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pikuach nefesh for people seized by panic, it would be permitted to They are only allowed to avoid doing the transgression themselves,
desecrate Shabbos in order to save their lives. leaving it to be done by others. But for Rabbinic prohibitions it is
We also find that while saving someone from imprisonment is not not proper to avoid doing the transgression. One should, however, be
in the category of pikuach nefesh, if there are many people imprisoned, stringent about turning off lights in a dark house, as this is something
one must suspect that some of them will die, Heaven forbid. There- that entails an extremely remote connection to pikuach nefesh, and
fore, it is permissible to violate prohibitions in order to free them. See there is no guaranteed cause for pikuach nefesh in the present situa-
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Maharil Diskin (Kuntres Acharon #60). tion. Here, there are more than three possibilities that “who says” [the
There is also a view in the Mishnah Berurah (#329:16) that now- danger will occur]?
adays, even if gentiles come to wage war with Jews over money, one From the words of the Chazon Ish we learn several practical hala-
desecrates Shabbos. This is because if the Jews don’t allow them to 9 chos:
plunder and loot, they will kill them. This applies only if the gentiles 1. When one hears the sirens [warning that enemy planes are
attacked many people at once, because then there is a real possibility coming] one should rule for the public that this is real pikuach
that one of the Jews will resist giving over his money, and they will nefesh.
kill him. But if the gentiles demand money from one specific Jew, he
should give it to them and not desecrate Shabbos. We learn from here 2. However, one must be careful not to violate any biblical laws as
that when many people are involved, we are more concerned about much as possible, since ultimately there are no actual lives to be
danger to lives. The same is true in our case, since many people are saved and the possibility of pikuach nefesh is remote.
being seized by panic. There is more place to suspect danger. 3. If someone is stringent and refrains from violating any biblical
The Chazon Ish related that once the Polish government nation- prohibitions, we do not stop him. However, he has no right to
alized one of the great industries in Lodz, and there was a real pos- refrain from notifying others about the alarm.
sibility that the five-thousand Jewish workers employed there would 4. For Rabbinic prohibitions, one should not be stringent [This
be compelled to work on Shabbos by the decree of the government. does not resemble the words of Rav Akiva Eiger above, who
At the time, there was a gathering of Rabbanim in Grodno, and the rules that if the possibility of danger is remote, it is appropriate
Chafetz Chaim was asked to decree that it was prohibited for these to rely on Rav Shimon, insinuating that were it not for Rav Shi-
people to work on Shabbos, since there was a concern that they would mon’s view, it would be prohibited to violate muktzah. The case
not be able to withstand the test. The Chafetz Chaim did not do so. discussed there involves an even slighter chance of danger than
He explained that hundreds of workers would be lacking bread, so the chance of danger indicated by the sirens during war.]
this relates to pikuach nefesh. (These words are cited in the Sefer Pe’er
Hador, Vol. 3, p. 184, in the footnote.) We see from here that a sit- 5. One should rule stringently about turning off the lights in a
uation where many people lack bread to eat is perhaps considered dark house (i.e. he should refrain from doing so) because this
pikuach nefesh. (Regarding the actual ruling on whether they should is far removed from pikuach nefesh and there is no guaranteed
work on Shabbos, see our discussion further on in this book, about cause of pikuach nefesh, because here there are more than three
Chillul Hashem taking precedence to pikuach nefesh.) claims that “who says” the danger will occur.
In view of the above, if a doctor is asked to assist a panic-stricken In any case, we learn from his words that, according to the situation
individual on Shabbos, he should do the following: at the time, the alert to the public is considered a very remote chance

274 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein a Far-fetched Concern of Pikuach Nefesh 2 243