An Explosion In The Trench
‘With A Glowing Hot Knife’
(Yevamos 120b)
The Gemara cites a debate between R’ Shimon ben Elazar and the Chachamim regarding a person who was mortally wounded by a sword or knife wound. The Chachamim maintain that if someone sees him, he may testify that he died, which enables his wife to remarry. R’ Shimon ben Elazar argues that he may not testify that he died since the victim might have applied heat to his wounds, thus possibly resulting in the wound healing. Rava adds that if the knife with which he was wounded was extremely hot, even the Chachamim would agree that one may not testify to his death since the heat of the knife itself helps heal the wound. This opinion is accepted in halacha (Taz, E.H. 17 s.k. 44; see Atzei Arazim, s.k. 158).
Location of Wound
Rishonim and poskim discuss whether a person who has been wounded in a vital organ, and is thus classified as a “treifa,” can also be healed by applying heat to his wounds. (In other words, perhaps our sugya only refers to people who are seriously wounded, but not seriously enough to be considered treifos.)
Severity of the Risk
The notion that a heated blade might heal a mortal wound seems somewhat far-fetched. The Chiddushei Harim of Gur, zt”l (1799-1866), explains that normally we would not be concerned about such a remote possibility. But since allowing a woman whose husband’s status is unclear to remarry is a very severe matter, we cannot take any risks.
Wounds from Bullets or Bombs
This sugya has become more relevant in modern times with the advent of bullets, bombs, and grenades. Since grenades, bullets, and shrapnel scattered from bombs are heated by the force of blasts, contemporary poskim question whether they have the status of a heated blade, which help heal wounds. If they do, testimony that a soldier was hit by any of these objects would not be enough to allow his wife to remarry.
Testimony of Gentile Medics
One sad case was brought before Rabbi Chaim Tzvi Teitelbaum, zt”l (1879-1926), Sigheter Rav and author of Atzei Chaim.A Jew told him that he saw two grenades hurled into a trench where his friend was hiding and explode. He saw his friend wounded in the head but did not have time to investigate as he was immediately called into the fight. Later, two gentile medics told him that his friend had died and that they had buried his body.
Since the testimony of gentiles is insufficient to allow a woman to remarry, Rabbi Teitelbaum was asked whether the wounded soldier’s wife could remarry based on the friend’s account of seeing her husband wounded by a grenade. The real question was whether a grenade has the status of a heated blade.
In a teshuvah discussing a similar case, the author of Tzur Yaakov (1:103) rules that it does. However, Rabbi Aaron Walkin, zt”l (1865-1942), author of Zakein Aharon, rules that it does not (1:73). He reasons that weapons are developed in a way that maximizes their destructive capability. It is unlikely that their own heat would heal their victims. He also investigated the matter and discovered that they do not reach a high enough temperature to be compared to the heated blades discussed in our Gemara.
The contemporaneous Otzar Haposkim (17: s.k. 257:8) cites experts in the field who say that bullets and shrapnel generally do not rise above 80 degrees centigrade. They cannot be compared to heated blades, and one may testify that a person mortally wounded by them has died.