[Avodah] childbirth

[Eli Turkel]

<<And yet it is a ma'aseh b'chol yom (or should I say, b'chol shabbas) that we
are mechallel shabbas for the sake of a woman in childbirth.

Now I agree that Rav Moshe here is tackling one of the fundamental questions
I have had for a long time, which is, how is it that women are allowed to
let themselves get pregnant, given that they know that by so doing they will
be placing themselves in a matzav of a chola sheyesh bo sakana, and without
even an obligation to do so (or at most a rabbinic obligation)?  And
likewise how can a man get a woman pregnant, knowing he will be putting her
into such a matzav, mitzvah or no mitzvah?  Does not pikuach nefesh
override? >>

1. In fact many commentaries say there is a difference between
childbirth and other
sakkanot in terms of shabbat. For other pikuach nefesh we override
shabbat and one
can do whatever is necessary without hesitation. However, for
childbirth one is required
to start with the least problematical work (ha-kal ha-kal techila).
The reason given is that
childbirth is a natural danger

2. In the medical shiurim of R. Zilberstein he has several times dealt
with the question
whether a woman can get pregnant when she has a serious disease that
the pregnancy will
aggravate even to the point of pikuach nefesh. His standard answer is
that the woman is
not required to but is allowed to get pregnant if she wishes. Her
desire for children
overrides putting herself into danger.
Though he does not mention it a similar situation occurs when one's
job entails danger
that we pasken that can is allowed to take on a dangerous profession,
eg Nodah BeYehuda
allows one to become a hunter (he has side problems that are not relevant here).

3. Do we assume  Rachel Immenu violated one of the 3 sins that cause
death in childbirth.
More generally there were many righteous women who dies in childbirth
throughout the ages.
It was in fact one of the major causes of death for women in the middle ages.
Do we assume they were all violating niddah, challah or candle lighting?

-- 
Eli Turkel