Siman - Yoma Daf 84
- The incident of Rebbe Yochanan learning the remedy from the noblewoman
The Mishnah stated on Daf 83a, that Rebbe Masya ben Charash also said, החושש בגרונו – One who feels pain in his throat, referring to a condition known as tzefidna, which begins in the teeth and gums and spreads to the intestines, מטילין לו סם בתוך פיו בשבת – we put medicine in his mouth for him on Shabbos because it is a safek nefashos, וכל ספק נפשות דוחה את השבת – and the need to avoid any possible danger to life supersedes Shabbos.
The Gemara on this Daf brings an incident when Rebbe Yochanan suffered from this ailment and went to a certain noblewoman who made a remedy for it on Thursday and Friday. He asked her what he should do on Shabbos, as Rashi explains, as he would not be able to come because he would busy attending to his talmidim. She said to him that he will not need treatment on Shabbos. He persisted to find out what he should do, and she asked him to swear that he would not reveal the remedy to anyone. He swore, “To the G-d of Yisroel I will not reveal.” She told him and he went out and taught in a public lecture. When the Gemara asks how he could do such a thing it answers that he said that he would not reveal it to the G-d of Yisroel, which implies, but to the people of Yisroel he will reveal it. When the Gemara asks about the possibility of chillul Hashem, it answers that he revealed to her at the beginning that he had not made a binding oath.
- One can be mechallel two Shabbosim to save a life
The Gemara asks why the Mishnah needed to say further, "וכל ספק נפשות דוחה את השבת" – it had already said that the person could be treated on Shabbos? Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav that the Mishnah stresses this point to teach that they said one may be mechallel Shabbos to save someone’s life not only when there is a possibility that he may die on this Shabbos, אלא אפילו ספק שבת אחרת – but even when there is a possibility that he may die on another Shabbos.
The Gemara illustrates this halachah with the case of doctors who assess the patient requires treatment for eight days, and the first day is Shabbos. You might have said that we should wait until after Shabbos to begin the treatment so that we are not mechallel two Shabbosim on account of him. The Mishnah therefore informs us that we should begin treatment that very day although it will result in being mechallel two Shabbosim.
- One who is quick to be mechallel Shabbos to save a life is praiseworthy
It was taught in a Baraisa: מפקחין פקוח נפש בשבת – We tend to matters involving danger to life on Shabbos even when it is necessary to be mechallel Shabbos, והזריז הרי זה משובח – and one who is quick to be mechallel Shabbos to save a life is praiseworthy, and he does not need to obtain reshus from Beis Din. How so? If one saw a child fall into the sea, he spreads a net and brings him up. The Gemara explains that this is permitted even though he traps fish together with the child. If one saw that a child was locked in a room, and the child is very frightened, he may break the door down and take the child out. The Gemara explains that this is permitted even though he intends to break the door into pieces that he needs for some purpose.
