Exclusion from Rituals Due to Disability

Question

Are there any disabilities that in modern times render an individual unfit to take part in a ritual practiced in Jewish life today, even if one wanted to?

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Yes, there are several things that can have a bearing on the ability of a person to participate in certain rituals. The mental state of a person is one such possibility. So, too, is the physical state of a person. For example, a person who is not considered to be mentally cognizant according to Jewish Law is unable to perform mitzvahs for other people and may be exempt altogether. A person who is physically incapacitated may be incapable of performing mitzvahs that require physical actions the person is unable to perform, and that person is therefore exempt.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team

  2. colorknit
    April 26, 2023 at 8:41 pm

    What I was wondering, are there any situations in which a person is actually forbidden to perform some ritual, even if s/he is fully cognizant and wants to take part, all because of some disability s/he has?

  3. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team
    April 27, 2023 at 10:48 am

    Yes, there are many such scenarios. For example, a person desperately wants to fast on Yom Kippur but the doctor together with a Halachic authority forbid it. In such a situation the person is obligated to eat on Yom Kippur even if they feel absolutely fine.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team