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not in danger. Is it permissible to use chametz alcohol even for him? No one understood why he did this until once he grabbed one of his
Two people seem to benefit from the chametz alcohol in this case: a) chassidim who was assaulted by a ravenous hunger, took out a piece of
the technician, who benefits from the chametz because it enables him cake from his pocket, and put it into the chassid’s mouth, saving his
to find what he seeks, and b) the patient, who finds healing for his life. Then everyone understood why he was looking at his chassidim
illness through the chametz. so intently.
Regarding the lab technician, one can perhaps say that “Mitzvos I also heard that the Gaon and Chassid Rav Zalman of Volozhin
#
were not given for pleasure” (Tractate Eruvin 31a). In other words, was once seen running in the street on Friday night with a lantern in
the fulfillment of mitzvos is not considered pleasure (for example, if his hand and no outer clothes. When people greeted him, he did not
someone vows not to benefit from the shofar, he is permitted to hear answer them. The next day, they asked his brother, Rav Chaim, to 8
the sound of the shofar because the pleasure he gets from fulfilling explain what had happened. He answered that Rav Zalman studied
the mitzvah of shofar is not considered as pleasure) and therefore, the Torah well into the night and when he arose to take off his clothes
Torah does not prohibit it. So too, the benefit the technician derives and go to sleep, he suddenly heard that a woman was giving birth
from the chametz used to identify bacteria is not considered benefit, in the house nearby, and that she told her husband to go and get the
since it is used for a mitzvah, and the fulfillment of a mitzvah is not midwife. Rav Zalman zt”l, decided to run quickly and call the mid-
halachically considered enjoyment. wife. He did not take the time to get dressed with his outer clothing.
What about the patient? Is there still a hint of prohibition for Since it was snowing, he was afraid he might fall into a ditch so he
the patient, since the technician causes the patient to benefit from took a lantern in his hand so that he not place himself in danger.
chametz? Perhaps one can permit this type of benefit or pleasure for Clearly he could not respond to the greeting while the woman was in
two reasons: terrible pain, waiting for the midwife.
The specific difficulty in pikuach nefesh lies in estimating the level of
1. The Mishnah Berurah (#466:1) says that it is permitted to en- danger to confirm pikuach nefesh of a degree that allows desecration of
joy chametz on Pesach “if it is not in the usual way.” Therefore, Shabbos. The ruling in this matter was given over to the Torah Sages.
the patient is allowed to put unleavened wheat belonging to a
gentile on his wound in order to heal it. Since the usual use We will mention one halacha cited by the Mishnah Berurah (#330:8).
He writes: “Know that physicians nowadays, even the most reliable
of wheat is by eating it and not by making a healing salve on a ones, are not careful enough… and travel many miles in their cars
wound, this is considered as unusual way of benefitting and is to treat gentile patients and sorcerers… and they are total Shabbos
therefore permitted. Likewise, in our case, most alcohol is made
for drinking and therefore its use to de-colorize bacteria is an desecrators intentionally, may the Lord watch over us.” However, Re-
sponsa Chasam Sofer (Yoreh De’ah #131) clearly permits this. He writes
unusual way of benefitting from the substance, which the Sages that “If this hatred indicates possibility of danger to life, one should
allowed, even for a non-dangerously ill patient.
permit it, and even a Torah prohibition.” It is possible that the Mish-
2. We find in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 363:8) that it nah Berurah rules differently because his view is that the concern for
is permissible to use a plank of wood used by idolaters as a danger is far-fetched and distant. It is also possible that the Mishnah
partition to allow carrying in a courtyard on Shabbos. The Beis Berurah does not disagree with the Chasam Sofer about the halacha,
Meir questions how it is permissible to benefit from the wood, but he maintains that in every case in every place one must reassess
being that one is not allowed to derive benefit from idolatry? whether or not there is concern for pikuach nefesh.

218 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Removing Bodies from the Battlefield 2 235