Comments on: Out Of The Mailbag: A Doctor Responds To Metzitza B’peh Comments Made by Avi Billet

By: Former YU Guy

Former YU Guy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 20:21:25 +0000

can someone answer this Q?

where did he say not to do Metzitzah?

All he said is that the father should do it, not the mohel.

You have corrupted the mitzva of milah if you believe any aspect of the milah is a chiyuv of the mohel. It’s all a chiyuv on the father, and the mohel is just a shaliach, as most father’s cannot do the milah safely. However, almost all fathers can do Metzitzah safely. Therefore, there is no problem with a father doing it.

I would strongly argue that any doctor that argues that its better for a mohel to do Metzitzah instead of a father (as a general case), should be stripped of their license to practice medicine as they are encouraging behavior that can turn a mohel intro a transmitter of disease.

By: en1

en1 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:25:41 +0000

51.
I think your misconception of the article was that it changed or determined Halachah a new way.. far from it. It was not changing or out to change anything; except to educate those people who want to know how to scientifically minimize infection risk. The ideas contained did not deviate from Halacha as defined in Shulchan Aruch. You will not find these suggestions in a Teshivah Sefer with a haskamah from the ‘Gedolim’ because they do not belong there. The same way you don’t have pictures or details of the bandages. That is technique.

By: shtenderbender

shtenderbender — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:49:56 +0000

#43
If he’d prove himself first as being on the level of the personalities you refer to, than I agree he mas all the authority necessary. Until then my words remain accurate.

#52
Don’t be so quick on the defense!

I definitely have stepped foot in the institution and its Beis Medrash in question, and I have relatives who are respected graduates as well.

I have never written any comment that accentuates any degradation of the institution, its students or its faculty. I only wrote about an individual who may have graduated from the institution you refer to or not -I don’t know and I don’t care.

If you educate me and insist that my remarks can be interpreted as a fair description of the beliefs this institution espouses you are either doing the institution an injustice or…

By: Heimishemacher

Heimishemacher — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:49:42 +0000

Shimen, the point was not to compare – it was to show that a person’s age is irrelevant once the person is a bonafide adult. Even children should be heard, by the way, even if we view their fewer years as making them more naive.
While I agree with “torahis1″ about the disgraceful “sinas chinam” of one side of the equation here, shtenderbender in particular (#43) exhibits the character traits of a real sonei yisroel.
It’s amazing how once one hides in the shame of anonymity, the rules of lashon hara are thrown away because you don’t have to protect your own name from the bad things you say.
Shimen and shtenderbender, your animosity towards Yeshiva University is quite clear and apparent. I am sure you never stepped foot in the institution, nor in its Beis Medrash, and you have no idea what kind of makom torah it really is. You should be ashamed – at your ignorance and at the way you disgrace your fellow Jews.

Hillel Moshe Gruenstein

By: Softwords

Softwords — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:28:38 +0000

torahis1 – I believe that you are misjudging people. Those that are coming out against him are doing so out of concern for daas torah. They feel that he is stepping out of line. I feel that way as well. I can’t judge him as an individual because I don’t know him at all. However, it is clear that he is not in a position to make authoritative decisions for Ganz Klal Yisrael. I see nothing wrong with him placing his suggestions before the Gedolim, but to try to publicly make changes on his own is out of line. I don’t care what color his kippa is, where he learnt, or from whom he received smicha. He could be from Ponevitch and have received Yoda Yoda from Rav Shaich, ztl. I don’t care. He is not one of the Gedolim and therefore is not allowed to determine halacha for Ganz Klal Yisrael; for his kehila, yes; for Ganz Klal Yisael, no.

Keep in mind, the Anshe Kineset Hagedola established takanas for Klal Yisrael. It consisted of the 120 top Chochomim. That means that number 121, as great as he may have been, was not allowed to take part in their decisions.For his Kehilla, yes; for Ganz Klal Yisrael, no.

To all of us – Know your place!

By: max mulberg

max mulberg — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:48:35 +0000

The mid-19th century Austro-Hungarian physician/obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweiss, discovered the germ theory of disease, where simple hand-washing was utilized to prevent prepueral infection. He was scorned and ostracized at the time. Similarly, during the Civil War physicians used to thread suture material by first putting the thread in their mouth so they could easily thread the material through the needle. Do we want to go back to Civil War times? Kudos to Rav Billet!

By: shtenderbender

shtenderbender — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:32:00 +0000

#44
Thankfully, our religion isn’t shaped by people based on what they choose as their profession.

As I wrote, he may have studied the proper texts to be ordained a Rabbi, and he may have apprenticed under another mohel, competent or otherwise.

Neither give him credibility to offer Klal Yisroel an opinion to change the way we’ve performed the mitzvah of milah for three thousand years.

By: danielb43

danielb43 — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:07:50 +0000

To #46: I fully agree with you. Those who claim to follow Daas Torah should ask a Sheilah before posting personal attacks – there would be A LOT fewer of them.

But what about Yeshiva World’s editorial policy? Why not only publish comments, on either side of an issue, that are expressed respectfully, sans the personal attacks? What is the Heter to print anonymous vilifications from people who apparently are not yet Frum (in Bein Adam l’Chaveiro)?

By: shimen

shimen — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 01:26:15 +0000

44..what nerve to compare this young upstart ‘rabbi’ to reb lezer ben azarya,ktoz,rambam,

By: Heimishemacher

Heimishemacher — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 23:03:22 +0000

Shtenderbender (#43) and Krunch (#6) – How ironic that you bring a person’s age into the equation. When did Rav Elazar ben Azarya become the leader of his colleagues?
When did the ktzos write the shev shmaytsa?
When did the Rambam write his Peirush Hamishnayos?
What does Rabbi (no quotations marks please) Avi Billet’s age have anything to do with his right to have an opinion?

RABBI Avi Billet has been a mohel for ten years. Most doctors are given the “right” to a credible opinion much sooner after they complete medical school.