We mentioned above that pikuach nefesh overrides Shabbos, the question is, is one allowed to travel on Shabbos to a tzaddik in order to deliver a kvittel and ask the tzaddik to daven for him (or for a friend)?
R’ Shlomah Kluger in Shu”t U’Bocharta BeChaim (87) writes, that he is very upset about the chillul Shabbos that happened in the kehillah of Zlotchov, whereby a certain posek paskened [ruled] that one may write a kvittel on Shabbos and travel outside the techum to deliver it to a tzaddik and ask him to daven for the choleh [ill person]. Although we say pikuach nefesh overrides Shabbos, it’s only in regards to natural methods of healing, not inyonai segulah.
He then cites the Rambam (Pirush HaMishnayos, Yoma 8:6) which says: “One shouldn’t heal himself with forbidden things, unless the healing is natural. If they are segulos and not natural, one should refrain from using them “.
Similarly, the Shu”t Maharsham (3:225) writes: There’s a well-known story which took place in my birth town Zlotchov, where someone was ill, and a certain posek paskened that it was permitted to write the name of the choleh and his mother, and send it to a tzaddik to daven even on Shabbos. R’ Shlomah Kluger already screamed against it, and said that the posek is no longer fit to pasken. The Maharsham adds, that his rebbe was also against it.
Why Is an Amulet Different?
The difficulty is, the Gemara in Shabbos (59b) writes, that one is allowed to go out to the public domain on Shabbos wearing a kame’a [amulet] that was given to him by an expert. A kame’a is a dovar seguli, yet we find that one may go out in the public domain with it on Shabbos. We see that even if the refuah is working via inyonai segulah, and not through natural means, one is allowed to be mechalel Shabbos to use it?
The Achronim (Kli Chemda, Parshas Pinchos; Shu”t Shoel Umeishiv, Mahadura 4, 3:86 and Shu”t Levush Mordechai 2:83) answer, that the heter to wear a kame’a is not because of refuah, as we find that even if one is a choleh not in a situation of grave danger he is still allowed to wear it on Shabbos. Rather, since it is an expert kame’a it is considered a malbush, a garment, and one is allowed to go out wearing a garment in the public domain on Shabbos.
Based on the above, we can answer a question which everyone asks on the Gemara in Succah (53a) and Makkos (11a). The Gemara writes that Dovid HaMelech was in doubt if he was able to write the name of Hashem and throw it into the water in order to save the world from being flooded or if there was a problem of causing the name of Hashem to be rubbed out. The question everyone asks is: What was his doubt, the world was about to be flooded - it was a situation of pikuach nefesh, and pikuach nefesh overrides all the issurim in the Torah? According to what we mentioned, however, that we don’t rely on segulos even when pikuach nefesh is involved, we can understand why Dovid was in doubt. (See Shu”t Tuv Taam V’Daas, Vol. 1, Hilchos Sefer Torah 239 and Vol 3:215; Shu”t Beis Dovid 87; Kli Chemda, Pinchos and Shu”t Dovev Meishorim 1:114).
Tchebiner Rov
The Tchebiner Rov in Shu”t Dovev Meishorim (1:114) however, cites proof from Tosfos in Bava Metzia, that we do in fact rely on segulas when it comes to cases of pikuach nefesh. Tosfos in Bava Metzia (114b) asks how Eliyohu HaNavi was allowed to be metamei [make himself impure] himself, in order to bring back to life the son of the widow. When he touched the dead body, he was metamei himself, what was his heter? Tosfos answers, that he was certain that he would come back to life. Since he was certain that the child would come back to life, it was a case of pikuach nefesh and pikuach nefesh overrides the issur of tumah.
Similarly, the Birkay Yosef (301) writes that from the Ramban and Rashbah it’s clear, that one can be mechalel Shabbos even if the refuah is based on segulos.
