The Israel Cancer Association (ICA) reacted in shock and displeasure on Thursday to statements by the aged supreme rabbinical arbiter of the Lithuanian haredi world, Rabbi Shalom Yosef Elyashiv, that cancer comes as a "punishment" to people who "distance themselves from religion" and that there is "no cure" for the disease.
The quotations, revealed by the Ma'ariv daily on Thursday, appeared in the latest edition of "A Collection of Responsa from the Great Sage Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv," which was published earlier this week.
The private publisher of the volume confirmed that the quotations were correct, and would only say: "The quote is a small part of a lengthy responsa in a book meant only for specialized Torah scholars and not for the media."
ICA director-general Miri Ziv said, "Cancer is not a punishment, and there is no reason to throw blame on and make it difficult for cancer patients. Struggling with cancer is difficult enough for them and their families. It would be preferable for someone who has been fortunate [not to contract cancer] to hold out a hand and held and encourage patients, or at least not to cause distress to those who need help and prayers for recovery."
Ziv added that cancer "does not skip over" the religious and haredi populations who strictly observe Halacha. Among the 120,000 Israeli cancer patients who are in treatment or recovered "are observant and secular Jews, Arabs, Christians, women, men and children. We all need to join together and lend a hand and not to stigmatize them."
Prof. Eliezer Robinson, an Orthodox oncologist of Haifa's Rambam Medical Center and ICA chairman, commented, "It's hard for me to believe that such things were said by Rabbi Elyashiv. Every year, there are 23,000 additional cancer patients, but thanks to advances in research and early diagnosis and treatment, many are cured of the disease and their quality of life is greatly improved."
Some years ago, fewer than 20 percent of cancer patients were cured, but today the recovery rate is more than 50% and among children it is nearly 80%, Robinson asserted.
Chaim Ehrenthal, who 14 years ago founded the Zichron Menachem organization with his wife Miri after their son Menachem died of leukemia he had contracted as a baby, was distressed by Elyashiv's statement – especially as he is a Lithuanian haredi and adherent of Elyashiv. Their organization takes care of thousands of Jerusalemite children with cancer, with its volunteers running summer camps, Saturday night melaveh malka parties in hospitals, and day care centers for young patients undergoing therapy.
"I am most upset by the statement that there is no cure for cancer. We have taken care of many children who have been cured of cancer and have married and had their own families," he told The Jerusalem Post.
"These statements have caused harm. Someone should talk to him. I am surprised, because I was a witness to cases in which Rabbi Elyashiv was consulted about cancer patients, and he was very interested in them."