The Best Doctors
Question
I have a question about doctors. My friend went to one, saying he had pain from a sprain and was told to take Tylenol. He really wanted a prescription for something much stronger and feels the doctor is not fair and doesn’t care enough. He said that Judaism teaches, “The best of doctors deserve severe punishment in the Afterlife.”
Huh???
Answers
One explanation of this enigmatic teaching is that a “talented” doctor is often not humble or God-fearing since he knows how to heal himself and knows how to eat healthy. As a result, he may develop a haughty attitude. He is liable to treat his patients negligently, resulting in their death. In addition, he is likely to refrain from accepting impoverished people who require medical attention.
Another commentary explains that a doctor who is an expert is tempted to not seek a second opinion even when he has a doubt regarding the diagnosis and treatment. In this way, he may be putting the trusting patient’s life in danger. Likewise, he will brazenly rely on his own knowledge and “genius” and not properly research the medical literature in order to remain up-to-date and aware of the best medical care he should be able to provide.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team