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["The best among the physicians to Gehinom (to hell)?"]
1Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Department, Soroka Medical Center Beer Sheva, Beer Sheva. benges@bgumail.bgu.ac.il
Harefuah
|November 5, 2004
Summary
The Mishnaic dictum "best physicians to Gehinom" was a later addition, not original. It condemned only physicians using heretical practices, not all doctors, and served as a moral lesson for Jewish physicians.
Area of Science:
- Medical Ethics
- Jewish Studies
- Religious History
Context:
- The Mishnaic dictum 'The best among the physicians to Gehinom' appears to condemn all physicians.
- This contradicts the general respect for medicine in Jewish tradition.
Purpose:
- To analyze the Mishnaic dictum 'The best among the physicians to Gehinom' within its original context.
- To examine its historical reception and evolving interpretations in Jewish and non-Jewish literature.
Summary:
- Manuscript analysis reveals the dictum was a later addition to the Mishnah.
- Parallel texts indicate condemnation was specific to physicians using heretical or idolatrous methods.
- Jewish commentators used it for moral instruction, while non-Jewish authors misused it for anti-Semitic purposes.
Impact:
- The dictum does not reflect a negative Jewish view of medicine or physicians.
- It specifically targeted physicians employing illicit practices.
- It has been historically used to reinforce professional and moral responsibility among Jewish physicians.