{"id":7952,"date":"2016-01-27T06:00:16","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T04:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/?p=7952"},"modified":"2019-11-20T11:13:35","modified_gmt":"2019-11-20T09:13:35","slug":"01-27-06","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ph.yhb.org.il\/en\/01-27-06\/","title":{"rendered":"06. Traveling to the Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"

When rushing a patient to the hospital, one drives normally, as he would during the week. He should not try to drive with a\u00a0shinui<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>as this may cause delay or be dangerous. One may travel to the hospital in a private vehicle or call an ambulance. All items necessary for the patient or woman in labor \u2013 vital medications, medical documents, and proper identification \u2013 may be carried from the house to the car, even in an area without an\u00a0eruv<\/em>. Even items that are not vital to saving lives but are important to the patient or his chaperone \u2013 including changes of clothing, food, and books \u2013 may be taken to the hospital. If there is no\u00a0eruv<\/em>, such items should be carried with a\u00a0shinui<\/em>. In addition, the person carrying them should walk directly from the house to the car without stopping, so that the act of carrying will qualify as a\u00a0shvut di-shvut<\/em>, which is permitted in a case of great necessity.\u00a0Muktzeh<\/em>\u00a0items may not be brought, but if they were packed in the hospital bag together with necessary items, one may bring the bag.\u00a0Muktzeh<\/em>\u00a0items that will be greatly needed after Shabbat \u2013 such as money and a cellphone \u2013 may be placed in the bag on Shabbat using a\u00a0shinui<\/em>\u00a0and brought to the hospital along with the bag.[5]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

After arriving at the hospital and parking in a place that does not interfere with the arrival of other vehicles, it is, at first glance, forbidden to turn off the car. After all, thus far all travel was for the patient\u2019s sake; in contrast, one turns off the car for the sake of the car itself \u2013 to lock it and to make sure that the batteries do not die. Therefore, when possible, one should ask a non-Jew to turn off the car\u2019s motor and headlights and then to lock the car.<\/p>\n

If no non-Jew is available, or if searching for one is likely to delay attending to the patient, one may turn off the car and headlights with a\u00a0shinui<\/em>, so that the prohibition is only rabbinic. For example, he may grasp the key or press the button that operates the headlights with the back of his fingers. He should also lock the car with a\u00a0shinui<\/em>, for example, by pushing the remote control with the back of his fingers. Then, even though the headlights will go on as a result, it will have been done with a\u00a0shinui<\/em>. The reason all this is permitted is that the Sages allowed one to take such steps at the end of a rescue effort to ensure that people are willing to do what needs to be done at the beginning. After all, if a driver knows that he will not be able to turn off and lock his car upon arrival at the hospital, the next time he might avoid taking the patient to the hospital altogether. Therefore, the Sages permitted transgressing any rabbinic prohibitions to make it easier for those individuals helping to save lives.[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
[5]<\/a>.\u00a0Many\u00a0maintain\u00a0that\u00a0one may carry vital\u00a0items if one simply walks from the house to the car\u00a0without stopping\u00a0(as our streets are considered a\u00a0karmelit<\/em>\u00a0according to many, and if he walks\u00a0without stopping\u00a0there is no Torah prohibition according to most\u00a0poskim<\/em>; see 21\u00a0n.\u00a03).\u00a0Under pressing circumstances, if one cannot figure out how to incorporate a\u00a0shinui<\/em>,\u00a0one may rely upon\u00a0these authorities. However,\u00a0le<\/em>-khat\u0125ila<\/em>\u00a0it is proper to carry items with a\u00a0shinui<\/em>, thus meeting the requirements of all the\u00a0poskim<\/em>.<\/h5>\n
Many\u00a0halakha<\/em>\u00a0books have lengthy discussions about how to drive with a\u00a0shinui<\/em>. However, concerning oneself with this is likely to make\u00a0it more difficult to save lives, and sometimes could even\u00a0endanger\u00a0the\u00a0driver and passenger. Therefore, the rule is that one should drive without a\u00a0shinui<\/em>. Only one who knows how to incorporate a\u00a0shinui<\/em>\u00a0without\u00a0endangering anyone\u2019s life\u00a0should do so.\u00a0Nishmat Avraham<\/em>\u00a0(278:4, n.\u00a037) presents this approach in the name of R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach. Regarding\u00a0muktz<\/em>eh<\/em>\u00a0items, see\u00a0Har\u0125avot<\/em>. A soldier who is called up on Shabbat may take his\u00a0tefilin<\/em>\u00a0with him, because\u00a0under pressing circumstances\u00a0we rely on those who maintain that\u00a0tefilin<\/em>\u00a0are not\u00a0muktz<\/em>eh<\/em>\u00a0(above,\u00a023:8).<\/h5>\n
[6]<\/a>.\u00a0See SSK 40:72, nn.\u00a0146, 153;\u00a0Nishmat Avraham<\/em>\u00a0278:4, nn.\u00a024, 28;\u00a0Yalkut Yosef<\/em>\u00a0330:8. Whenever a\u00a0shinui<\/em>\u00a0is\u00a0used to perform\u00a0Kibui<\/em>, it\u00a0is a\u00a0shvut di-shvut<\/em>, and is permitted\u00a0in order\u00a0to prevent loss (above,\u00a09:11).\u00a0However, when\u00a0one uses\u00a0a\u00a0shinui<\/em>\u00a0and the headlights are turned on, there is only one\u00a0shvut<\/em>\u00a0involved. Nevertheless, it is permitted because the Sages allowed\u00a0desecrating Shabbat\u00a0at the end of a rescue\u00a0effort\u00a0in order to ensure that there is no hesitation at the beginning.\u00a0Perhaps there is another possible reason for leniency:\u00a0the\u00a0act\u00a0of locking the car, which causes the headlights to turn on,\u00a0might be\u00a0merely\u00a0rabbinic, as it is a\u00a0psik reisha de-lo ni\u0125a lei<\/em>\u00a0(since one is not interested in\u00a0activating\u00a0the headlights).<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When rushing a patient to the hospital, one drives normally, as he would during the week. He should not try to drive with a\u00a0shinui,\u00a0as this may cause delay or be dangerous. One may travel to the hospital in a private vehicle or call an ambulance. All items necessary for the patient or woman in labor […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-01-27"],"yoast_head":"\n06. 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