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write with his left hand, turn on lights with his elbow, and pick up the
telephone with the back of his hands. Therefore, it is preferable that Illnesses of the Eye in Regard to Circumcision
he remain on duty on Shabbos, for the Shabbos will thus be safeguard-
ed all the more. Illnesses of the eye impact on halachos regarding circumcision. We do
However, if it is difficult for him, or if he fears that he will mistak- not circumcise a baby with an eye infection or illness, as explained in
enly desecrate Shabbos unnecessarily, then he is permitted to switch Tractate Shabbos (137a) and Tractate Yevamos (71a). This is the ruling
#
shifts with another physician, who is not (yet) Shabbos observant. of the Shulchan Aruch as well (Yoreh De’ah 262:2). If his eyes hurt him
This is not considered causing another person to stumble, since, in only a little, one waits until he recovers and then circumcises him. If
the first doctor’s point of view, the second one can still observe Shab- he had severe pain in his eye, we wait for seven days after he recovers
bos if he so wishes. This is the view of the Iggros Moshe (Orach Chaim, and only then circumcise him. Responsa Divrei Malkiel writes (Vol. 2
Vol. 4 #79) and he adds more reasons for this matter. See also Chelkas #131:5): If the eyes of the baby are tearing, one should not circumcise
Yaakov (Vol. 1 #69, and in the revised edition, Orach Chaim #140). him and one can be stringent to wait seven days after he recovers
11 because perhaps the tears stem from a serious illness. Regarding this,
however, we rely on the physicians if they say that it is not a danger-
ous illness, because in any matter that relates to pikuach nefesh we rely
on the words of the physicians. However, if the physician says that it
Division of Shifts between Two Shabbos- is permissible to circumcise him while his eye is tearing, and that this
Observant Physicians or Patients will not cause him any harm, then we clearly do not rely on his words,
since they are contrary to the explicit words of the Gemara. We do
1 Question not say that natures have changed. Heaven forbid to say so, because if
What should one do in the case of two Torah observant patients or we base our decisions on this logic, sinners who stray from the way of
physicians, who both request not to travel on a Yom Tov? Who should the Torah could claim the same thing. (Even though Tosfos wrote in
the supervising physician accomodate? Tractate Avodah Zarah (24, s.v. parah), that nature has changed, that
refers to something that is obvious and tangible, but not to a matter
which depends on logic. And the Rashba writes that one should not
1 AnsweR rely on the fact that we see wild animals twelve months of the year.)
Likewise, if the baby had fever for one hour and after the hour the
That patient or physician who lives near the hospital should be the
one to travel on Yom Tov or Shabbos to the hospital, because there temperature decreased to normal, one has to wait seven days before
will be less desecration of Shabbos. This certainly applies if one lives circumcising him. If the physicians are lenient and say he can be cir-
within walking distance to the hospital while the other would have cumcised during the seven days because his fever is now gone, we do
to travel by car. Even if both would have to travel, the one who lives not listen to them since their words are contrary to the Torah.
closer will travel less and thus desecrate Shabbos less, so it is proper We have learned from the Divrei Malkiel that even if physicians
that he be the one to come on Shabbos. say there is no danger at all to circumcise a baby after his fever is gone,
If both live the same distance from the hospital, they should we do not accept their words since they are contrary to the Torah. We
draw lots. [If the work schedules include every Shabbos and Yom say that the physicians are mistaken or they cannot see the future, and
338 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Shabbos in an Ophthalmology Department 2 307
