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Week 32 - Shabbat - 8 July 2000

YOMA: CHAPTER 8 : MISHNA 6

If one is by bulmos, they may feed him - even with unclean things, until his eyes become clear. If one was bitten by a mad dog, they may not give him the lobe of its liver to eat, but Rabbi Matyah ben Harash permits it. And Rabbi Matyah ben Harash further stated, If a person has a sore throat, they may put medicine in his mouth on Shabbat, because there is a possibility of danger to human life, and in a case of such possibility, life overrides the Shabbat.

Kehati

Incidental to the preceding mishnah, this mishnah teaches the rule that if there is a danger to life, it is permitted to feed a person even with things which are normally prohibited.

If one is seized by bulmos - sickness and faintness caused by hunger, and which may endanger life, they may feed him, even with unclean - i.e., prohibited, things - such as meat from animals not ritually slaughtered, forbidden animals, and reptiles, if there are no permitted foods there, until his eyes become clear - for the illness of bulmos dims a person's sight; this mishnah teaches that one may not wait until permitted foods is found, but they feed him immediately, even with prohibited foods, until his mind is at ease.

If one was bitten by a mad dog - and this entails danger to life, they may not give him to eat the lobe of its liver to eat - even though this was popularly used as a remedy, it nevertheless is not a proven medicine, and it is forbidden to feed him with prohibited food of doubtful medicinal qualities; but Rabbi Matyah ben Harash permits it - to feed him with the lobe of the dog's liver, for in his opinion it is a proven remedy (Rashi). According to one opinion, Rashi's statement is to be interpreted as follows: "Since this is a popular practice, Rabbi Matyah ben Harash holds that it is a proven remedy, for this will soothe the fantasies which increase in this illness, of the person bitten..., and it is possible that he will thereby be cured, even though this is recognized as a remedy only by popular custom" (Rabbi H. Albek, quoting Si'ah Yitzhak).

And Rabbi Matyah ben Harash further stated, If a person has a sore throat - other versions read "a sore mouth" or "sore teeth" i.e., the flesh of the gums begins to rot, and it may spread to the throat and intestines, they may put medicine in his mouth on Shabbat - and we are not concerned about the violation of the Shabbat (see Tiferet Yisrael), because there is a possibility of danger to human life - for the sickness might spread and intensify, and become dangerous, and in a case of such possibility - the saving of life overrides the Shabbat - as it is written, "You shall therefore keep my statutes, and My ordinances, which if a man do, he shall live by them" (Lev. 18:5), from which it was learned: he shall live by them, and not die by them. Rashi comments that he shall perform the commandments by which he shall certainly live, and not those whose performance might lead to his death. Hence we know that the Shabbat is violated even in a case when it is doubtful whether there is danger to life.

YOMA: CHAPTER 8 : MISHNA 7

If debris fell on a person, and there is doubt whether he is there or he is not there, or there is doubt whether he is alive or he is dead, or there is doubt whether he is a heathen or an Israelite - they open the heap for him. If they found him alive - they remove for him, and if dead - they leave it.

Kehati

This mishnah contains further teachings regarding instances of possible danger to life, in which the Shabbat is overriden.

If debris fell on a person and there is doubt whether he is there, or he is not there - it is not known whether he is under the debris or whether he was saved or there is doubt whether he is alive, or he is dead - even if he remained under the debris, but it is doubtful whether he is still alive or whether he has already died, or there is doubt whether he - the person under the debris, is a heathen, or an Israelite - even though all these doubts exist, they open the heap - of stones, and search for him - on Shabbat or on Yom Kippur.

If they found him alive - even though it became evident that he has only a very short time to live, they remove for him - they clear away completely the heap, to enable him to live that short period of time,

And if they found him dead - they leave it - they do not continue to remove the debris on Shabbat, although it is taught that "they save the dead person from the fire on Shabbat," in the current case all agree that one does not remove the debris in order to recover the body. In the case of a fire, the Sages permitted the removal of the body from the fire, lest a person extinguish the fire in his anguish over the dead person. In the current case, however, there is no fear that a Torah prohibition might be transgressed, which would require permitting the removal of the heap (Gemara). The Gemara further explains that when examining the person under the debris to determine whether he is alive, they begin from his head, i.e., they reach his nose and find him dead, there is no need to examine further. If, however, they begin from his feet, which was uncovered first, and they examine him until his navel or until his heart, and find him dead, this is not sufficient, and they must continue examining until they reach his nose, as it is written, "All in whose nostrils was the spirit of life" (Gen. 7:22); hence, that the nose (breathing) is the decisive factor in determining whether or not a person is alive. They further stated that if there were many people under the debris, and those on top were found dead, they nevertheless must continue to remove the heap, for those at the bottom may still be alive (Gemara).

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