In what instances may a person ingest tablets on Shabbos?
In the previous shiur we established that the halacha is in
accordance with the opinion that holds that an ill person may only
violate an issur d’rabanan (a rabbinical prohibition)
b’shinui (in a backhanded manner) and it may be violated in a
regular manner when a limb is endangered.
Is it correct that even if the halacha was to permit the taking
of tablets or pills on Shabbos, is it necessary to be taken
b’shinui?
Not necessarily. The Mishna Berura
was also bothered by this and said that a shinui is required
when doing something that is similar to a melacha. However
taking tablets and syrups is not at all similar to a melacha
and a shinui is not required. In other words therefore, when
tablets and syrups can be ingested on Shabbos, they may be taken
without a shiunui.
The Chayei Adam writes
that when something cannot be done b’shinui and it cannot be done with
the aid of a gentile, one may do it in the regular manner. This would
apply to the consumption of tablets as well.
But when is this basic heter of taking
tablets applicable?
Anyone who is defined as an ill person, i.e. is bedridden or who has
an ache that effects his entire body may take tablets to treat that
particular condition.
What if someone is not bedridden but must
take antibiotics or other medication?
We find various opinions from the poskim, as follows. One
opinion holds that when a person is not considered an ill person (see
definition above) one may only consume tablets when they must be taken
for longer than 7 days, i.e. they must be taken on Shabbos, or
if not taking them on Shabbos might cause harm and one has been
taking them before the onset of Shabbos.
Another opinion is that unless a person will become ill one may not
take medication on Shabbos.
Another opinion is that whenever medication was begun before Shabbos
one may continue with it on Shabbos.
Apparently it appears that the last opinion is the accepted custom
today.
Is there such a thing as dissolving a tablet
into water before Shabbos, which would permit its ingestion on
Shabbos?
Indeed there is, but we will begin at the source. The Shulchan
Aruch
says the following:
One may soak
kilorin
before Shabbos and place it on one’s eye on Shabbos because it appears
as if one is washing. This is provided that one does not open and
close the eye. We are not concerned on account of ‘grinding herbs’ as
one must soak it before Shabbos, and that acts as a reminder.
We see that by soaking the kilorin before Shabbos
one may administer it on Shabbos.
Does that mean that if one knows that one
will have a headache on Shabbos (which will not permit taking a pain
killer when not defined as ill) that one may dissolve a pain killer in
water before Shabbos and drink the liquid on Shabbos?
We find a machlokes in the matter.
Rav Mosher Feinstein ztz”l
explains the heter of kilorin as such that since it must
be soaked before use, by soaking it before Shabbos one has “begun” to
administer the medication before Shabbos and one may continue on
Shabbos. In other words, it is not because one has performed a “shinui”
to the medicine. As such it will not help to dissolve a pain killer in
water before Shabbos and drink it on Shabbos because there must be a
shinui in the normal procedure of taking the medication and
dissolving is not a part of the normal procedure.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach ztz”l understands
that it is sufficient to implement a shinui in such a way that
it is not noticeable to others that one is taking medication and the
shinui was done before Shabbos. Accordingly, one may mix drops
or dissolve a tablet in water before Shabbos and drink the water on
Shabbos.
According to Rav Shlomo Zalman, even one who is not ill may dissolve a
tablet in water before Shabbos and drink the water on Shabbos.
Rav Sternbuch shlita says that those who rely on this heter
may only do so under special circumstances.
