Avodah Zarah 021

1:
Our mishnah continues the discussion concerning inter-personal relationships between Jews and non-Jews in everyday life.

2:
The first part of our mishnah is rather enigmatic. The Gemara [AZ 27a] recognises the problem: what is the meaning of 'medical attention for money" as opposed to "medical attention for one's life"? Logic would suggest to us that "medical attention for money" must surely mean that we pay the non-Jewish doctor for his services. The Gemara shows that this is not the case.

But does our mishnah mean to say that one may only have recourse to a non-Jewish physician when no danger can be expected from his ministrations and one can only use his services freely, paying no consideration to the danger, when one's life is threatened anyway by some disease? The Gemara now points out that it cannot be that our mishnah would permit medical attention from a non-Jew against payment because

So, Rav Yehudah does not permit a non-Jew to tend a Jew even for a minor ailment whether it is against payment or not. However, another meaning can be attributed to the Hebrew word mamon which we have understood as referring to money. It can also refer to property. This is the interpretation for which the Gemara opts: not "medical attention when money is concerned" but "medical attention where property is concerned." But what 'property' would require medical attention?

Accordingly, our mishnah teaches that a farmer may engage the services of a non-Jewish veterinarian to minister to his flocks and herds but under no circumstances may he permit a non-Jewish doctor to give medical attention to himself or his family.

3:
I think that it may be instructive if at this point we digress a little. The discussion in the Gemara about doctors inevitably leads to personal recommendations for successful treatments. Here are some examples:

I am not sure that I would be happy if a physician – Jew or gentile – were to apply worms from a dunghill to an open wound on my skin!

Yet again:

Would my local pharmacy prepare such a prescription? I very much doubt it!

And yet again:

One wonders how people survived at all with such medical treatment.

To be continued.

In AZ 018 we learned about the lares and penates – little idols that guarded over various aspects of domestic safety.

Amnon Ron'el writes:

I fear that this comment may annoy, but many Jews believe that Mezuzot protect the house and those who live in it and that if there are troubles in the home the mezuzot should be checked and replaced. Is this not similar?

I respond:

While I understand why Amnon makes his comment – and it does not annoy! – I must point out that there is a conceptual difference. The mezuzah consists of two biblical quotations written on parchment and affixed to the doorpost so that anyone going out of the house will be reminded of God's protection. It is not the mezuzah that protects but He who commanded the mezuzah.

Unfortunately, many Jews do have the erroneous concept that Amnon describes. This can even lead them into danger, as I have pointed out in a responsum which I have written. Concerning people who attribute magical properties to mezuzot Rambam has written in his Mishneh Torah [Mezuzah 5:4]:

My responsum, about kissing mezuzot in hospitals and clinics, is available (in Hebrew) here.