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who is very dedicated to treating and caring for her! There Regarding question 1: If the physician is contacted on Shabbos
were also other cases like this. I write this because one has by someone in panic, he should answer the phone because there is
to be aware that loss of vision can lead to suicide, since concern of a possible pikuach nefesh. In order not to violate a Torah
some people cannot deal with losing their vision. prohibition, he should lift the receiver in an unusual way, using his
Dr. Tzvi Distanik, Ophthalmologist, Bnei Brak elbow, converse with the person, and then return the receiver to its
base using his elbow once again. (The conversation itself does not
#
I asked my father-in-law, Rav Y. S. Elyashiv: Can we rely for involve any Torah prohibition.)
practical halachic application on the words of the Zer Zahav, who Regarding question 2: This question is more difficult, since a
explained, according to Rashi and Tosfos that vision is connected to number of Torah prohibitions are involved in traveling by car or taxi.
the heart? Especially since doctors do not know precisely how to In spite of this, if there is a missile attack, one can assume that many
explain this phenomenon- to their view, it is the ligaments of the eye people will call for help, and the possibility of danger to life is greater.
10
that can impact the heart- can it be a basis for halachic decisions? He Therefore, perhaps it is possible to permit traveling on Shabbos. It is
answered me that these are new findings. The simple explanation is proper that the physician prepare himself on Friday, in order to min-
that the ligaments of the eye are connected to the heart, and this is the imize desecration of Shabbos, as much as possible, without impinging
danger. It is difficult to build on the text of Rashi and Tosfos to make on the necessary speed:
an argument between them, as the explanation of all the Rishonim is a) He should try to ride by bicycle, if the place is close enough.
that the ligaments of the eye are connected to the heart. b) He should travel with a gentile driver.
My father-in-law also questioned what I wrote about possibly c) He should join a Hatzalah vehicle that is traveling anyway.
combining the views of the Meiri and Rabbenu Tam, whose opinion d) It would be best for him to spend the entire Shabbos at the clinic.
is that even for danger to an organ or limb we desecrate Shabbos and This is not an obligation because it is not certain that he will be need-
Yom Kippur. He said: It is possible that their opinion is that danger ed, but it is a sign of piety.
to an organ or limb is liable to lead to danger of life, but when the
physicians say that there is no danger in the detachment of the ret-
ina, then it is a little difficult to be lenient. Nevertheless, since it is
not completely clear to us what is the relationship between the heart
and the eye, perhaps it is possible to be lenient and allow a Jewish Repairing a Fire Truck on Shabbos
physician to perform surgery on the eye. It would be even better if
we could have a gentile physician perform the surgery, since Responsa It says in Sefer Pe’er Hador (Vol. 3, p. 185) that the Chazon Ish was
Divrei Malkiel (Vol. 2 #131) writes that we should not say that nature asked: What is the limit of pikuach nefesh? For example, can one fix a
has changed and that nowadays, the eye is not connected to the heart. fire extinguisher on Shabbos, before a call comes in, in a large city like
(Perhaps we can also add, as an addendum, the words of the Tel Aviv?
Chochmas Shlomo (on his Hagahos to Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim The Chazon Ish answered as follows: This interesting question is
#328) who is of the opinion that loss of eyesight is considered pikuach not new. Jews have claimed that if they close their stores on Shabbos,
nefesh for which one can desecrate Shabbos.)
they will hunger for bread, and this is a question of pikuach nefesh.
We find, however, that chillul Hashem, desecrating the name of the
306 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Shabbos Desecration to Prevent Anxiety 2 275
