Guide to Observance of Jewish Law in a Hospital

Book excerpt: This booklet is designed to assist people observing traditional Jewish Law while undergoing medical treatment, especially in the complex and unfamiliar environment of a hospital. The strength of this work is its brevity, as it provides easy access to answers on numerous questions that can arise in a hospital-including proper observance of Shabbat, kashrut, festivals, and numerous other ritual observances-according to the Shulchan Aruch, and relies heavily on contemporary works such as Mishnah Berurah, Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchatah, and Nishmat Avraham. This collection is an indispensable resource for hospital chaplains (of any faith), and an essential guide for a rabbi involved in pastoral and communal affairs. Most of all, it is written with the layperson in mind, to quickly provide answers to many of the questions of observance that arise in a hospital.