A Surgeon With Heart

Dr. Yaakov was a highly skilled surgeon. Patients came from all over the country to seek his expert guidance and adept treatment. Despite his great professional success, and his dedication to his wife and eleven children, Dr. Yaakov took great care to fulfill his obligations as a reservist in the army.

At the end of a week of training, Dr. Yaakov approached his commanding officer, Alon, with a thoughtful look on his face. “Alon, you know how grateful I am for the opportunity that I have as a reservist, to serve my country.” Dr. Yaakov paused. Alon was sure that he knew where this conversation was going. “I don’t think I’m doing enough, though.”

“What? What could you possibly mean?” Alon stammered. “You serve your people on the home front, and give excellent, compassionate treatment to wounded soldiers.”

“That’s exactly the point, Alon.” Dr. Yaakov responded. “What am I doing serving here, when I could be saving the lives of soldiers behind enemy lines? How many soldiers’ lives could have been saved if they had received expert surgical care immediately after they were injured? Sure I do a lot from here, but with the medical skills I’ve developed over the years, I could do so much more!”

“But you’re safe over here!” countered Alon. “What about your wife and eleven children? How could you risk your life, going behind enemy lines, and risk leaving eleven children without a father, G-d forbid?”

What should Dr. Yaakov do?

Answer of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l:

If the superiors’ intention is that if Dr. Yaakov dies, he will leave eleven children for the country to financially support, this factor is entirely irrelevant. This is because the decision of which doctor should be sent behind enemy lines must be made with seriousness and consideration of which doctor is most appropriate for the task, and with unsullied calculations regarding the laws of saving lives. Monetary factors should not be taken into account at all. Saving lives takes precedence over the entire Torah. Certainly, therefore, saving lives takes precedence over monetary considerations.

If however, the commanding officer is expressing concern about eleven children being orphaned from their father, this decision is the domain of the doctor and his family. It is up to them to decide whether they are committed to the value of saving lives, and if this takes priority over other considerations, for them. This family has decided that they want their husband and father to risk his life, in order to save lives. In this case, the family has great merit, and this merit will serve as a protection for the doctor, so that he will not be harmed.

(ע"פ הספר קב ונקי)

Translated by Avigail Kirsch