Going to and Staying in the Hospital on Shabbat
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Revision as of 18:49, 2 April 2020 by YitzchakSultan (talk | contribs) (→Hadlakat Neirot in the Hospital)
See Giving Birth on Shabbat for many related issues.
Halachic Checklist of What to Pack and Prepare
See Giving_Birth_on_Shabbat#Preparation_for_the_Hospital
Transportation to Hospital
See Giving_Birth_on_Shabbat#Transportation_to_Hospital
Arrival at Hospital
- Walking through electric doors is an issue. If there's no other door, one can walk immediately behind a non-Jew who is walking there anyway and is opening it for themselves.[1]
- If that's not an option and there is a Jew who isn't religious or someone who doesn't realize and walks through the doors, one can follow him closely and walk through once he already opened them.[2]
- See Giving_Birth_on_Shabbat#Arrival_at_hospital
Elevators and Stairs
- Using a Shabbos elevator is a discussion.
- Using a stairwell in a hospital might involve triggering automatic lights. If so, one should not take the stairs. See here.
Hadlakat Neirot in the Hospital
- One could light with electric candles. See Hadlakat Neirot page.
Food Heated up on Shabbat
- A non-Jew may heat up food for a sick person on Shabbat. However, a healthy person can not partake of that food. See the Amirah Lnochri page for more details.
- In many hospitals there is a hospitality room. For example, in the NY area there are hospitality rooms that Chesed 24/7 stocks with kosher food.
Kiddush in the Hospital
- If a person doesn't have a metal or special kiddush cup, one could use a disposable cup for Kiddush. See Kiddush page.
- If a person doesn't have grape juice or wine at all, he could recite kiddush over the challah for Friday night.
Havdalah in the Hospital
- A person can not recite Havdalah over an electric light. See Havdalah page.
- If a person can't get a flame for Havdalah, one should nonetheless recite Havdalah without that bracha.
Signing Papers in the Hospital
- Unless there is a pikuach nefesh reason one may not sign papers in a hospital on Shabbat, rather one should wait until after Shabbat.
Leaving the Hospital on Shabbat
- Is wearing the hospital band considered carrying? Listen to R' Shraga Kallus
- Is it permissible to carry within the hospital or do they need an eruv chatzerot? Listen to R' Zev Smith