How crucial it is not to give reproof in public
“To render decisions regarding the day of uncleanness and the day of cleanness. This is the law of tzaraas.” (Vayikra 14:57)
Imagine this scene. It’s time for doctors’ rounds at the hospital. The head physician scans the patient’s chart as the young residents surround the bed. The physician begins to lecture about the illness, and the residents listen carefully, interrupting occasionally with a question. The patient’s lying there, feeling like a specimen in the zoo, simultaneously invisible but exposed, as his private details are discussed publicly.
According to Tzitz Eliezer, the above scenario is completely forbidden according to halachah, as this group discussion only benefits the hospital’s efficiency, not the patient’s care. (Rav Shalom Meir Wallach, Maayan Hashavua)
M
any years ago, I was blessed with one of those quirky conditions unique to pregnancy that appear without cause and refuse to disappear; in this case I had xerostomia — in layman’s terms, dry mouth. Every swallow made me nauseous, and even speaking was difficult. The doctor assured me it would disappear after birth, but meanwhile, it was misery.
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