Mira-plastic+surgery

Jewish Medical ethics dilemma: 1. If a person is born with a physical defect, that is not life threatening, is it wrong for them to have it fixed? 2. If a young woman's life is at risk because of being overweight, can she get a weight loss reduction surgery? 3. Is it okay for someone to change their physical appearance, i.e. getting a nose job, if they are unhappy with how they look?

Halacha: 1. Halacha prohibits injuring any person, including self injury (Shulchan Aruch CM420:31). The reason for this is that the human body is a gift from God, and man has no right to injure or destroy it (Rabbi S.Z. Zevin, L'Or HaHalacha 318-338).

2. Rav Eliezer Waldenberg forbids __all__ plastic surgery, because it insults Hashem, by implying His work (creating us) is inadequate. He sites Gemarah Taanit 20b, and Tosafot sites Masechet Derech Eretz that the ugly are Elyahu Hanavi in disguise. (See # 4 below).

3. Rav Waldenburg also reminds us that Halacha forbids you to risk your life with elective surgery, even if the risk is small (Teshuvot Tzitz Eliezer 12:43). But Rav Breisch cites numerous places in the Gemara (such as Yevamot 72a) that permit commonly acceptable activities involving some danger (like riding in a car or flying in an airplane!), and modern medicine has made the risks of cosmetic surgery extremely small.

4. Rav Yitzchak (Dayan) Weisz, Rav Moshe, and Rav Breisch do not forbid plastic/cosmetic surgery since Hashem revealed to mankind the knowledge and ability to perform these procedures. (Could mankind be a "junior partner" to Hashem in ongoing creation of the world? Shabbat 10a and Ramban to Bereshit 1:28)

5. Rav Yaakov Breisch and Rav Moshe Feinstein both agree that the "wounding" (surgery) of a person is permissible. This based on the Rambam's definition of Chavalah (wounding that is prohibited) is when it is intentionally belligerant or degrading to an individual (Hilchot Chovel mazik 5:1). Therfore, a "wounding" that is beneficial is acceptable, particularly when it is done to prevent or relieve pain--including (per Tosafot) //psychological// pain--citing the specific example of a young woman requesting a "nose job" in order to find a marriage partner.

My opinion: I agree with Rabbi S.Z. Zevin, because I do not think that you should change the body you were born with in any way. I would also not want to cause unnecessary pain to myself.

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I enjoyed learning about Jewish Law in greater detail. Especially, learning about how causing yourself unnecessary pain goes against Jewish Law. This project has helped me realize that I would never undergo plastic surgery myself.