Defining the Moment: Understanding Brain Death in Halakhah


Defining the Moment: Understanding Brain Death in Halakhah
תוצאת תמונה עבור ‪Defining the Moment: Understanding Brain Death in Halakhah‬‏Rabbi David Shabtai, MD
Kodesh / 415 pp

I was completely blown away by the clarity and readability of Defining the Moment: Understanding Brain Death in Halakhah by Rabbi David Shabtai. 

Medical papers, articles, and books, far too often scare away the layman rather than educate him. In this book, Rabbi Shabtai presents the relevant issues surrounding brain death in unprecedented clarity. For the first time, certainly in terms of a book of this caliber on medical issues, I am able to say that I understood what was presented and walked away more educated than I had begun.

Rabbi Shabtai covers everything from the basics to the advanced. Among the topics covered are organ donation issues, including the fascinating process and procedures, cardiopulmonary issues, and of course brain death, cardio death and the like. Everything is explained in a clear manner. 

The relevant rabbinic texts, from Talmud to Shulchan Aruch, along with the views of the poskim are all presented and elaborated on. Especially exciting to me is the discussion and analysis of the views of Rav Moshe Feinstein, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, and Rav J. David Bleich. Indeed, R’ Moshe’s four teshuvot on the issue are dealt with separately presenting his view in a clear manner.

If you ever wanted to know about brain death in halacha but felt that the topic was simply to gigantic and complicated for you to properly understand…worry no more. This book presents the topic in an inviting and non-intimidating manner. After reading this book one will definitely have a better understanding of the various opinions as to what qualifies as halachic death, and by extension, what, when, and which organs may be transplanted from donor to recipient. Highly recommended.

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