It was not a cold
day, just foggy and rainy, and the streets on the way to Sinai were completely
deserted, probably because it was January 1. My friend Batya* was in the
hospital. I was pretty sure she had no visitors, and I thought she would
appreciate one. So even though I wasn’t sure that the hospital would let me in,
because of COVID, I decided to try.
Batya turned out
not to be seriously sick, b”H, but by the time I got to her room, I had
passed through a veritable halachic jungle. It is amazing how many electronic
doors, appliances, and writing tasks there are to do in a hospital, even if you
are just visiting! Almost every step I took in Sinai Hospital triggered another
question in my mind.
When I arrived at
Sinai, I looked for a non-electronic door. I remembered hearing about a side
entrance for Shabbos observers, but I couldn’t find it. So I followed a man who
was going in through the electronic doors. Was
that okay?
I approached the
front desk, and they wanted me to sign a paper that I did not have COVID. I explained
that I was a Sabbath observer. They were very understanding, and I did not have
to sign. Then they wanted to take my
picture for a badge. I told them I was probably in the computer from the past,
so they looked it up, and I was. The guard asked me if it was okay to take my
picture. I wasn’t sure, but since I was too embarrassed to say no I said yes. Did I do the right thing?
The guard then
said, “Don’t worry, I’ll open the door for you,” which he did, and I went off
to find Batya. While I was at her bedside, a transporter came to transfer her
to a different part of the hospital, and she had to sign some papers. Again,
the nurse was very nice and signed for her.
As we were
walking, I chatted with the young man who was the transporter. As we were about
to enter the elevator, I wondered if I should ask if we could go in the Shabbos
elevator. But he was already halfway in, so I just followed him. We continued
through many electronic doors, which he opened with his badge. As we shmoozed,
he mentioned that he was Jewish. Oy! Could I follow him now? I did because I
didn’t know what else to do. Was that okay?
Before walking
home, I was very thirsty and wanted to get a drink. The lady at the desk was
very gracious and got me a glass of water using an electronic ice machine. I
guiltily drank the water as I was not sure if I was supposed to. Was that
okay?
When I left the
hospital, I didn’t know if it was permissible to follow someone out the
electronic front door, even though I did that to get in. Instead, I wandered
around trying to find an exit door that was not electronic. I finally found a
door but ended up very far from the main entrance, which made my walk back home
much further. Was that necessary?
I was on my own
and did my best, all the time wondering if I was correct. Since Batya was not
very sick, maybe the halachos were not the same as they would have been with a
very ill person. Perhaps I should have avoided going to the hospital in the
first place since there are so many Shabbos problems there!
A few days later,
out of curiosity – as well as in hopes of avoiding such questions in the future
– I decided to ask Rabbi Pinchas Rabinowitz, the director of Bikur Cholim,
whether I did the right thing.
Keeping Shabbos in the Hospital
Before answering
my questions, Rabbi Rabinowitz told me of an incident he had witnessed in
Yerushalayim: “Two members of Yerushalyim Hatzalah came to Rav Moshe
Halberstam, one of the famous poskim in Yerushalayim. They told him of a
case they dealt with over Shabbos and asked him if what they did at the time
was correct. He answered in his sharp way, ‘You did the right thing! Next time
do the same!’ They asked him what he meant. He said, ‘Next time, as well, do
what you need to do for the choleh and come and ask after Shabbos!’”
He
also took care to clarify, “I am not a Rav or qualified to answer these shailos on my own. These are very
common circumstances that one comes across in a hospital, and my answers are based
on my experience and on discussions I have had with rabbanim in town,
including Rav Heinemann, Rabbi Berger, Rabbi Heber, and others. If possible,
one should always speak to his Rav and ask him shailos. One should not assume what can or cannot be done as every shaila can depend on many factors.”
I was
in Sinai as a visitor, but Rabbi Rabinowitz pointed out that, for those who are
in the hospital, Bikur Cholim of Baltimore has people in place in most local
hospitals who can help set up patients’ rooms for Shabbos. They will
cover the electronic sensors, turn the light on or off, show a patient or
family member the closest Shabbos elevator or stairwell that has access to
floors without a badge or how to avoid electronic doors, etc. In some cases one
will need to be accompanied by security to come and go.”
Now
for my questions:
1) Is there a non-electronic door in
Sinai. If so, where is it, and is it preferable to use that rather than follow
a person through an electronic door?
There is a “Shabbos door” at Sinai Hospital located
at the Blaustein entrance to the left of the Main entrance at the “mother
and baby unit.” It is preferable to use the Shabbos door, but one can
follow someone through the electronic door. That includes elevator doors,
although one should preferably use the stairs or a Shabbos elevator. Once the
door opens, it is best to stay close to the person going through so as not
to trigger the sensor.
2) If no one else is there, can you press
the button yourself?
No; if no one is there, one cannot trigger the
sensor or press the button to open the door.
3) Should I have let them take my picture?
As long as you are
not requesting them to take the picture, that is fine.
4) What about the transporter whom I followed through many electronic
doors and then found out was Jewish?
Transporters are
there to serve the choleh, which is allowed. You are accompanying
the choleh, which is allowed as well. About his being Jewish, according
to Rav Heinemann, since he is a non-frum person, he does not have a “chezkas
nemanus,” and you do not have a chiyuv to believe him and can follow
him.
5) In a non-emergency situation, can one
ride in a car driven by a non-Jew?
No. One should avoid going into a car (either to or
from the hospital) in non-emergency situations, even if it is driven by a
non-Jew. In circumstances such as a patient being discharged on Shabbos morning
and needing to get home, or if one needs to visit a patient for the patient’s
benefit and the hospital is not walking distance, one should ask a Rav if
it is allowed.
6) Is there a difference in the halachos if
you are a visitor or a patient? Does it matter how sick a person is?
Yes, there is a difference. One should not be mechalel Shabbos. Only
if it is piku’ach nefesh (if
life is at stake) may one be mechalel
Shabbos. A shaila should always be asked for specific circumstances.
7) How does one manage with electronic
sinks, lights, and water dispensers?
A visitor should refrain from using any of the
electronic-sensored appliances himself.
A patient who is in the hospital prior to Shabbos can
prepare by covering the sensors for the light and other utilities. It is best
to discuss this before Shabbos with a nurse, who would be able to make accommodations.
As for water, one should try to find a non-electronic water dispenser or ask
the nurse for water. As long as there
are non-electronic water dispensers and sinks in the hospital, you are not
asking her to be mechalel Shabbos for you because she could have taken water from a
non-electronic source as well. Therefore, it is permitted to use what she
brought you. If the only way to get water is from an electronic source, it
depends on the mechanics of the dispenser, electronic sensor, etc.
8) Can one leave the hospital through the
electronic door?
You could follow
somebody through an electronic door. If you have the ko’ach and it does not bother you to go out of your way, finding the
non-electronic door is fine as well.
9) Should one avoid going to the hospital
on Shabbos altogether in order to avoid all these dilemmas, or do the needs of
any choleh take precedence over them?
If a visit will benefit the choleh one should not avoid the
visit. It is a great mitzvah to
be with a choleh. It
helps with his recovery physically and emotionally, and it is a chesed
for the family as well. Being in the know of what is happening in the hospital
is important, too.
Rabbi
Rabinowitz concluded our conversation by saying, “Please do not hesitate to
call Bikur Cholim at 410-999-3700 for any of your hospital needs.”
* a pseudonym
