...Continued from previous week
1) It is permitted to violate the Shabbos to prevent a pregnant woman, whose fetus is in danger, from having a miscarriage. (See Biur Halacha Siman 330:7 end of Dibur Hamaschil Oi Safek)
2) Saving a life is a tremendous Mitzvah, and one who does everything in his/her power to save a life is extremely praiseworthy. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 328:2)
In instances where a life is in danger on Shabbos it is prohibited to waste time to inquire if it is permitted to violate the Shabbos to save the life. One who delays in order to inquire if it is OK to violate the Shabbos while a person's life is in danger, is deemed a "Shofech Damim", a taker of human life (ibid.)
Even in case where one is not sure if the situation is a life-threatening one, still he should hurry and do whatever is necessary to save a life and not delay at all to inquire, as every second is precious, and the time one would take to make halachic inquiries, even if it's a short amount of time, may cause the person in danger to deteriorate even more and may contribute them dying. (See Mishna Berura Siman 328 S"K 6)
3) Even if the sick person himself asks you not to violate the Shabbos on his behalf, he is ignored and the Shabbos is violated to save him. (Mishna Berura Siman 328 S"K 6)
4) If he tries to prevent the violation of Shabbos on his behalf, we force him to accept the assistance, and it should be explained to him that not doing so is "Chasidus Shel Shtus - foolish piety" (Mishna Berura ibid. See also Rambam Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah Perek 5:4)
5) If one violated the Shabbos in an attempt to save a life, and he was not successful and the person died despite what was done to try and save him, he has still done a Mitzvah and will receive heavenly reward for trying.
Moreover, no Teshuva or Kaparah is necessary for any melachos he did in attempting to save a life. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 328:15 and Mishna Berura S"K 42)
6) Even if what the person did on behalf of the person in danger ended up being totally unnecessary and in vain (e.g. the doctor ordered that the sick person eat a certain food, and 10 people run to procure that food, and the person was healed after eating the first one's food, thus the food procured by the other 9 was totally not needed) still they all get full heavenly reward and do not need any Teshuvah, Korban Chatos or any kaparah. (ibid. See also Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchaso Perek 32 Ha'arah 19)
7) If a certain individual was called to come save a life, and before he was able to arrive, others arrived and performed the life-saving procedure, any transgressions that he committed in arriving at the scene are all OK and he is not liable for any of them. (See Shu"t Shever haleivi Vol. 8 Siman 19:2 )
8) Moreover, it is prohibited to make a phone call or do any other prohibited melachos - even of a rabbinic nature - to notify him that his coming is no longer necessary. (ibid.)
If an Aino-Yehudi is available to go and notify him that he is no longer needed, then indeed it is good to have the Aino-Yehudi let him know to no longer continue coming. (Ruling of Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach Zatzal quoted in Nishmas Avraham Vol. 1 Siman338:1)
9) If an ill person requires a Melacha to be done on his/her behalf and there are a few people at the bedside that can do it, it is a Mitzvah for the "Shabbos violation" to be performed by the biggest Talmid Chacham (Torah scholar) present.
10) The reason for this is to teach those around them, and the public in general, that violating the Shabbos to save a life is 100% L'chatchilah, without any reservations. (See Mishna Berura Siman328 S"K 34)
11) In regard to violating the Shabbos to save the life of an Aino Yehudi, the Poskim debate its permissibility and the extent of what is and isn't allowed.
12) Some Poskim allow all Melachos to be violated to save the Aino-Yehuidi's life, some allow only rabbinical melachos and not biblical ones to be transgressed. (See Shmiras Shabbos K'Hilchasa Perek 40 footnote 42 quoting Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach Zatzal. See also Shu"t Chasam Sofer Yoreh Deah Siman 131 and Mishna Berura Siman 330 S"K 8)
13) Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal, and most contemporary Poskim, rule that a doctor can treat all patients as necessary, regardless of them being a Yehudi or not. (See Igros Moshe Orach Chaim Vol. 4 Siman 79 and Vol. 2 Siman 25)
14) However, Rav Moshe Zatzal does advise doctors to preferably try and arrange things in such a way that they will not need to take shifts in the hospital over Shabbos, if possible.
Of course, for Halacha L'Ma'aseh a Rav must be consulted in each situation.
To be continued next week B’Ezras Hashem
