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to travel to the hospital on Yom Tov? What does halacha dictate
that I do with this often-occurring situation? Refused to Sign on Shabbos for Release from
Prison, but Agreed to Sign for his Friend. How is
2. A similar question arises with the physicians who are Torah ob- this Possible?
servant Jews and request their off-days for Shabbos and Yamim
Tovim, so that they do not have to travel to the hospital. Should The Grand Rebbe Gedaliah Moshe of Zvhil zt”l, was interred in Si-
we accommodate them, when doing so will cause other Jewish beria for a long time, and abused by the wicked Bolsheviks. When the
physicians to travel to the hospital in their place? period of his imprisonment finally ended, the day of his release, along

Dr. Yehonatan Dovid Dovick, with a fellow Jewish prisoner, was set for the Holy Shabbos. Before he
specialist in internal medicine and nephrology, could be released he had to appear before the captain to sign for his
Petach Tikvah release.
The day of Shabbos arrived but Reb Gedaliah Moshe did not
appear before the captain to sign the papers. The captain, who had
1 AnsweRs never seen such a phenomenon, decided to investigate. When the
Rebbe appeared before the captain, he asked him: Do you not want
It seems preferable that the Torah observant person come to the hos- to be released? The Rebbe answered that he very much wanted to be
pital on the holiday, because he will not desecrate the Yom Tov with released. Immediately, the captain gave him the papers and asked him
unnecessary prohibitions which can be prevented beforehand. Some
examples are as follows: to sign them for his release. The Rebbe, however, refused, telling him
that under no circumstances would he sign on Shabbos. When the
1. Staying near the hospital – If it is possible for the patient to captain saw that he was not prepared to sign, he warned him that he
stay in or near the hospital from before the holiday, he should would remain in Siberia for an indeterminate amount of time, but the
do so. Only if no such possibility exists, is he allowed to travel, Rebbe stubbornly refused to desecrate Shabbos.
as explained below. Next to the Rebbe stood his fellow Jewish prisoner, who was also
2. Arranging for a driver before the holiday – Even when driving scheduled to be released. The captain gave him the papers, and asked
is permitted for pikuach nefesh, the patient should arrange for him to sign, but the Jew, who had seen the Rebbe refuse to sign be-
the driver before Yom Tov, to avoid using the phone on Yom Tov cause it was Shabbos, decided to refuse as well and remained at the
itself. Rebbe’s side.
When Rebbe Gedaliah Moshe zt”l, saw that the Jew was refusing
3. Not activating the taxi meter – Activating the taxi meter in- to sign, he approached the captain and told him that he would sign
volves several prohibitions: lighting a fire, writing, building, etc. for the Jew’s release. “Why are you not prepared to sign for yourself,
When one has to ride a taxi on Yom Tov, he is obligated to set a but for your friend’s release, you are willing to desecrate Shabbos”
price with the driver in advance, in order to preclude use of the asked the captain. The Rebbe answered: “I still have the strength to
meter.
tolerate more time in Siberia, but my friend does not.” For him, this
4. Payment before the Chag – If a patient knows before Yom Tov is clearly pikuach nefesh. Therefore, it is permitted for him to sign and
that he will have to travel because of pikuach nefesh, he is obli- that is why I want to sign for him!

336 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Shabbos in an Ophthalmology Department 2 309

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