Siamese Twins
To join the thousands of recipients and receive these insights free on a weekly email, obtain previous articles, feedback, comments, suggestions, to support or dedicate this publication which has been in six continents and over thirty countries, or if you know anyone who is interested in receiving these insights weekly, please contact the author, Rabbi Yehoshua Alt, at [email protected]. Thank you.
לעילוי נשמת שלמה יואל בן משה דוד
Archives: https://parshasheets.com/?s=Rabbi+Yehoshua+Alt
Please feel free to print some copies of this publication and distribute it in your local Shul for the public, having a hand in spreading Torah.
Siamese Twins
Many Sefarim report cases of Siamese[1]
twins.[2]
The Ritva[3]
(1250-1330) writes that a Gadol testified about a woman who had two backs and
two spines and yet lived a long time.[4]
Similarly, the Minchas Elazar[5]
(1868-1937) testified to seeing 9-year-old Siamese twins. The Chida (1724-1806)
relates that he saw in פסקי ר' ישעיה הראשון מטראני of a case of Siamese twins where they were around 20 years old.[6]
The שו"ת
הלכות קטנות[7] (1620-1674) writes that in Italy he saw Siamese twins
that were about 25 years old. R’ Moshe Sternbuch (born in 1926) tells us that
in America in תשל"ז Siamese
twins were born to Charedi parents.[8]
On Chanuka תס"ח (1708), the
Shvus Yaakov[9] (1661-1733)
writes that he saw Siamese twins and said the Bracha of משנה הבריות; who diversifies creatures.[10]
What are the Halachos concerning Siamese twins? The
Gemara[11]
records a story that someone who had a child born with two heads came to Rebbi
to ask how much money must be given to the Kohen for the פדיון הבן- five Selaim just as for one child or ten? The answer: the
father must give the Kohen ten Selaim as it says ...חמשת שקלים לגלגלת; take five Shekels each according to the head count.[12]
In a similar vein, the Chassam Sofer writes regarding the census that one with
two heads was counted as two as it says שאו את ראש כל עדת בני
ישראל...כל זכר לגלגלתם; take a census…each male according to their head count.[13]
[1] According to the
University of Maryland Medical Center one in every 200,000 live twin
births worldwide are conjoined, though 40 to 60 percent are stillborn and 35 percent
of those who survive only live for a day.
[2] Adam and Chava were Siamese twins as it was two faces
back to back (Eruvin 18a, Breishis Rabba 8:1). The
term 'Siamese twins' derives from Chang and Eng Bunker (1811–1874) who were the
first pair of conjoined twins to become internationally known. The brothers
were from Siam (today Thailand), hence the name.
[3] Nida 24a, s.v. רב סבר.
See the Ben Yehoyada (Menachos 37a, s.v. מי) who brings a story of one who
gave birth to Siamese twins. Also, Sefer Yuchsin, 6th Maamar, s.v. הזמן.
[4] At 66 years old, Ronnie and Donnie Galyon are the world's oldest living
conjoined twins. When they were born
in 1951, doctors didn't even expect them to make it through the
night.
[5] אות חיים ושלום, 27:13
[6] Machzik Bracha, Yoreh Deah 13:5. He also tells of
another case of Siamese twins he heard from the non-Jews.
[7] 1:245
[8] שו"ת תשובות והנהגות, 1:893. In that case, one of the
twins had a proper heart whereas the other had only a half a heart. The liver
was shared and they were connected from the chest. In the rest of the body,
each one had separate nerves and it was two separate bodies. The doctors said
that one had to be sacrificed in order for the other to have a chance of
living. R’ Moshe Feinstien permitted this and they performed surgery with the agreement
of the courts. In the end, one died while the other was left to live.
[9] 1:4. He also wrote a Sefer titled עיון יעקב on
the עין יעקב. In
the Hakdama to this, he writes that he was blind in both eyes and he davened to
Hashem to heal him. He accepted upon himself that if he is healed from this
illness he will complete his Sefer on עין יעקב to
‘pay’ עין תחת עין. In
the year תפ"א,
his Tefila was heard as he went to an expert doctor who healed both of his
eyes.
[10] See Brachos 58b
[11] Menachos 37
[12] Bamidbar 3:47
[13] Chassam Sofer, Yoreh Deah, 294. Bamidbar 1:2.
[14] Tosafos (Menachos 37a, s.v. או)
brings a Midrash that אשמדאי brought before Shlomo a man with two heads who
married and also had one with two heads. When they wanted to divide the
father’s property the one with two heads wanted two portions. They came before
Shlomo who covered one head and poured hot water on the other head. Due to the
pain of the hot water, they both screamed. Shlomo then ruled they are like one
person, thereby getting one portion (Shita Mekubetzes 18).
[15] אוצר פלאות התורה, Breishis, pg 54
