[Complementary medicine--Jewish medical ethics]

Area of Science:

• Medical Ethics
• Religious Studies
• Public Health Policy

Context:

• Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use is increasing globally, including in Israel.
• CAM presents ethical dilemmas for healthcare providers, policymakers, and the public regarding evidence, funding, and legal protection.
• Jewish law and tradition offer a framework for evaluating these ethical questions.

Purpose:

• To present a Jewish ethical and practical approach to complementary and alternative medicine.
• To analyze the halachic (Jewish legal) status of various CAM treatments.
• To provide guidance for observant Jews and healthcare professionals navigating CAM.

Summary:

• The article categorizes CAM treatments into four groups based on safety and scientific evidence.
• Each category is assigned a distinct halachic status, influencing its permissibility and implications for observant Jews.
• Key Jewish sources, including the Mishnah, Talmud, and Maimonides, inform this ethical framework.

Impact:

• Provides a novel ethical-practical framework for evaluating CAM within Jewish tradition.
• Offers guidance on issues such as treatment safety, religious observance (Kashrut, Shabbat), legal liability for therapists, and public funding.
• Contributes to the discourse on integrating alternative therapies within established religious and medical systems.