(1) The Torah has granted the physician permission to heal,¹B.K. 85a derived from the words, ‘And to heal he shall heal’ (Ex. XXI, 19). and it is a religious duty²Ned. 41b, Asheri s.v. רפואת. The apparent contradictory terms ‘permission’ and ‘religious duty’ on explained as follows: True healing is the result of efficacious prayer. But not every person merits such consequences. Man, therefore, has to rely upon natural cures too, through the permission granted the medical man to administer treatment, who in turn is religiously dutibound to perform his duty — TaZ. In this sense TaZ explains the passage in Ber. 60a bot. On the question of cures in the Talmud, cf. R. A. Eger a.l.; M.K. 11a, Tosaf. s.v. כוורא; Kol Bo(G) § I, sec. which comes under the rule of saving an endangered life.³T.H., derived from Yoma 83a-b. Cf. O.Ḥ. § 328, 4. If he withholds [treatment] he is regarded as one who sheds blood;⁴Derived from Y.Yoma VIII, 5(45b). Cf. O.Ḥ. ibid. par. 2. and even if there is someone else who can heal him; for not from every one does one merit to be healed.⁵Y. Ned. IV, 2(38c). Nevertheless, on should not occupy himself with medical treatment unless he is an expert and there is none other greater than he; for if not so, he is regarded as one who sheds blood.⁶This follows a fortiori from all other laws and teachings of the Torah which only an expert is permitted to deal with. Cf. San. 84b; Kid. 82a, Mishna. If one administered medical treatment without the permission of the Jewish Court,⁷Or nowadays without a medical diploma — A.H. he is subject to payment of indemnities, even if he is an expert; and if he administered medical treatment, having the permission of the Jewish Court, and erred, causing [thereby] injury [to the patient], he is exempt by the laws of man and is held responsible by the laws of Heaven.⁸Tosef(Ẓ). B.K. VI, 17. This applies only if it was the result of his negligence. Otherwise, he is regarded as not having committed any sin — A.H. If he caused injury intentionally, even after having permission of the Court, he is held responsible by the laws of man — ShaK. If he caused death and it became known to him that he acted inadvertently, he is banished⁸Tosef(Ẓ). B.K. VI, 17. This applies only if it was the result of his negligence. Otherwise, he is regarded as not having committed any sin — A.H. If he caused injury intentionally, even after having permission of the Court, he is held responsible by the laws of man — ShaK. on account of him.⁹Tosef. ibid. according to version of N in T.H. Cf. W.G. a.l.

(1) A man is obligated to provide sustenance to his sons and daughters until they are 6 years of age, even if they own property that came to them through their mother's father's house. From then and on, we provide for them as a decree of the sages until they are adults. If he does not want to, we denounce him and shame him and antagonize him [until he does]. If he [still] does not want to, we denounce him in public and say, "So-and-so is cruel and does not want to provide for his children! He is worse than a non-kosher bird that [at least] provides for its chicks!" But we do not force him to provide them sustenance. When does this ruling apply? When there is no economic estimation. But if the estimate shows that there is enough money for them to get charity, we remove it from him by force, for charity purposes, and we feed them until they become adults. Rama: This is specifically for feeding daughters [as well], but we do not force him [with regards to how much he gives] to marry off his daughters. Even though it is a mitzva to give his daughters off to those who are appropriate for them, nevertheless we do not force it, except what he prefers to give, as long as he marries them off (Hagahot Mordechai in Kiddushin, and so writes TA"V Netiv 22).

(6) His sons and daughters up until the age of six, he must provide them with clothing and vessels and a place to live. But he doesn't provide for them according to his wealth, rather according to their needs alone.

(6) His sons and daughters up until the age of six, he must provide them with clothing and vessels and a place to live. But he doesn't provide for them according to his wealth, rather according to their needs alone.

(20) Since I have explained the fundamental introductions (in chapter 3) which make it possible for one to place his trust in the Al-mighty, it is proper for me to follow them with an explanation of the proper way of trust in each of the seven categories, through which one should trust in G-d and in something besides Him.

(21) For the first category, matters of the body alone, these are: his life and death, his income for obtaining food, clothing and shelter, his health and illness, his traits. The proper way of trust in the A-lmighty for all of these matters is to submit oneself to the course the Creator has decreed for him in these matters, and to place one's trust in G-d and to know that none of these matters can come to be unless it was previously determined by G-d that this would be the most proper situation for his matter in this world and in Olam Haba (the afterlife), and ultimately the greatest good for him (even if right now it appears to his eye to be not good, certainly, it is the best thing for him for his ultimate end - PL), and that the Creator has exclusive, total control over all of these matters. In none of them can any created being advise any plan, or exercise any control except through His permission, decree, and judgment.

(22) And just like one's life and death, health and sickness, are not in the hands of others, so too, one's livelihood, clothing and other bodily needs are also not in their control.

(23) With clear faith that his matters are given over to the decrees of the Creator, and that the Creator's choice for him is the best choice, it is also his duty to be engaged in means which appear to be beneficial to him and to choose what seems to be the best choice under the circumstances, and the Al-mighty will do according to what He has already pre-decreed.

(24) An example of this: Even though a human being's end and length of his days are determined by the Creator's decree, nevertheless, it is a man's duty to pursue means to survive such as food and drink, clothing, and shelter according to his needs, and he must not leave this to the Al-mighty, and think: "if the Creator has predecreed that I will live, then my body will survive without food all the days of my life, therefore I will not trouble myself in seeking a livelihood and toiling in it".

(25) Likewise, one should not put himself in danger while trusting on the decree of the Creator [that he will live a set time], drinking poisonous drink or going to battle lions or other dangerous animals without necessity, or to cast himself into the sea or into fire, or other similar things that a man is not sure of them and puts his life in danger. And the verse has already warned us in saying "You shall not try the L-ord, your G-d" (Devarim 6:16), because either one of two things will happen.

(26) Either he will die, and it will be considered as if he killed himself, and he will be held accountable for this just as if he had killed another man, despite that his death in this fashion was a decree of the Al-mighty and occurred with His permission.

(27) And we have already been commanded not to murder another human being in any form from the verse "do not murder" (shmot 20:13). And the closer the murdered is to the murderer, the more the punishment should be severe, as written "on pursuing his brother with a sword, corrupting his mercy" (Amos 1:11). And similarly the punishment for one who kills himself will undoubtedly be very great.

The height of a guardrail should not be any less than ten handbreadths, so that a person who might fall will not fall from it. [A guardrail must be] a partition strong enough to enable a person to lean on it without falling. Anyone who leaves his roof open without a guardrail negates the observance of a positive commandment and violates a negative commandment, as [Deuteronomy 22:8] states: "Do not cause blood [to be spilled] in your home." [The violation of] this commandment is not punished by lashes, for it does not involve a deed.