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Top Document: soc.culture.jewish FAQ: Observance, Marriage, Women in Judaism (4/12) Previous Document: Question 7.10: If your home is burning, can you put out the fire on Shabbat? Next Document: Question 7.12: What happens on Shabbat? See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
Answer:
There is an over-riding principle in Judaism (every movement) that any
Jewish law can be broken when it comes to saving a human life. The
only exceptions are for idolotry, adultery, or murder. These are the
only situation in which is Jew must choose death to avoid violating
the law.
So, when looking at medical procedures, one must first ask whether the
procedure must be done immediately (or at least during Shabbat) in
order to save a life.
Let's look at one example: Rehabilitation treatment. In some
situations, this treatment consists of music and dance and arts and
crafts. These are not likely to be "life-saving", although some could
be. On the other hand, if the treatment is physical and medical
rehabilitation (for example, cardiac rehab after surgery, exercises
for burn victims to keep their muscles from constricting, etc.) that
is probably a different story.
Note that this isn't just a Reform view. Even in the traditioanl view,
the definition of life saving is broader than one might assume. It
includes preventing someone from being alive but immobile, or deaf (in
the case of hearing aids), blind, or if it threatens sanity. Life
means productive life. Also if the procedure would measurably lengthen
life expectancy, one can be lenient.
The basic answer is to
1. Talk to the physician to see if the treatment is absolutely
necessary to save a life. If so, do it. No questions.
2. Talk to the individual to see if s/he considers the activity work
and if it is if his/her's movement prohibits it on Shabbat.
Although this FAQ is geared towards the traditional viewpoint, the
patient may be of one of the non-traditional movements.
3. If time permits, consult with the individual's rabbi. If the issue
is of concern to the patient, their rabbi will be glad to talk to
you.
Note that some say that an observant Jewish doctor cannot attend to a
Christian on Shabbat, based on the claim that Christians are
idolaters. This is untrue, for three reasons:
1. Tosafos rule that Christians are not idolaters. Noachides who
believe that God has partners are not considered idolaters, they
are viewed as merely mislead. They opine that the trinity assigns
to partners to the Father who they identify with our God. This is
the ruling followed in the jewelery industry, allowing Jews to
sell crosses and crucifixes for wear by people who are presumably
non-Jewish.
2. Even if not, there is a concept of saving non-Jewish lives so as
to reduce animosity. An idolater saved on Shabbos makes it more
likely someone of his community would save a Jew. For that
hypothetical Jew, he may violate Shabbos.
3. There is a concept of "derech shalom"--ways of peace, part of the
obligation of imitatio dei. It too requires saving people of all
stripes. Note that unlike reason number 2, this makes saving a
non-Jew an ideal no less than that of saving a Jew.
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Last Update March 27 2014 @ 02:11 PM
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