When Maryland rabbis ruled that yeshivas could keep out unvaccinated children, they relied on a single argument: we follow the majority of doctors. It sounded reasonable. It also turned out to be wrong, not just factually, but halachically as well. It became clear that the rabbis were not following the majority according to halacha. Instead, they were adhering to accepted practice, which is fundamentally different and not something that halacha requires us to follow blindly. Rabbi Rafael Szendro decided to ask questions no one around him was asking.
In his three-part essay, The accepted practice vs the majority opinion, Rabbi Szendro show how an accepted practice can be very wrong. He builds his case from history, science, and halacha itself, and the actual scientific literature, which often says something different than the mainstream narrative. Examples include the case of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis and hand washing, smoking, and IV saline bags.
Applying this same reasoning to vaccines, Rabbi Szendro demonstrates that the scientific literature on vaccine safety does not support the confidence in the safety and effectiveness that the medical establishment projects. And finally, drawing on the Shach and the Aruch HaShulchan, he shows that halacha itself, when applied correctly, leads to a very different conclusion than the one our rabbis reached.
From his essay (pgs 1-2):
How does a Rabbi justify making a decision which affects the lives of so many people medically and spiritually, when it would appear that they have no idea what they’re talking about? Usually, a Rabbi is expected to understand the facts of the case before giving a ruling or making a decision. The excuse they always give to this troublesome question is that we go with the majority. In other words, it’s ok that the Rabbi doesn’t know what he’s talking about. He doesn’t have to. He is simply relying on the majority. That sounds like a very nice answer. Whether requiring every individual to vaccinate their child, or to give a ישיבה the right to throw children out, this is the bumper-sticker response every Rabbi likes to use: we follow the majority. The problem is, it is a completely irrelevant argument. It is irrelevant in הלכה, in השקפה, and in basic logic.
Read Rabbi Szendro’s full essay here: The accepted practice vs the majority opinion.
