Rabbi Yosef: Treating gentiles violates Sabbath

Ynetnews.com ^ | May 17, 2012 | Ynet

[olcurmudgeon]

What should religious doctors do if a gentile is injured in a car accident on Shabbat and is rushed to the hospital? According to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, this does not warrant violating the sanctity of the Sabbath.

During a class on Sabbath halacha relating to religious physicians, the spiritual leader of Shas said that while doctors are expected to do everything in their power – even if it requires violating the Sabbath – in order to save Jews whose lives are in danger, the same does not apply for gentiles.

"If a gentile were to get injured in a car accident during Sabbath, and he is brought to the hospital – Israel must not treat him," he said, explaining that "if the particular procedures come from rabbis (de-rabbanan), then they might be permitted, but if they stem from prohibitions in the Torah (de-'oraita), then they are not allowed, as the Torah forbids to violate the Sabbath for gentiles."

[CatherineofAragon]

40 posts and no response yet?

[rmlew]

What are you talking about. I have noted that Yosef at 92 is senile and has been making questionable rulings for years. Others have noted the law that his ruling breaks, or seems to break. pikkuah nefesh doheh Shabbat--[rescuing a] life in danger takes precedence over the Sabbath.

And this ruling is not limited to Jews.

[CatherineofAragon]

I was talking about the fact that the original poster had not come back to comment.

[Rytwyng]

Rabbis are not supposed to read the New Testament as it is not part of the Jewish Bible. It is irrelevant to Judasim.

Some Jews do accept Jesus as having been a wise Rabbi with teachings worthy of study. In light of this ghastly medical pronouncement by this Rabbi Yosef,I really do think that the Good Samaritan story would be something he'd need to look at.

Interesting screenname BTW. Powers Boothe is a great actor.

[POWERSBOOTHEFAN]

Jesus didn’t teach anything we Jews didn’t already know.

[Jewbacca]

This “rabbi” is a senile fool.

Saving of a human life (goy, Jewish, arab, even Democrat) trumps almost any mitzvah, and certainly Shabbos.

“What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it.” (Talmud Shabbat 31a).