Overturning a previous decision by five Chareidi rabbonim from last week, Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, Hagaon HaRav Yitzhak Yosef, has ruled that it is permitted to go to the hospital on Shabbos even when an automatic temperature reading is taken at the entrance to the building.
The reading is used to help prevent COVID-19 Coronaviru carriers from spreading the disease. Rav Yosef believes that the reading is an instance of pikuah nefesh and therefore supersedes the ruling against using electricity on Shabbos.
Last week, Rabbi Sriel Rozenberg, Rabbi Shevach Tzvi Rosenblat, Rabbi Yitzhak Mordechai Hacohen Rubin, Rabbi Shalom Yosef Gelber and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lubin instructed people not to go to the hospital on Shabbos unless their situation was life-threatening in order to avoid the automatic body-temperature checks. As this may violate the laws of Shabbos even when automatic temperature devices are used.
Rabbi Rozenberg and Rubin are both affiliated with the Karelitz Beis Din, and Rabbi Rosenblat is the Rabbi of the City of Bnei Brak. All five rabbonim said that both manual and automatic temperature readings were forbidden whether when entering hospitals, hotels, or other similar places unless the situation was a case of pikuach nefesh. The automatic readings also generate electricity as a panel lights up with the result thus causing a use of electricity.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
7 Responses
I’m asking this as a question, not as a critique. Would it be better to use the “old fashioned” non-electric thermometers, limiting the amount of “chillul shabbos” to a “lesser degree”?
Kol hakovod to Rav Yosef. At least there is one Rav demonstrating common sense. During these times, ANY actions focused on identifying and isolating individuals showing signs of the virus is obviously a matter of pikuach nefesh. While not minimizing the 300* nefashos that were niftar in the past 3 months, EY has come through this which much lower fatality rates than most other countries and efforts such as thermal monitoring entries to hospitals and nursing homes should be applauded and not second guessed.
This type of היתר is as old as the רבנות itself. Like the loudspeaker in the shul so is the current technology of temperature. The רבני בני ברק did not say clearly whether it is a דאורייתא chas vesholom or a דרבנן or less. That would make the psakim closer to each other rather than סברות הפוכות.
@Gadolhadorah I don’t like you.
See the following for more info on Rav Rubin’s psak:
http://bneitorah.org/%d7%94%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9b%d7%94-%d7%95%d7%a2%d7%9e%d7%99%d7%93%d7%94-%d7%9b%d7%a0%d7%92%d7%93-%d7%9e%d7%9b%d7%a9%d7%99%d7%a8-%d7%a9%d7%9e%d7%a6%d7%9c%d7%9d-%d7%95%d7%91%d7%95%d7%93%d7%a7-%d7%90%d7%aa-2/
Overturned? Rav Yosef is not a higher court of law nor does the title make him or Rav Lau a greater posek than any of the others mentioned. This is halachah and as such there may be differing opinions. All poskim mentioned are among today’s leading poskim and each person will take guidance from his rav, some of whom will follow Rav Yosef and some of whom will follow the other poskim. One opinion is not better or more reliable than the other. Nor does it have to do with common sense. It has to do with halachah and let’s leave that to the leading halachic authorities.
Kol hakovod to Rav Yosef. At least there is one Rav demonstrating common sense. SAYS GADOL HATORAH,
SO since when does common sense override Halachah?