[Avodah] News From Our Eruv Project

[Zev Sero]

Elliott Shevin wrote:

> Now, why would you be acquiring medicine on Shabbos unless it were for
> someone who is at least a choleh she-ain bo sacana? And unless my memory
> fails me, in such a case, one may violate a miderabannin. So there's no 
> reason the Jew can't take the medicine directly from the pharmacy to
> wherever it's needed, provided he doesn't traverse an actual reshus
> harabim.

A "choleh" for whom it's OK to violate derabbanans is "chalah kol gufo",
to the extent that he's confined to bed and can't look after his own needs.
Someone who is in significant distress but is still up and about is not a
choleh, and may not violate a single derabbanan to alleviate his distress,
but he may violate a double-derabbanan ("shvut dishvut bimkom tzaar").

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas