If
one knows that one will or might have to go to hospital on Shabbos, is
there anything one must do to prepare beforehand?
The general concept
would be to try and minimize the chillul Shabbos by preparing
as much as possible beforehand. We have mentioned in previous shiurim
that the reason for this is that there is a machlokes Rishonim
(a dispute between the early authorities) whether Shabbos is
äåúøä (totally waived aside) or
ãçåéä (may be violated but not waived
aside). It is accepted amongst the majority of poskim
that Shabbos is only ãçåéä and
therefore one must try and minimize the chillul Shabbos.
But even if Shabbos is ãçåéä, one may
violate the Shabbos for the sake of pikuach nefesh, so what is the
difference?
There
are several differences, but what concerns us now is that although one
is obligated to violate the Shabbos for pikuach nefesh,
whatever can be prepared before Shabbos, would serve to minimize
chillul Shabbos and should therefore be done.
For example: the
Chofetz Chaim writes
that if a soldier was ordered to prepare something for Shabbos
afternoon, he must prepare it before Shabbos and not rely on the fact
that he may violate the Shabbos in order to prepare it.
The Chasam Sofer
writes
that we are obligated to prepare before Shabbos all that is necessary
for a woman in labor and for a dangerously ill person and not rely on
the fact that we may violate the Shabbos in a situation of pikuach
nefesh.
Do
you have some practical examples?
The ambulance service
completes a form that requires the patients details. When one knows
that one might have to be admitted on Shabbos, before Shabbos one
should type or write out a form that includes all of one’s details and
hand it to the ambulance service. This averts the necessity of them
having to fill out the form on Shabbos. (This does not apply to a
gentile ambulance service).
If one has to use an inhalator on Shabbos,
one should set it on a Shabbos clock to go on and off at specific
times and thus avoid the necessity of switching on Shabbos. Obviously
if one has an attack on Shabbos and one must use it immediately, one
must not wait for the Shabbos clock to switch it on, rather it must be
switched on and used.
A person
in a situation of pikuach nefesh who will require hot food and
water on Shabbos must not rely on the fact that he will be permitted
to cook or heat food on Shabbos, rather he must arrange his food
before Shabbos like everyone else does. If he requires freshly cooked
food on Shabbos and placing cooked food on a hotplate etc. is
detrimental for his health, a rav must be consulted.
When a
bandage or gauze must be changed on Shabbos, one should precut the
strips of bandage or gauze before Shabbos and thus avoid the cutting
of the gauze on Shabbos, which probably involves an issur d’oraisso
of Tearing – ÷åøò.
The list is endless
and one must plan ahead and prepare whatever is necessary. If one did
not prepare and the need arises to violate the Shabbos, one must not
hesitate, and the Shabbos must be violated for the sake of pikuach
nefesh.
Does that
mean that a woman in her 9th month of pregnancy must move
into the hospital or be next to a hospital before Shabbos?
The
Mishna Berura
cites the Sefer Chasidim
saying that it is worthy for a woman in her 9th
month to prepare her needs before Shabbos, in case she will give birth
on Shabbos, and thus avoid having to violate the Shabbos.
We see that it is
only worthy for a woman to prepare herself before Shabbos and
not an obligation.
The
difference is
between whether one knows that Shabbos will need to be violated for
the sake of pikuach nefesh, in which case one must prepare as
much as possible to minimize the chillul Shabbos, and when it
is not definite that Shabbos will need to be violated. Notice that the
Sefer Chassidim wrote “a woman in her 9th month …in
case she will give birth on Shabbos”, i.e. it is not definite that
she will go into labor on Shabbos or that she will give birth on
Shabbos.
