AboutRabbi Barry Dov Lerner Expertise Write to me with questions about Jewish customs and law, history,
philosophy and tradition for answers from a Conservative perspective or conversion. I am a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary and a member of the Conservative Rabbinical Assembly. Having served in congregational pulpits since 1970, I now am President of the Foundation For Family Education, Inc. a non-profit educational endeavor. I established it to create new formats of hands-on programs and provide free educational downloads at www.jewishfreeware.org. In addition to general informational questions I welcome your questions about programs for social action, outreach to dual-faith families, inter-faith clergy projects, healing services, education for conversion, adult education for the congregation and the community. If you have questions about Informal and Formal Education I am ready to share my extensive experience with Youth Activities, Camping and Religious School/Hebrew High School on a congregational, community and national/international level.
Experience I have served on the National Youth Commission for more than 25 years and serve on the Boards of the Conservative Zionist movement MERCAZ and the World Council of Synagogues. I have always dual-families and taught candidates for conversion with a great sense of fulfillment. I am very proud of 25 years on the Jewish camping staff of Camps Ramah. My greatest source of pride is my family! Ask me about them, please!:-)
Question How or can the beliefs of Judaism affect their stay in the hospital? Does it affect any tests or procedures? How can health care professionals work to respect these beliefs while still providing the best possible care?
Answer Dear Rikki,
Thanks for writing, but to be honest I am not sure of your questions.
Are you asking if Judaism believes - which means are there scholars and teachers who believe - that faith and prayer will affect the length of stay in a hospital because of divine intervention and healing? Yes, there are, and there are also others who would not agree.
I personally ascribe to a theology in which God does not become - to use the phrasing of Rabbi Harold Kushner - a "divine bellhop" running to answer prayer and "reward" observance. If so, does that mean that unobservant, non-prayerful people are not granted healing or prompt healing?
Can prayer, meditation, etc. lower blood pressure, relieve some anxiety, provide relief from extreme pain in addition to medical treatment, my experience would say yes. How and why I can't completely explain.
I do believe that - at the least - faith and prayer offer those who are ill the strength of mind, heart and spirit to hope for the best that can be, to have a sense of comfort and not being alone in their distress. These and the other emotional benefits of religious belief have been attested to by some in the mental health and physical health field - but definitive research probably still is awaiting a more final answer. My gut sense is that it does help; and, it certainly can't hurt.
If you are asking whether prayer and faith can replace medical tests and care, then I would respectfully disagree. If anything, the divine element is the gift to humanity of intelligence to develop medical treatment and the dedicated compassion of the health professionals to attempt to sustain those who are ill.
Similarly, I do believe that family and friends offer support by visiting the ill, by praying for their recovery and sharing with them that they are doing so, will help family and friends themselves cope with the illness and the ultimate result of medical treatment as well as offer additional support to the sick.
