Harabbani Hagadol,(the Supreme Rabbinic Court which is part of [srael’s religious establishment) is considered the foremost respondent on halakhah and medicine today. In a learned responsum he gives a medico-historical survey of determining death:
The sages of the nations disagreed whether the life of every living creature depends on the brain or the heart. Claudius Galenus (the Greek physician of the second century B.C.E) determined that it is dependent on the brain. Aristotle reasoned the opposite that everything depends on the heart. Then came the great teacher and physician, our Rabbi the Rambam z"/, and decided according to the view of Aristotle that life depends on the heart, and as long as there is a sign of life in it, this creature has a status of a living person.
Waldenberg proceeds with a severe critique of modern medical science and physicians for their contrary views, and particularly, the introduction of"so-called brain death":
The intention of these doctors is to make changes in matters which our Holy Sages have established. No power exists which may change them at all.(These scientists’) revelations and learned articles stand in contradiction to hazal. We know by virtue of innumerable experiments from ancient times until today that medical proclamations and revelations are not always"the last word". Whatever was determined to be true medicine, was afterwards disregarded as useless, or even harmful.:
In addition to the cessation of the functions of the brain,
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