BSD

(The Importance of) Saving a Life on Shabbat Kodesh

There is a common misconception that it is completely forbidden to violate the laws of Shabbat even if it
is with the intention to save a life. This false notion has serious implications, and therefore must be
addressed accordingly. The following lesson is mainly directed to both boys and girls ages twelve to
eighteen in middle school and high school, although it is incumbent upon each and every Jew to be familiar
and versed in the Halakhot of Pikouah Nefesh (guarding/saving a Soul).
At this stage, the students are transitioning from heteronomous to autonomous morality (as per Piagets
model), where they still may not have full understanding of the reason for rules, and rather perceive rules
as resolutely objective and unbreakable; students may therefore fail to see why breaking a law of
Shabbat can actually yield something positive.
Further, children and adolescents between these ages may not have solid self identity at this stage and
may not have the confidence or healthy self esteem to act on it (according to Erikson). This is a time of
identity and role confusion, and so they may not know where they stand in society or what their role is in
religion, and may not understand the value of their actions yet.
In accordance with Kohlbergs stages of moral development, students will find themselves at the
conventional level of moral development. At stage 3 and stage 4, individuals want to be seen as doing
good and being good, and would be worried to outwardly violate Shabbat to save a life even though saving
a life is more meritorious than not having violated the laws of Shabbat.
I would also offer this lesson to ages eighteen and up, since some adults, in their Avodat HaShem can still
be viewing Torah and Missvot through heteronomous lens and even be on stage 1 and 2 of Kohlbergs
stages of moral development. They therefore should be reassured that they would be doing the right and
moral thing by overriding Shabbat Kodesh in order to save a life.
Lesson:
I. Kindly learn the following:
13. "And you (Moshe), speak to Benei Yisrael and

say: 'Only keep My Shabbats! For it is a sign

between Me and you for your generations, to know
that I, HaShem, make you holy.
14. Therefore, keep Shabbat, for it is a sacred thing
for you. Those who desecrate it shall be put to death,
for whoever performs work on it, that soul will be cut
off from the midst of its people.

II. Consider the Scenario

.


: - - -
.


:

You are walking on your way back from Beit Keneset/Shul on a fine sunny Shabbat morning. You smell the
spring flowers in full blossom, you feel your warm leathery siddour in your right hand, its cover glistening
in the sun, you can almost taste the delicious cholent your mother made especially for you, you heara
CRASH!! You turn around. You see two cars have brutally collided head on, a near fatal accident. You
recognize that license plateyou look past the shattered windshield.its your not-so-Shomer Shabbat
neighbor driving back from Temple. Oh no.
What do you do?
Do you run the other way? After all, he was desecrating Shabbat and look what happened to him. Am I
supposed to also desecrate Shabbat to call an ambulance? But what if I save his life? Maybe he will use
this as an opportunity to do Teshouvah and perhaps even start keeping Shabbat because of this! Should I
run to him myself? Or should I wait for someone else to notice who will then go help? What if people see
me desecrate Shabbat? I will be so embarrassed in front of them! What will HaShem think of me?
What would you do?
Are we allowed to violate the laws of Shabbat in order to help save a persons life?
How about the following scenarios?
1. You see your baby niece playing with an electric toy on Shabbat that can be hazardous if
swallowed. Are you allowed to take it from her if the toy is considered muktzeh on Shabbat?
2. If you smell a fire on Shabbat, can you pick up the phone and call 911?
3. Is somebody who is ill permitted to take medication on Shabbat? What if its not lifethreatening?
4. Is a physician or doctor permitted to carry his cellphone on Shabbat?
5. Is a person really allowed to drive an ambulance on Shabbat, like Hatzalah does?
What if it is unclear if that persons life is completely in danger? What if you are not sure if the
action you take will help directly?
III. Answer:
The Talmoud states: Pikouah Nefesh (guarding ones soul) pushes off Shabbat (Yoma 85b).
The Talmoud learns this from two places in the Torah:
1. veShameru Benei Yisrael et haShabbat (Shemot 31:16) where we learn that a person
should violate that single Shabbat to save a persons life, in order for that person who was
saved to be able to observe many more Shabbatot
2. vaHai bahem (VaYikra 18:5) You shall observe My decrees and My judgments, which
man shall carry out and live by them (vaHai bahem) Hazal expound on this verse and say
vaHai bahem velo sheyamout bahem The missvot are given to us as a way gain life by
them, and not to die by them. Thus, we must do everything we can in order to promote life,
and if deciding to keep Shabbat will cost a life, weve missed the entire point of the Torah.

The Shoulhan Aroukh states:

It is a missvah to desecrate Shababt for a dangerous illness. He who does so swiftly is praised; the
person who goes to ask what to do is a shedder of blood! (Orah Hayim 328:2)
Whoever is swift in desecrating Shabbat in a matter that involves danger is praised!! (Orah Hayim
328:13)
Not only is overriding Shabbat for the sake of Pikouah Nefesh not a hiloul (desecration) of
Shabbat, rather its actually, Shemirat (guarding/keeping) Shabbat! (Orah Hayim, Shemot 31:13)
The Taz comments on the Orah Hayim:
If there are a few people that are able to help, it is preferable that the violation should be done
by the greatest Torah scholar/most pious person present, in order to show the people around
that it is an immense privilege to save a life!
So we learn that in the case of a life threatening or dangerous scenario, we are not only permitted, but
obligated and even praised to violate the laws of Shabbat in order to save a persons life!

What though if an individual is not sure if the person is certainly in a life-threatening danger? Do they still
act?
Sheelot uTeshouvot Tashbets 1:54
One must desecrate Shabbat even if there is only a slight possibility that the situation is
dangerous. One does not need a professional opinion or an expert physician. Whenever one is
uncertain whether the situation is dangerous, he is required to desecrate Shabbat.
Gemara Yoma 84b
An uncertainty whether the situation is life-threatening supersedes Shabbat. Not only if it is an
uncertainty whether the situation is immediately dangerous, but even if there is no danger now
and the situation may create a danger for the future.

Keep in mind: If ever in doubt, it is better to err on the side of violating Shabbat than to even partially
place a persons life in danger.

IV. A Lesson We Can Learn

The Orah Hayim on Sefer Shemot (31:13) writes that the fact that Pikouah Nefesh supersedes the
observance of Shabbat shows us that that Kedoushah of the Jewish Neshamah is even greater than the
Kedoushah of Shabbat! How fortunate are we!