Oberlander Báruch rabbi (szerk.): A rabbi válaszol. Modern kérdések, hagyományos válaszok 4 - Zsidó Ismeretek Tára 38. A rabbi válaszol 4. (Budapest, 2021)
I. rész. Kérdezd a rabbit világjárvány idején - Zsinagóga és imádkozás
33 A rabbi válaszol RAMBAM: THOSE WHO ARE STRINGENT IN THE OBSERVANCE OF SHABBAT IN THE FACE OF MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH ARE CONSIDERED TO BE HERETICS This matter is written explicitly in the Rambam ( תוכלה תבש ב״פ ג״ה): “One may not delay regarding the desecration of Shabbat for a person who is dangerously ill, as it says in the Torah (ארקיו ,חי ה): “[You shall observe My decrees and My laws,] which man shall observe and by which he shall live”, and not die by them. We learn from here that all the laws of the Torah are not laws of vengeance, but rather laws of compassion, benevolence and peace. The heretics who say that this manner would be considered a prohibited desecration of Shabbat, the Passuk says (לאקזחי ,כ הכ) regarding them: ‘So I too gave them decrees that were not good and laws by which they could not live’”. We see explicitly that the Rambam describes as heretics those people who are overly stringent in observing Shabbat in the face of a life and death situation, in the guise of not wanting to desecrate the Shabbat! We should add to this matter, the words of the Ohr Hachayim, brought by the Lubavitcher Rebbe ע״יז in Likutei Sichos ( קלח זכ ׳מע 138): “This is to teach you that it (i.e. saving life on Shabbat) is not a desecration, but rather it is an observance of the Shabbat” (see there for further detail). Since the desecration of Shabbat in a case of life and death is actually the observance of Shabbat, we can conclude that one who was overly stringent in keeping Shabbat, and therefore discounted the importance of life, just so that he should merit the observance of Shabbat, not only lost out on the Mitzva of “you should live by them”, but he didn’t even merit the observance of Shabbat, for this type of Shabbat observance came to him via a desecration of that very Shabbat. ONE HAS NO RIGHT TO PRAY WITH A MINYAN IF THAT PRAYER CAUSES A LENIENCY IN MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH There is no doubt that all that which is said regarding the observance of Shabbat, which is one of the most severe areas of Halacha in the entire Torah, should also apply regarding praying in
