In his recently published Alternative Medicine in Halakhah, Rephoel Szmerla, an American ultra-Orthodox rabbi, makes the case that homeopathy, energy healing, and various other irregular medical treatments are not only permitted by Jewish law but in many cases superior—on religious grounds—to scientific medicine. To Ben Rothke, Szmerla’s embrace of “alternative medicine” is an affront to traditional talmudic reasoning and typical of a disturbing growth in certain Orthodox circles of enthusiasm for New Age thinking. Rothke contrasts Szmerla’s specious arguments for the efficacy of various therapies he promotes with the approach to scientific expertise taken by leading 20th-century rabbinic authorities:

Moshe Feinstein frequently called on the scientific knowledge of his son-in-law Moshe Tendler, [himself a distinguished rabbi], who had received his doctorate in microbiology from Columbia University. In Israel, Shlomo Zalman Auerbach relied on experts in biology and physics when addressing halakhic issues that required knowledge of these fields. . . . While [Szmerla] quotes extensively from myriad New Age sources, he does not once refer to any works by non-alternative scientists or medical doctors. . . .

For Szmerla, modern science is not God-focused. He contrasts the opinions of atheistic scientists with those of the creators of alternative therapies, who he feels realize that their healing powers originate from the divine. Both characterizations are overly generalized, and his simplistic observation does nothing to support his claims. [Furthermore], the author does not explain why alternative therapies, which may have their ancient roots in [various pagan religions], may be more acceptable or effective than those from non-believing scientists and doctors such as Linus Pauling or François Jacob.

The New Age movement, with its acceptance of occult practices, pantheism, and a “spirituality without borders or confining dogmas that is inclusive and pluralistic” is anathema to halakhah. Szmerla’s [approach] leads him to promulgate bad science while misrepresenting the thought of the talmudic sages. The danger with Alternative Medicine in Halakhah is that the author oversimplifies both halakhah and the often-complex fields of science and medicine. This leads to his acquiescence in therapies that other major rabbinic authorities outright forbid.

Early Friday morning, Israel attacked military installations near the Iranian cities of Isfahan and nearby Natanz, the latter being one of the hubs of the country’s nuclear program. Jerusalem is not taking credit for the attack, and none of the details are too certain, but it seems that the attack involved multiple drones, likely launched from within Iran, as well as one or more missiles fired from Syrian or Iraqi airspace. Strikes on Syrian radar systems shortly beforehand probably helped make the attack possible, and there were reportedly strikes on Iraq as well.

Iran itself is downplaying the attack, but the S-300 air-defense batteries in Isfahan appear to have been destroyed or damaged. This is a sophisticated Russian-made system positioned to protect the Natanz nuclear installation. In other words, Israel has demonstrated that Iran’s best technology can’t protect the country’s skies from the IDF. As Yossi Kuperwasser puts it, the attack, combined with the response to the assault on April 13,

clarified to the Iranians that whereas we [Israelis] are not as vulnerable as they thought, they are more vulnerable than they thought. They have difficulty hitting us, but we have no difficulty hitting them.

Nobody knows exactly how the operation was carried out. . . . It is good that a question mark hovers over . . . what exactly Israel did. Let’s keep them wondering. It is good for deniability and good for keeping the enemy uncertain.

The fact that we chose targets that were in the vicinity of a major nuclear facility but were linked to the Iranian missile and air forces was a good message. It communicated that we can reach other targets as well but, as we don’t want escalation, we chose targets nearby that were involved in the attack against Israel. I think it sends the message that if we want to, we can send a stronger message. Israel is not seeking escalation at the moment.