Doing Melacha Bishinuy for a Holeh Sheyesh Bo Sakana

Doing Melacha Bishinuy for a Holeh Sheyesh Bo Sakana Day: Tuesday Date: August 4, 2015 Parshat: Ekev Yalkut Yosef: O"H 328 There are some poskim who maintain that when breaking Shabbat for a Holeh Sheyesh Bo Sakana, if it won't delay anything, it should be done beshinuy. Therefore, according to those poskim, if one needs to use the phone in a Pikuah Nefesh situation it should be done bishinuy, such as with the left hand instead of the right. Other poskim hold that a shinuy is only necessary when dealing with a woman who is in labor. Even though a woman in labor is considered a Holeh Sheyesh Bo Sakana, still, since labor is a normal part of childbirth and is almost always not fatal it is best to use a shinuy in those situations as well. The accepted Halacha follows the second view. We follow this view so that no one will mistakenly think that breaking Shabbat for a Holeh Sheyesh Bo Sakana is not fully recommended. Therefore, one need not do any shinuy when assisting a Holeh Sheyesh Bo Sakana on Shabbat. Even with regards to a woman in labor, no shinuy should be used unless there will no delay at all because of it. The DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org