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Question 2 1 SuMMaRy and Conclusion
To the best of my knowledge, there is no reason to stop a patient
from fasting following eye surgery (such as removal of a cataract or It is permissible for the parents to telephone their son on Shabbos
glaucoma surgery, strabismus, retinal detachment, or vitrectomy of only by telling a gentile to telephone another gentile.
the eyes). If the patient feels weak because of pain or is worried about
the health of his eye because of the fast, is he allowed to eat on Yom
Kippur?

Dr. Tzvi Distovich,
Eye specialist, Bnei Brak

1 AnsweR

Before we answer the question about doing eye surgery in emergency
conditions on Shabbos, we will first discuss the following question:
What is the halacha regarding an illness which as yet does not endan-
ger a person’s life but if it is not treated is liable to worsen and become
dangerous to life? Is it permissible to desecrate Shabbos for it now?
The Shulchan Aruch writes (Orach Chaim #328:5): For an external
wound, we ask an expert and the patient, and we do not desecrate
Shabbos until one of them says that we need to do so, or one of them
considers the situation a possible danger to life. The Rama adds: “See
below, paragraph #618.” The Magen Avraham writes that this issue
is “not like the burnt offering sacrifice of Shabbos, where he cites the
words of Rav Yerucham.” The Machatzis Hashekel explains his words:
Rav Yerucham writes that if something does not pose an immediate
danger, although it may later evolve into a danger to life, we only des-
ecrate Shabbos with Rabbinic prohibitions for it. In paragraph #618,
it is implied that we do not rule like his view. The Shulchan Aruch
writes that if a patient feels the need to eat on Yom Kippur, then if
there is a physician present who says that if the patient is not fed, his
illness may worsen and endanger him, we feed the patient based on
these words. In other words, one need not wait until he is actually in
danger. We feed him immediately.
In view of the above, in a case of acute infection and inflammation
of the eye, which if left untreated will worsen and perhaps endanger

302 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Shabbos Desecration to Prevent Anxiety 2 279

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