We mentioned Rabbi Szmerla’s Sefer here (which I only glanced at).
Here’s a critique of the book written by Rabbi Niv Hadar:
Some quick comments on the critique (…):
- The debate cannot get off the ground, since the Materialist (I abhor the term “rationalist”) and non-Materialist don’t share the same axioms.
- As for double-blind testing for placebos, see this.
- Unless Rabbi Hadar is making things up (I don’t have the book to check), it appears that Rabbi Szmerla is guilty of some sloppy research and overstating his case (even if that doesn’t invalidate the whole.)
- Much of what Rabbi Hadar says is sevara without text, which can be countered by the opposite sevara.
- Rabbi Hadar says kishuf is undefined, quoting one Acharon. I make the opposite point here.
- I don’t quite understand the accusation that various treatments work as placebos. How come mainstream doctors hardly ever use placebos to rob the Alties of their greatest weapon?
- Rabbi Szmerla says modern medicine won’t use what they can’t explain. Rabbi Hadar counters by mentioning… quantum physics. Eh, why do I feel underwhelmed? (If that even is unexplained.)
- See here regarding medical methodology.
- Lots more to think about…