A question for the Jewish?

Question

LAst night as I was locking up our parking lot I guy pulled in and said that he was Jewish, it was the Sabbith, and he could no longer drive his car. He was still about 6 or 8 miles from where he needed to be. I did what I could to keep his car from being towed, (but we'll see) and I offered to give him a ride but he declined. I asked him if he could open his car to put my business card on the dash but he said that he couldn't because it was a use of electricity.

Question 1. Is there anything more I could have done to help him?

Question 2. Does the religion make execptions for members of the faith that are firemen, police, doctors, or other emergency workers?

Answer 1

It seems like you did all you can.

There is a rule in Judaism which is about "Pikuach Nefesh" when someone's life is in danger. When someone is in danger they can basically disregard all the rules to save their lives. Here are some examples:

1) In my neighborhood there is a group of volunteer people who are trained to help people - I guess they are emt/ems... If someone calls (yes, if you are in an emergency you can use the phone on shabbos) then they are not only allowed, but required by Jewish law to help the person every way they can. That means they can drive the ambulance and do anything neccessary to save the persons life. In such cases the Jew can drive the ambulance to the persons house and then to the hospital but must walk home because it is not an emergency anymore. They sometimes get a non-Jew to ride the ambulance back.

2) For example, during the holocaust many Jews did not have any Kosher food to eat. If they would not have eaten the would have died. Therefore they were allowed to eat the food even if it was not Kosher. People are still very uncomfortable doing that and many people sacrificed everything so they shouldnt have to because non kosher food does nevertheless effect the soul.


3) If something is merely an inconvenience we may not violate the Shabbos. If the lights are turned off, or the air conditioner was left off we may not turn them on. There are some complicated rules how to get a non Jew to do it for us - in some cases. In that mans case it was just an inconvenience and not life threatening so there is not much that he could do.
I do know of Orthodox Jews that are firemen and police. They usually don't have to work on Shabbos, but if an emergency comes up they are allowed to.

Answer 2

If there were any truth in what you tell, the man was being overly sensitve and downright Phariseeical in his dealings as they were the ones that made all the laws of things you can't do and made the Sabbath a chore rather than a delight that it says in Hebrews it is to be. Some things are needed to be done on the Sabbath, such as caring for the sick, something Jesus did and was charged with breaking the Sabbath. But as He said, would you not if your ox got stuck in a ditch, go out and free him? How much more is human life worth than an animal? You need police, firemen and doctors and nurses to work occasionally but should not be every Sabbath. As for anything you could do to help him, explain the way Sabbath is to be kept rather than putting all the restrictions on it. God said to not buy or sell, work and such but no law against helping people.

Answer 3

1. No.

2. Not all Jewish people are that devote. Just like other faiths it runs the gammet. There are conservative, new reform, reform, hacidic, ect. Plus, you must remember, by law nobody can make you work on religious days. So they either don't have those jobs, or they are not scheduled to work on those days. I have never heard of a jewish police or fireman. I mean, I suppose it's possible, but they tend to be more educated and wealthier than that.

Answer 4

1. I doubt it.

2. and Yes Jews emergency services are allowed to operate on the Sabbath if they are on call. Saving a life is more important than observance of the sabbath.

I know several Orthodox Jewish doctors and EMT's that often work on the Sabbath.

Answer 5

at the beginning, to the 'depraved witch ' - you are able to, are you able to...? interesting. i'm Jewish, and that i can not tell by ability of finding. i assume you have by no ability met Indian Jews, or eastern Jews, or Ethiopian Jews. you will know if a eastern individual became into additionally a Jew, would you...? by way of ability of finding....? TO THE ASKER: in the adventure that your maternal grandmother did *no longer* convert, you're nevertheless Jewish in case you prefer to take on your place in the Jewish family participants :) yet - in the adventure that your grandmother ***voluntarily*** grew to develop right into a Catholic, and lived as a Catholic, which ability her daughter became into no longer Jewish, and for this reason you're actually not Jewish - so a techniques as I comprehend Halacha/Jewish regulation. the two way, you DO have a Jewish background, and that is super in case you experience you prefer to examine greater approximately it. For the particular question of no count if *you* are Jewish, you will desire to speak with a Rabbi, as they are the specialists on Halacha. in the adventure that your mom's super grandmother switched over to Catholicism in the past she became into born then no - your grandmother became into no longer Jewish, nor became into your mom, so which you're actually not, lower back, so a techniques as I comprehend it. yet lower back - you have a Jewish background, so Shalom and please experience welcome to invite us something :) Starred for my fellow Jews.

Answer 6

No one is supposed to work on those days, while I'm sure for example there are emergency rooms that run through shabbat in Israel it is very difficult to see a doctor on a saturday.

Answer 7

Nuts to all that, this idea is one of subservience he is trying to obey his god and you are trying to obey your own system, there's no difference