03.07.2011                      01.Tammus, 5771 

Judentum:

Ask the rabbi: May one kill lice on Shabbat?

Matters become more complex on Shabbat, when it is biblically prohibited to kill any creature unless it poses an acute health danger.

Treating hair infested with lice is never fun, yet parents remain responsible to promptly and thoroughly clean their children (even if this includes school absence!) and homes to prevent it from infesting others.
Matters become more complex on Shabbat, when it is biblically prohibited to kill any creature unless it poses an acute health danger.
Lice, however, might be an exception to the rule, and actually present us with a fascinating case of the tension between Jewish law and contemporary science….