Ask the Rabbi
- Family and Society
- Death and Mourning
- Year of Mourning for Parents
Question
Dear Rabbi,
Is it permissible to have elective surgery during the year of avelut?
Answer
ב"ה
It is permissible to have elective surgery during the year of avelut. (See Mourning in Halacha pg.200). However, there is a discussion about cosmetic surgery in general in Halacha. Some Rabbis forbid it because a person is self- inflicting a wound on his body, while others permit it under certain circumstances, such as certain conditions which cause anguish or shame to a person.
All the best

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