Kfar Chabad resident Sara Kochava Karavani planned to spend Rosh Hashanah at home, with her family. Shortly before candle lighting on erev Rosh Hashanah she developed a sudden and strong nasal bleed. After it was apparent that it was not stopping, she went to Assaf HaRofeh Hospital in Rishon L’Tzion for treatment.
According to a Chadrei Chareidim report, her nasal passage was cauterized to stop the hemorrhaging. Following the treatment, she was compelled to wait three quarters of an hour to make certain there was no reoccurrence. At that time, Sara realized that yomtov had begun, and she had no way to return home, a 2.5 hour walk. She explained this to officials, who were unwilling to hear her, explaining she no longer requires hospitalization, discharging her.
She began wondering around the hospital and ran into two chareidi bochrim, who she refers to as ‘malachim’. They explained their father was in the emergency room, adding they lived nearby, offering her lodging and a seudas yomtov, a far better offer than the hospital, telling her of a nearby guesthouse.
“I took them up on their offer and spent the night – only trying to make it home in the morning, the first day yomtov. After 30 minutes I realized I simply do not have the strength for the walk, and turned around and headed back to the hosts”.
On the second evening of yomtov, Thursday, the bochrim offered to take her home by wheelchair. “HaKadosh Baruch saved me, sending me these two. I just wanted to spend yomtov home with my family”.
Asked to comment on the situation, officials at Assaf HaRofeh stated “we would be happy to respond but because of equally important matters and the fact that the spokesperson is on vacation, we will first have to probe the details of the case and only then can we respond, closer to Sukkos”.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
9 Responses
that’s not a normal story
it happens all the time here in america even a women after birth when the time is for her to go home they dont care if it is yom tov but some hospital upon request send u home in a paid car service
From Assaf Harofeh to Kfar Chabad is not a 2.5 hour walk, even for a slow walker. It’s about 3 km, say from Eichler’s in Borough Park to Eichler’s on Coney Island Ave. A half-hour brisk walk, or an hour for a slow walker.
Second, looking at a satellite image of the route, I don’t see how one can walk it on yomtov. It appears to be beyond the techum.
should they have kept her in the hospital for three days when it wasnt necessary? someone would have complained about that too. they didnt throw her out on the street, they offered her a place to stay, at least according to the article, so what exactly is the problem? sorry, i just dont get it.
The same ruling exists in America too.
to number 3.
Is there an issue of techum on Yom Tov. I thought the terminology is “techum shabbas” ?
I think according to the Halachos of Shabbos she was allowed to go home with a goy. But finding a goy in E”Y that isnt an arab poses a separate problem. Probably, if they were able to take her home in a wheelchair and still were able to make the walk back it wasnt a 2.5 hour walk each way.
Of course it happens in America; what else do you expect from a goyishe hospital? But a Jewish hospital can be expected to know about shabbos and yomtov, and to have procedures for this. When it acts in callous and irresponsible disregard for religious patients, we should be outraged. What exactly was this woman supposed to do?
Uri, of course there’s an issue of techumin on yomtov. The only difference between shabbos and yomtov is ochel nefesh (and mid’rabanan even that is restricted). Going over the techum is not ochel nefesh, so there’s no difference between shabbos and yomtov.
amama, taking a Jewish taxi is of course assur, and taking an Arab taxi is assur even during the week. So what choice did she have? The hospital should have been prepared for such an event, and had clear instructions to give any religious patient who is discharged on a Shabbos or yomtov. And the walk is definitely not 2.5 hours; it’s 3 km. For a fast walker, that’s half an hour. But from the satellite map it appears to be outside the techum, so I don’t see how it can be done.