In a public letter, the rabbis argued that "you shall take great care of yourselves" is not just a verse from the Torah, but a halachic and moral obligation.
Rabbi David Yosef, the Rishon LeZion Chief Rabbi of Israel and President of the Great Rabbinical Court, and Rabbi Kalman Bar, President of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate, published a public letter on Sunday evening calling on the public to get vaccinated against the measles.
The letter comes following the death of four infants whocontracted measles in the past week.
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In the letter, the rabbis emphasized that "the recent spread of measles poses a real danger to children and adults, especially among those who are not vaccinated or have weakened immune systems."
"Everyone has a duty to prevent diseases before they appear," read the letter, "and vaccination is the most effective and safest means of prevention."
A halachic obligation
The rabbis alluded to Jewish law, arguing that "you shall take great care of yourselves" is not just a verse from the Torah, but ahalachic and moral obligation.
Rabbi Kalman Ber attends the second round in the elections of for the new Chief Ashkenazi rabbi, at the Chief Rabbinate headquarters in Jerusalem, October 31, 2024. (credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
They pointed out that every person has the responsibility to maintain their health, both in treatment during illness and also in preventative measures such as vaccinations.
"Questions concerning human health are part of the mitzvah to preserve life and the integrity of the body," they concluded.
[SRC] https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/chief-rabbis-call-public-vaccination-015518349.html