Question:What are the laws regarding taking medication on Shabbos? When is it permissible and how? Answer:In a case that someone has a minor condition which hurts but is not dangerous at all, such as a tooth ache, throat ache, head ache, cold, or a cough it is forbidden to take any medicine such as pills or drops. However, someone who is in a lot of pain and because of it he is in bed or his body is weakened such as a migraine or very bad stomach ache it permitted to take a medicine. Some Poskim are lenient if a person is accustomed to taking such pain killers even for more mild ailments and if one doesn’t take them one will be in pain to do so on Shabbos. In cases of sickness that are more severe but not dangerous such as if one has fever, feels weak all over, or feels bad enough to require bed rest, he can be classified as a Choleh Shein Bo Sakana and he is permitted to take oral medication. Mishna Brurah 328:121 permits taking an oral medication without any shinui. In such cases, it is up to each individual to determine his personal pain threshold. There is no requirement to be overly stringent when judging the degree of illness. Some poskim hold that it is forbidden to perform a melacha deoraisah for someone who is in the category of not dangerously ill even if one does it in an abnormal manner. Some, however, hold that it is permitted to do actions with a shinui for such a patient. If one is critically ill he is called a Choleh Sheyesh Bo Sakana. It is permitted and even a mitzvah to violate Shabbos in order to save a Jewish life. Even if there is only a doubt if the patient is critically ill or if there is a doubt if the procedure will save the patient’s life, nonetheless, it is a mitzvah to violate Shabbos in order to try to save a Jewish life. Someone who delays in saving a life out of a concern of violating Shabbos is sinning in a way that is tantamount to murder. A person should also violate Shabbos in order to save a non-Jew or non-religious Jew and also to save someone who tried to commit suicide. Mishna Brurah 328:6 states that a rabbi should be careful to teach his community that it is permitted and a mitzvah to violate Shabbos for life endangering concerns |
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