Q&A: Should One Donate the Right Kidney or the Left?
Should One Donate the Right Kidney or the Left?
Question
Yesterday we learned in the Daf Yomi:
“The Sages taught: A person has two kidneys: one advises him for the good and one advises him for the bad. And it stands to reason that the good one is on his right and the bad one on his left, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 10:2), ‘A wise man’s heart is at his right, but a fool’s heart at his left.'”
The rabbi claimed in class, in the name of Rabbi Zilberstein, that when a person wants to donate a kidney, he should insist that the doctors remove specifically the left one, so that the “good” one remains.
What do you think?
And is it fair to give the other person a “bad kidney”?
Answer
My view is that drawing conclusions from this aggadah is a mistake. First, because it is not certain that this is really what it means. Second, even if it is, it is not at all clear that it is actually correct. (How do they know?)
Discussion on Answer
If the two options are identical, that consideration has some place.
Why not do the commandment with the right side, since it takes precedence for commandments?