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IS IT PERMISSIBLE TO
REATTACH A FINGER
THAT WAS CUT OFF ON
SHABBOS?

1 Question Reattaching fingeR on Shabbos

A man’s finger was cut off from his hand and the physician violated
several Torah prohibitions on Shabbos in order to sew the finger and
reattach it to the hand on Shabbos. Did he do the right thing?

1 AnsweR

It says in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim #328:17): If a patient has
become bedridden and there is no danger to his life, we do not dese-
crate Shabbos with Torah prohibitions for him even if there is danger
to one of his organs or limbs. Rather we tell a gentile to do what
is necessary to heal the Jew. It is forbidden for a Jew to do a Torah
prohibition in the normal way but only in a different way (shinui).
Rabbinic prohibitions can be done even without a shinui.
For example, if someone has a fractured finger that is not an open
wound, which, according to the physicians, is not a danger to life, but
if it is not treated on Shabbos, the finger is liable to become endan-
gered, then one is permitted to treat it in the following way:

1. It is permissible to instruct a gentile to do all the necessary pro-
hibitions.

2. If no gentile is available, it is permissible to do it through a mi-

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