Study Avodah Zarah folio 27B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
סבר שיולי משאיל לו, כי היכי דמשאיל לו משאיל לאיניש אחרינא, ואתא ההוא גברא לאורועי נפשיה.
The Talmud explains the rationale for this leniency: The non-Jew thinks to himself that the Jew is asking him for his opinion, and just as he is asking him, he will also ask other people. And the non-Jew further reasons that if the Jew understands that the non-Jew provided him with bad advice, that man, i.e., the non-Jew, will bring harm to himself by damaging his own reputation. It is therefore assumed that the non-Jew will provide good advice in order to avoid sullying his reputation.
אמר רבא אמר רבי יוחנן, ואמרי לה אמר רב חסדא אמר רבי יוחנן: ספק חי ספק מת — אין מתרפאין מהן, ודאי מת — מתרפאין מהן.
§ The Talmud analyzes a situation in which one may receive medical attention from non-Jews. Rava says that R' Yoḥanan says, and some say that it was Rav Ḥisda who says that R' Yoḥanan says: If there is uncertainty as to whether a patient will live through his ailment or die from it, the patient may not be treated by non-Jew doctors, due to the concern that a non-Jew doctor may kill him. But if it is certain that he will die from his affliction if he does not receive medical attention, the patient is treated by them, as it is possible that a non-Jew physician will save him.
מת? האיכא חיי שעה! לחיי שעה לא חיישינן.
The Talmud challenges: Even if it is certain that the patient will die if he is not treated, nevertheless, there is value in temporal life, i.e., it is preferable for the Jew to live as long as his ailment permits rather than risking a premature death at the hands of a non-Jew physician. The Talmud explains: We are not concerned with the value of temporal life when there is a possibility of permanent recovery, and therefore it is preferable to receive medical attention from a non-Jew despite the risk involved.