actually uses his mouth to suck the blood from the infant’s penis when he cuts the foreskin.
Infants are particularly susceptible to the virus given their reduced immunity systems. Within ten days of the circumcision, one of twin boys died from the virus and another was infected.
The Book of Genesis stipulates circumcision as a defining mark for the descendants of Abraham: “Throughout all generations, every male shall be circumcised when he is eight days old…This shall be my covenant in your flesh, an eternal covenant. The uncircumcised male whose foreskin has not been circumcised, shall have his soul cut off from his people; he has broken my Covenant.” (Genesis 17:1-14)
Metzitzah b’peh (“suction by mouth”) is rarely used outside of the Haredi and Hasidic communities. Under this practice, the mohel spits the blood into a receptacle provided. While most mohelim rinse their mouths out with alcohol to sanitize them, alcohol may not kill the herpes virus.
This will make for some novel criminal and tort litigation. It is difficult to see how this shocking practice can be allowed as a public health matter. As a matter of torts, the families can clearly sue this rabbi for negligence with punitive damage potential. Indeed, I believe that there could would be a strong case for battery. The question will be reckless homicide and other criminal charges. Presumably, this rabbi knew he was a carrier and yet proceeded to use his mouth rather than the more common suction device.
For the full story, click here
“If a Jew kills a gentile, the Jew is to go free.”
–Babylonian Talmud: Sanhedrin 57a
IS writes: I am sorry but one must confront evil with more than humor.
this person is a threat to individual freedom and liberty and humor in my mind just dosent cut it.
You are a better person than I am to approach it the way you do.
me: I am a Jew and a victim of what would now be called a violent hate crime but then it was just a game that two kids played on me that went terribly wrong.
My freedom is not affected at all by racists and bigots. they simply do not have the power to limit where I go, what I say, what I do, who I associate with. they don’t. I think they are wasting their lives with hate and stupidity, but that is their right and far be it for me to try to change that. the more time they spend hating the less time they have for other things, like enjoyment of life. the more time they spend in basements goose-stepping to nazi rock the less time they have to hike in parks, body surf by favorite spots, so what I do and go where I go. I’d say that they are already limited in their pursuit of freedom by the shackles on their closed up constipated world view.
I know I am not a better person — I just have a way of looking at things that works for me
GWLSM:
I am sorry but one must confront evil with more than humor.
this person is a threat to individual freedom and liberty and humor in my mind just dosent cut it.
You are a better person than I am to approach it the way you do.
IS writes: There is no place for this type of thinking in civilized society.
take your Heinrich Himmler and Hitler dolls and play bury the swastika somewhere else.
me: actually, IS, I like seeing people like TBK out in the open. Do does Morris Dees of the Southern Poverty Law Center and so does Abe Foxman of the ADL. While this kind of thinking is anathema to me and to others here, while I find it repulsive, I kind of like the Mel Brooks approach… make jokes at their expense…laugh at them…show that they are ridiculous and you take away their power. where do you think “springtime for hitler” comes from?
anyway, as much as I am sickened by their beliefs I don’t deny them the right to believe as they will. so let them have their websites and their collections of nazi memorabilia and their swastikas.
the more they do this in the open the less we have to worry about.
they are not civilized, but since when is being a jew hater against the law?
TBK/BTK:
I have not said anything about killing but a good American ass whooping would be deserved for that BS.
I also would feel the same way if you were sending me to an anti-Islamic site or whatever. There is no place for this type of thinking in civilized society.
take your Heinrich Himmler and Hitler dolls and play bury the swastika somewhere else.
Coorectins: my pearls
Spindell
You are the one who is hysterical. I have done nothing here remotely resembling irrationality. I have simply stated the facts which anyone can verify if he wanted the truth. Typical of jewish behaviour is to accuse others of bad behaviour. Not a single one of my statements has been refuted on this site.This IndenturedServant now is advocating killing me. Tisk! Tisk! You people are such hypocrites. You can’t stand truth so the trheats and name-calling begin.
Don’t worry I will not continue to cast my pears.
IS,
Some scum does a service by revealing their true selves as they go along. This one is beginning to get hysterical because no one is paying attention to him. He is more to be pitied than hated because his bigotry has crippled him.
WOW!!!
IndenturedServant!!!!More like slave of the jews….
I am sure that you would not have any problems with me if I were promoting killing Muslims for IsRaHell.
And you pretend to be open minded and tolerant.
TBK/BTK:
you are one sick individual if you like the stuff on that web site. My contempt for you is beyond words if you adhere to this, this, even shit is to good a word for it.
I cant even believe that there are people who believe it and that I may interact with them on a daily basis. I don’t necessarily believe in violence but I think I would make an exception for people that believe what that site is saying.
The total disregard this site has for humanity and the human intellect is appalling, there is nothing even remotely redeeming about it. I am not one for censorship but I would ask Prof. Turley to remove TruthBeKnown’s July 18, 2009 at 11:45 am post in the name of the human intellect and decency.
Correction:’It’s http://www.newsfromthewest.blogspot.com.
All you white european gentiles out there, enjoy!!!!!
SWM: “I thought your name was lottakatz because there were lots of Katz’s in your family but maybe you have lots of cats.”
Cats, and a best friend was named Katz so it just had to be Lottakatz. When I took that name the better half and I lived with more cats but time has reduced the cat contingent of the life pod down to two kitties. Four just seems to us to be the proper number but circumstance has brought us more on occasion. We have been cat-lite for about a year.
That changes next week because my deceased friend (who was converted to the cat side through her association with me) also had seen her house-cat population decline to two cats and now they need a home. When the house is vacated next week I’ll bring them home with me. One of her cats is actually a brother to one of mine and they have similar temperaments so I’m hoping the transition works out well for them (us) all.
All of our kitties have been strays or adopted. I just can’t understand how people consider their pets disposable but they do (drop-off rates at shelters go up in a poor economy and that I do understand) so we have never had a dearth of kitties in our lives for very long.
Now you are forewarned, obviously that the mere mention of cats could warrant a lengthy posting ( when stopping with “Cats” would have done as well) tips you to the fact that your dealing with a hardcore cat person and means that the word should be used sparingly in my vicinity. 🙂 I’ll resist the reflexive urge to tell you, in detail, the last cute thing one of our cats did, which was yesterday … no … NO … MUST … RESIST … 🙂
Again, thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. As someone else (AY maybe) mentioned above, I too hope BIL is OK and will return.
You have limited comprehension skills.
You have made it very clear that you despise physicians so I will ignore your editorial as more of the same order of crap you’ve been serving up since you arrived in April under your current handle.
Get some help. You need sorely it.
Patty C 1, July 17, 2009 at 3:47 pm
ALthough I don’t know you, I am also sorry for your double losses, LK…
I will attribute your ‘ramble’ to an apparent lack of sleep, as you say, likely attributable on both levels- parent and close (girl?)friend, I presume…
As doctors, we lose people out of our patient families of thousands on any given day. It’s never without some sensations of loss even if we did not know them well, personally.
Pardon me for being slightly detached when it comes to the natural course of life and events than most folks.
I couldn’t do my job, otherwise.
****************************************
Your utter lack of consideration must make you the most exemplary example of what not to do in your alleged medical practice and therefore an example to be understood.
Your lack of compassion amazes me, how can you be so inconsiderate and rude to people in times like these? Are you trying to make a lastly impression?
Go out and walk in wet concrete, stand there for a while, let it set. When no one comes to your aide reread what the hell it is that you wrote here. You would certainly understand why.
Unfortunately here in Texas they have passed laws that make it obligatory to assist in roadside emergency’s. I am sure that the court would look at the failure to assist you as justifiable.
Lotta,
My condolences.
ALthough I don’t know you, I am also sorry for your double losses, LK…
I will attribute your ‘ramble’ to an apparent lack of sleep, as you say, likely attributable on both levels- parent and close (girl?)friend, I presume…
As doctors, we lose people out of our patient families of thousands on any given day. It’s never without some sensations of loss even if we did not know them well, personally.
Pardon me for being slightly detached when it comes to the natural course of life and events than most folks.
I couldn’t do my job, otherwise.
lottakatz Thank you for all your deep and thoughtful posts. I am sorry for your losses. I thought your name was lottakatz because there were lots of Katz’s in your family but maybe you have lots of cats.
Thank you all for your kind and generous thoughts. The last few weeks have been a horrorshow and your kindness is greatly appreciated.
Lotta
I was thinking that you’d been scarce for the same reason as me…. that you were away, enjoying the summer. I am so sorry to hear of your recent losses. The things we say at times like this seem so trite and I usually feel pretty helpless when trying to offer comfort. I hope that as the days as weeks pass your burden grows lighter and that your grief is replaced by loving memories.
lottakatz:
“I made my posting because I saw Bob E’s posting and yours to be the leading edge of a personal affront and is indicative of a subconscious impulse to sex/gender bias or insult. Notice I said subconscious.”
Actually, it was meant entirely as comic relief; i.e. relief from the psycho-sexual nightmare of a tangent the discussion had turned into.
And I am sorry about your loss.
Bob