Reply To: SMOKING – why should it be MUTTAR?

“Yea it’s unhealthy, but there are more obese Jews than smokers.”

LAKEWHUT – we are talking about lives, not obesity.

And for those who believe they are addicted – see Sefer VeHarev Na by R’ Yitzchok Zilbertein Shlit”a – he brings a story about his father-in-law R’ Elyashiv Shlit”a: a doctor had to perform an operation on a patient on Shabbos. He asked R’ Elyashiv if he could smoke before the operation and it will make the operation go better. R’ Elyashiv replied surprisingly by not saying that it is Ossur all year round, but still said it is ossur on shabbos, stating there is no such thing as an addiction (See Parshas Behaloscho)