am@vilya.UUCP (MALEK) (10/28/85)
In article <32374@lanl.ARPA>, wkp@lanl.ARPA writes: > > > As a postscript to this, I would like to bring up the recent psak > > > halacha decided on by Rev Moshe Feinstein and the North American > > > Rabbinate (all males, of course) regarding the ban on husbands > > > accompanying their wives into birthing rooms. ...[ME] > > Where did you see this BS about what R. Moshe Feinstein said? > > [Other flames deleted]....[MALEK]. > This is unfair of Mr. Malek, and his flames are not appreciated, especially > if he brings up articles from the Jewish Press Yes, I should not have mentioned the Jewish Press as a source. It is however a secondary source which in this case is correct. "kabel et ha-emet mi-mi she-omro" > The psak halacha I referred to was published in the international Hebrew > newspaper Yisrael Shelanu (which by the way is far from being anti-halacha). > The issue was dated 23 Tammuz 5745 (7/12/85), and the article is on page 28. > To quote directly from parts of the article which was titled "Birth--Not > for Men!": > "The Agudat haRabanim of North America, headed by haNasi haGaoan, haRav > Moshe Feinstein made public a kol koreh against the current custom in > hospitals of allowing husbands to observe and give sympathy to their wife > during labor." > bill peter ihnp4!lanl!wkp I must apologize for flaming you; The reason I was disturbed is because this article you quoted is still being quoted months after it was denounced as fake. The so-called letter was not written by Rav Moshe; someone planted it maliciously and signed his name. The article you mentioned appeared in the Jewish Press as well, but they had the courtesy and decency to publish the appropriate denials. I do not read Yisrael Shelanu every week, but I would assume the denials or retractions were published there as well. I spoke to Rav Label Katz of Boro Park, who is a student of Rav Moshe, and he affirmed that there is not issur in the presence of a husband in a birthing room. You may check the halacha with Rabbi Katz or any other qualified Orthodox rabbi. Unfortunately Rav Moshe is not in the best of health and I cannot check with him myself. Halacha is a serious matter, and cannot be determined from newspapers. It is determined only by Talmidei Chachamim who can only determine it from sources, and cannot make up issurim by themselves. A tshuva was written a few years ago by Rav Chaim David Halevi, the chief separdic rabbi of Tel Aviv, where he stated that no one can make gezerot in our time. Mea culpa, since I made the mistake of quoting the Jewish Press. But that does not change the halacha. If you believe is is forbidden, you may quote sources, but I do not belive you or anyone else can. -- Avi Malek @ATT Bell Labs Parsippany, NJ